Running My First Half Marathon
Dear happy readers and runners,
I’m running the ING Night Marathon Luxembourg (half marathon) on 16 May 2026. It will be my first half marathon and I’m excited — and a little nervous.
I’ve been working on becoming a better runner since around 2016. Over the years I made steady efforts: short, regular runs, slowly increasing my long-run distance, learning to pace myself, and prioritising recovery (especially this point 🙃). It hasn’t always been linear — there were busy periods and slow months — but I really feel I’ve evolved since those early years. Today I have more endurance, better pacing, and a calmer mindset on race day, and this half marathon feels like a milestone for that long-term progress — though it’s only one step. Finally, I genuinely enjoy running — I no longer have to force myself to go for a run. I’m still in good shape: no knee pain, no history of serious injuries, and overall I feel better than I did ten years ago. I usually run routes with a lot of elevation (250–320 m for 10 km) and almost always run in the woods or out in nature, mostly on the same trails close to where I live. They’re beautiful runs, and I absolutely always run with music; here’s my evolving playlist.
My goal for the day is simple: just finish the race alive. I’m not following a strict training plan; I run whenever I can — often in the rain and, lately, in the cold, whether in the morning or the evening.
If you’d like to follow my training or send encouragement, you can find me on Strava — your kudos truly help on long runs. They’re my fuel!
If you’re running the race too, please say hello — I’d love to meet on the start line. And if you have race-day tips (clothing, pacing, nutrition), I’m all ears.
Thanks for the support — wish me luck! 🏃♂️✨