Does a Half Marathon Sound Impossible?

Remember when you completed your first 5K? That was quite an accomplishment. It is definitely a milestone that you can be proud of because running a 5K takes a lot of patience and hard work. Maybe you’ve run multiple 5Ks at this point and it’s hard for you to even remember those days when you first began your training when you had no motivation to go on even the shortest of runs.

You’ve accomplished so much!

All over northern Colorado, many runners like you have had the exact same experience. From Berthoud to Fort Collins, from Loveland to Windsor … and beyond, almost all runners know the joy of crossing the finish line in a race, but also know that some mornings, running just doesn’t seem like a fun thing to do.

There are many ways that you can find the motivation that you need to keep going or to try something new and a running club like Sweetheart City Racing can help with both. One thing that can help if you’ve gotten into a rut with your running routine is to run with a group. Sure, it’s still work, but even just seeing other runners getting out there and running can be just the jumpstart you need to recommit with joy to your daily runs. When those other runners provide encouragement, support, or advice, your running group moves from being just a club to being your running community … folks that you know are there for you … cheering you on either literally or metaphorically every step of the way.

We can help you connect with new running friends.

Sweetheart City Racing offers many opportunities to get together with your northern Colorado running friends. One of our favorites is a weekly run that starts at one of Loveland’s local breweries (we rotate among different breweries every week). Of course, ending your run at a brewery is quite the motivation in and of itself, but getting to do so within a running community that understands all of the joys and frustrations of being a runner, well, that’s just a fun feeling for everyone.

Maybe you have already participated in Sweetheart City Racing weekly runs or a race that we’ve sponsored, but you’re looking to up your running game; either by running faster or farther than you have before. Both are laudable goals and both are things that we can help you with. One of the best things about running with a club is that you get tips, hacks, and advice that you just don’t get when running on your own. When you run in our weekly runs, you will inevitably encounter runners of various abilities … some will run faster than you … and some will run slower. Take the opportunity after the run to talk with some of the faster runners. Ask them how they train, how they’ve increased their speed, if they have any advice. You’ll find that they are happy to offer encouragement and support.

If your goal is to run farther than you have in the past, consider participating in one of Sweetheart City Racing’s sponsored marathons or half marathons. Remember that first 5K we were talking about earlier? Remember how when you first started 5K seemed like an impossible distance that you would never be able to attain? And yet, you did it. You crossed the finish line and proved to yourself and to the world that you could do it. What an awesome feeling!

Just as you’ll find faster and slower runners than you at Sweetheart City Racing, you’ll also find those who can run greater distances and those who may always run lesser distances than you. Talk with some friends from Loveland or Fort Collins or Windsor who come to our weekly runs or who participate in area races. Those who have already run a 10K, half, or full marathon will be happy to regale you with stories of their accomplishments.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Maybe it’s just the idea of running a half marathon that scares you. The best way to push past that fear is to go to our events page and sign up for a race today. Once you’re committed to an actual race, it’s much easier to find the motivation that you’ll need to train, compete, and finish. And, on those days when motivation still seems to waiver, chat up some of your buddies in Windsor’s running community or Berthoud’s or Tinmath’s. When you’re a runner in northern Colorado, you will always find other runners who are more than willing to help you out. So, commit today and let’s run farther or faster than we ever have before!

- Sara