Melissa recently ran in the Chicago Rock and Roll Half Marathon on the first of August. She felt unprepared for the marathon because she injured herself weeks before the race and, as a result, training flagged. The 13.1 miles turned out to be a larger challenge then Melissa expected. She prayed her cross country skills from high school would help her cross the finish line.
She started the race in high spirits. Strangers were cheering her on and she could feel the energy in the air. However, by the twelfth mile Melissa felt every blister and exhausted muscle in her body. That is when the worst happened, Al Roker passed her.
“That’s when I started to cry,” said Melissa, “I cried and I cried; it brought up all these emotions.”
Melissa originally signed up for the event because she thought it would be a good idea to focus on herself for a while. When Melissa pushed through the twelfth mile to reach the finish line, she conquered her everyday stress and the constant pressure of worrying about her mother who is currently fighting breast cancer.
The half marathon forced Melissa to acknowledge her emotional and physical strife, which allowed her to see her inner strength and increase her self-worth. Melissa may not have enjoyed the race, but she simply loved the way she felt afterward.
Now Melissa believes everyone should participate in a race at some point in their lives because according to her, “it makes you feel alive.”
Melissa after completing the Rock and Roll Half Marathon
