You Can't Prepare for a Marathon Without Changing Your Life!

I was never much interested in sports in my childhood and school years.

I remember being a quiet child, who used to skip physical education classes in my youth. I had no interest in it and was a stranger to it all. So should anyone tell me ten years ago that I would do sport for real, and moreover run, I wouldn’t believe it and just burst out laughing.

After my first child I gain a lot of weight, and for several years I couldn’t get back to my old self. I developed complexes and was unsatisfied with myself, and hence - complete absence of harmony with myself emerged and negatively affected my communications with those surrounding me.

How could I know that all this would change in the blink of an eye when I put my sneakers on and go running. It was half running, half walking, which gave me severe shortness of breath. But still I liked this unexplainable now feeling. I felt vigorous and full of energy. Next day I felt like running again, and that desire never waned. So for several years I continued to run regularly, and then began to take part in city races. Running came to be a part of my life ever since. To date, I have completed 3 full marathons (42.2 km), several half marathons, and dozens of mountain trails and track races.

This sport requires hard work and devotion. But along with all that it gives you so much more: emotions never to forget, experience beyond value and many new friends.

Could I ever imagine that a simple wish to lose weight will grow into love for running? Clearly, I could not. Now it’s not a mere hobby. It’s my lifestyle. My day go awry if I don’t begin it with running.

Sometimes an unexpected turn brings more than planned.

I have a wonderful family - three kids, my husband and my father-in-law who lives with us. We got a dog two years ago, and he joins me during my runs. And, of course, my beloved job! Is it difficult for me balance family, work and sports? Definitely there are difficulties now and then. However, there is a paradoxical fact here: along with slim figure, self-love and new environment, running gave me something particularly valuable; discipline. Thanks to discipline manage I am able to reach everything and everywhere no matter what comes my way.

On my maternity leave, while looking after a child, I, an English Teaching Diploma owner, solved the 1C program on my own. Then I got a second technical university, already being a part of Borusan Cat family. My development at work has been ongoing since that very moment. Thanks to work I have done in our Company; I have become a sought-after SAP Specialist. Yes, sometimes an unexpected turn in life brings along more than planned.

My goals are much higher now than they were four years ago, when I just took into running for real. Going on yet another start I don’t simply wish to finish the run, but to show good results, place high and update my personal record. There is a 6-stage marathon (The Abbott World Marathon Majors), which are difficult to get in, but I have a dream to run them all. In October I will take part in the first one of these six marathons - Chicago Marathon. In 2019, I ran the world-famous trail run - Cappadocia Ultra Trail. It’s a challenging in technique trail run in Cappadocia, unique in its history and beauty. I dream of running there an ultra-marathon (120 km) one day. I believe it is attainable just fine, after all, 42.2 kilometres were hard to reach for me back in the day.

You can too!

I would also like to share some starting tips. If you seriously consider beginning to run, I recommend you first to make sure that you have no contraindications. In endurance sports your cardiovascular system health is crucial.

Number two is to be ready for hard work and invest in your passion. There will be times of burnout, when motivation goes down, your body resists, and you lose interest. These periods usually pass rather soon, provided you distribute your resources well and let your body rest now and then.

And third, do not be afraid. We are all born with this talent except for the cases of disability. Running is our greatest gift! Some of us simply forget about it as we go about our daily lives. I started sports after 30 years spent away from it and 3 children. You can do it too!

Aigerim Iskhakova

Author

Aigerim Iskhakova has been working as an SAP MM Consultant for Borusan Cat Kazakhstan since 2013. Mother of three kids and a small dog who is a part of their family as well. Marathons became ans essential part of her life. Aigerim dreams to run a 120 kilometres long ultra-marathon!