When a new year finally rolls in people take the time to reflect on the past and prepare for a new year.  Sometimes people make decisions and goals for the upcoming year too.  I did just that this year.  I have decided to run my first half marathon.  Yes, I want to run 13.1 miles and hopefully live to tell about it.  Of course, I am only joking, as surely I will live through it.  Whether or not I will finish it is another question entirely.  I have started my training and I have found that it will not be as easy as I had anticipated.  After a month I am experiencing some knee pain and it is quite unpleasant.  I found out that your health and body are what really determines whether or not you can actually run a half marathon or full one, not your mind or intentions.

Yes, health can play a huge part in your training and conditioning for a race.  It is common that beginners especially find that their knees might not be up to the challenge.  Even experienced runners might find that after upping their mileage things can go wrong.

Regardless, I am still aiming to complete a half marathon this year.  For those of you interested in learning more about marathons, check out the infographic below.