Paige Almeida

I have been training for the Chicago Marathon for 7 months now, and it is almost time to finally do the race! Throughout these 7 months I have learned a lot about myself that I may not have learned if not for signing up for this marathon. I have gained traits that can only help me for my future career that is nearing closer and closer. Waking up at 5:30AM to go for long runs will not be missed, but it showed me the importance of dedication and persevering through the pain. Although painful, the ending result was always the same; completely rewarding. This showed me time and time again that even though at certain points it seemed unbearable, tedious, and strenuous; when finishing that run it was all worth it at that point. I feel that going through these kinds of set backs and pushing through, is something that will occur constantly during my career, but with this training I have learned that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Athletics has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up playing soccer and running track and cross country, and now I will be adding running 26.2 miles to the list. Run, walk, or both I can't wait to cross that finish line and be able to say that I completed a marathon.