Last Saturday, I checked one of the 86 things off of my bucket list. Although I have yet to read every Ernest Hemingway novel or meet Mark Ruffalow, I can officially say that I have finished a half marathon! My main motivation, of course, was to get the huge 13.1 sticker to put on my laptop, and the bragging rights are pretty sweet, too. On a more serious note, though, finishing this half marathon is the first thing in a while that I’ve done solely for me. I felt an overwhelming self-pride as I crossed that finish line, knowing that I had started and finished something I had always wanted to do.

I’m a Serial Half Marathon Registrar. I’ve filled out the registration information for at least four different races, entered my credit card information, looked up training programs – and immediately closed the browser window. The reality check would hit me with a painful punch: Yeah, Jenna, you used to run in high school, but you’ve never run more than 10 miles and you don’t run anymore. One morning, though, I was feeling crazy enough to register. I convinced an equally crazy friend to run it with me, hit the “Sign me up!” button, and instantly panicked. The reality check hit me, this time a little too late.

I took a deep breath and reassured myself that I could do this. Mostly, though, I realized that I had just spent a nonrefundable sum of $90 on this race. So, you know, I kind of had to do it.

Despite this rollercoaster of emotions, training and running in the half marathon taught me a few things about taking the plunge and committing yourself to things that don’t always seem achievable. As the poetic band AWOLNATION once said, “Never let your fear decide your fate.”

1. Break it down: You’ve probably heard this before: break down a big, seemingly insurmountable goal into more achievable steps. Whether this applies to studying for a test or training for a race of any distance, writing out a plan helps. In order to quell my fears, I immediately drew out a calendar, filled in the days with a training plan I found on the Internet, and crossed off the boxes as I progressed through the plan. It was a helpful reminder to see that calendar next to my bed every morning, and crossing off more and more boxes was motivating. This isn’t to say I stuck to my exact plan every day, because that certainly isn’t true. Breaking it down at the very beginning and adjusting my schedule as time passed made for a flexible and doable plan.

2. Use your support system: The idea of running a half marathon terrified me. When my friend agreed to do it with me, though, my goal suddenly seemed more attainable. I had tried and failed time and time again to register by myself, but something about my friend agreeing gave me the actual push to go through with it. Using your support system can also mean informing your friends and family what you’re up to so they can cheer you on.

3. You don’t have to win to be a winner: Is this the cheesiest thing I’ve ever said? Maybe. Do I believe it? Definitely. My parents always reminded me that I didn’t have to be the best as long as I was giving my personal best, and I’ve tried to keep this mantra in mind in my classes and beyond. My friend and I reassured each other before beginning the race that we weren’t competing against each other or other people, just ourselves. This relieved a lot of personal stress I had going into the race. I finished in 415^th place – and it feels awesome.