On the Run: Finishing my First Half-Marathon
In May of 2019, I was supposed to run the Flying Pig Half Marathon. But, in February of that same year, I began to experience the first of many mysterious symptoms that would plague me for most of the year. By my 27th birthday, I'd made the decision to defer my Half to 2020 and hope for better circumstances. While my personal circumstances did improve post diagnosis and treatment for occipital neuralgia, 2020 became the dumpster fire of a year it has become. By my 28th birthday, I was in quarantine, working from home, and watching numerous races get postponed or cancelled. Soon, the Flying Pig followed, pushed from May to October. I marked the new date on my calendar and hoped to travel to my hometown of Cincinnati to enjoy some of the country's best cheering crowds for my first half marathon. And then, another announcement. The in-person race was cancelled, and I had a choice to make: give up the ghost & donate my race registration, defer again to 2021, or run the race v