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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TAMU chapter.

26.2 miles. Who would ever want to run that? 

Almost every cross-country runner dreams of one day running a marathon (or should I say every cross-country runner who enjoys running), but few go through the required four or more months of training, dieting, and exhaustion. So why have I randomly decided I want to run a marathon after not running for almost two years? The answer is simple: I want to. 

The last thing most college students ever think about is waking up at 5:30 AM to go run before morning classes. So why have I decided to? Why do I like running so much to convince myself to start a training program for a marathon? Waking up and spending my mornings running is rough. But running makes the rest of my day as easy as my run was hard. It is a form of confidence in myself. I know that if I can spend my Saturday mornings running 5 miles, I can easily do a five-page essay. If my body is capable of running 26.2 miles, I am capable of speaking up in class. If I can push myself to do good when I am in my running shoes, then I can push myself to do good anywhere. 

It’s rewarding to know that you can run miles on end. Knowing what my body is capable of has helped me excel in my academic and personal life. Maybe I will reach my goal of racing in the Austin Marathon and maybe I won’t. But no matter what happens in the coming months of my training, I am happy with the progress I’ve made while in my running shoes.

Audrey Hendrick currently a member of the Her Campus at TAMU chapter and is in the Events Committee. She was President of the chapter in the 2023-2024 school year, but stepped down due to graduating in December. Audrey embraces the opportunity to develop her leadership and time management skills and cherishes the new and lifelong friendships Her Campus at TAMU has brought her. Beyond Her Campus at TAMU, Audrey is a Senior English major at Texas A&M University, graduating in December. She plans to get a Masters in Library Sciences. Audrey hopes to become a librarian at the Texas A&M Libraries. She currently works as a student worker for the Texas A&M Library System, in the Preservation Department. Audrey enjoys writing and has had her work published on Her Campus as well as in the April 2022 issues of The English Aggie. In her free time, Audrey enjoys reading and is currently on track to read 120 books in 2024. She also loves to run and is currently training for the BSC Half Marathon in December. Audrey also enjoys hiking along the trails of Texas State Parks and documents her experiences at the State Parks in a Traveler’s Notebook.