I had one old dream, which I postponed during a long period of time. This dream was to take part in a marathon or semi-marathon. When my friends offered to go jogging in the morning, I agreed with great pleasure. I am fond of running since my school days, and not without reason, because everyone knows that this is a great way to keep yourself that improves the work of your cardiovascular system. How did I become a participant of the marathon in Katowice? And accidental, nothing more. I moved to Poland when I leaved Ukraine. Soon there was the first business trip, that left me in Katowice. When I was looking for fun, I started looking throught all the events and activities. Then I got to know about PKO Silesia Marathon race. I even didn’t think over it, because it was a great opportunity to achieve my covenant goals.

I started to prepare three months before the marathon. I can’t tell anything special about the training, I just did running several times a week.

Registration of the participant cost 85 zlotys. The day before the start, I took my starter pack, which contained a chip number, a T-shirt and a backpack In the morning, I faced a problem that originally seemed global: the place where I was forced to get out of the bus was located just near the track of the marathon. All bus routes were changed. You will never guess which trifle became my savior when there was almost no hope - a small red backpack. Unexpectedly for me, the car stopped and a Polish participant, who saw a backpack, picked me up. We went along the path to my dream. It was not clear at all whether buses would run. Sunday is a special day for the Polish people, everybody goes to the church - small, young and old, so to catch the car is not an easy task, it is even appropriate to say that it is almost impossible.

When we came to the place, we wished each other good luck and then said goodbye. Then everything, as usual on marathons - a little warm-up (you mustn’t skip it!) and start. There were a lot of people. I overtook and was overtaken. At the beginning I had many forces. The first 10 kilometers I tried to be in the center of everything. But then the morning adventures continued - my laces untied.

Just a little thing comparing to what happened next. I stopped to tie them, and I felt a sharp pain in my right leg. It seemed that all the scars that had accumulated over the last thirty years decided to remind me about themselves. I mentally almost gave up and immediately reminded that my parents were against my participation in the event, they all the time claimed that something bad would happen. However, a little rest gave me a strength. Without speeding, I slowly ran with my red backpack. I finished at the stadium. It was worth it, I can’t even remember when I received so much pleasure before. A lot of emotions, support and inspiration. At the finish, the pain completely disappeared, as if I didn’t feel it at all.

Source: (androshchuk.com/blog)