14 November 2021 | For my second EU half-marathon (made possible through the 2022 Hoka Maratona Di Ravenna), I was not in any way or anywhere near the ideal physical state due to unfavorable events that unfolded the night prior. I never run out of excuses, I know. Staying in Bologna (instead of Ravenna) for the night, having a few bottles of beer, staying up so late then needing to wake up early as 4 to catch the 5AM train for a 1.5-hr ride to Ravenna the next day – weren't exactly the best things to do. One thing led to another, that even I had huge qualms if I could actually finish the race hours before the run. When all I felt was exhaustion and the recurring pain in my upper thigh, I tried to find that built-in kind of luck I knew I always had in my pocket. Quite surprisingly, I made it to the finish line. On top of that, I actually ended up getting my personal best 21k record, to date.
Most of my life victories, I always attribute to luck, oftentimes not recognizing the work and effort I pour into achieving them. During tough times, I always manage to channel some sense of luck; with a resounding reassurance that I would get through anything under whatever circumstance. But credits actually go to this sense of preparedness and diligence (well-disguised as luck) that often leads me to be lucky enough in getting a better share of things. It took me quite a while to realize this, and that preparation has always been the key – that I am more than just lucky, that it pays to always work and prepare hard for whatever it is that I want, and then hope that the rest and best (of luck) will effortlessly run after me.
