Besides coffee (a hobby that I will be talking about in the next entry), long distance running was an activity that I vowed I would continue even after I landed in the city. My goal? Run the Copenhagen Half-Marathon. This project was in the works since the beginning of January 2022. Once I got the go ahead by my study abroad advisor to start working on the paperwork and applications for the MIX program, I decided to get serious with running again. I ran more miles than I've ever ran before up until the start of my actual half-marathon program. The last of week of May signaled not only the end of the semester, but also the beginning of >10 mile long runs and leg-wrecking speed workouts--all in preparation for this one goal. I promised to myself that I would never skip a training run; the plan is the plan, so stick to it.
Of course, things are never that simple. When I arrived at my apartment on the first day, I immediately recognized the reality of the situation. My mind was a mess, I had so much worries about what to do, who I could meet up with, where my future classes were, how I was even going to travel around the town--I didn't even think to account mental stress into my training program. The first two weeks went by without a single run because of the lack of sleep; I used to wake up at 4:00 in the morning to get my runs in back in Hawaii, and now I would rather much sleep in instead. By the end of August, I realized that I needed to get back to it. I had three weeks of good training left before the race on September 15th, and I was NOT going to let it go to waste. Endurance running is a special kind of sport; there is a reason why the phrase, "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" exists. I think that is a bit of a misnomer. Running through the wet streets of Copenhagen, I did not feel lonely at all, and that was partially because of my newfound friends. I found that the hours on my feet were a good time to process the emotions of arriving in a completely new environment while at the same time exploring said environment. In a way, the running routes that I chose foreshadowed the rest of the weeks as I passed through the second oldest amusement park, Tivoli, as I passed through the satellite center where I was supposed to pass through VISA processing, as I passed through the CBS campus, as I ran through parks both lush and urban, and as I passed countless coffee shops and bars where I would meet up with my friends. I remember going on my last long run a week before the race--a 2 and a half hour trek in the rain that had me soaked from my head to my toes by the end of it. The lowest it ever got was 56 degrees, and with a simple tank top and shorts, I was NOT dressed for it, and yet, everything seemed right. I was "in the zone." And what I discovered was that I was not as alone as I thought; I had told the people I had met at the orientation, and all of them were excited to see me run it. I had also told my closest friends back home--and they sent me their well-wishes before the race with images and videos of support 7000 miles away. All that was left was the goal ahead of me, and the training left to do. In my worries and excitement over being in a new country, I realized that I had forgotten what I came here to do: finish what I started. What pushed me to continue was the fact that I had friends and family supporting me, and I think that mindset really helped me out, even after the race ended. September 15th came on a Saturday. And it was hard. And rewarding. And my legs were dying by the end. My first official race ended with me nearly falling over from the final sprint at the last half kilometer. But hey, at least I got a shiny medal, a free beer, and an absolutely crushable 8-inch pizza (which, of course, I devoured whole). Most importantly, I got the hint that I still had a long way to go before my time in Europe ended, and I intended to make the most of it before I got on the flight back home.
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Matthew Calulot
Aloha! I am a fourth-year Marketing and International Business student currently studying at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. I have never been to Europe before, which is exactly why I wanted to study abroad as a student from Hawai'i. Archives
January 2023
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