Running the Boston Marathon has never been a goal for me. Running a qualifying time for any race has never been on my agenda or bucket list…because running never has been that for me. I’ve have personal goals and internal motivations, but they typically aren’t based around time goals someone else has set. Milestones and personal records, sure. But I’ve never set out to train for a race like Boston in hopes of running faster than a 3:35:00, the qualifying time for my age group. (My PR would secure me an entry if I was a 65-69 year old, though!)
Is part of it because I never thought I could do it? Absolutely. My first marathon was around 6:03. My second was 5:22. My third was 4:38. (My fourth was about 5 hours even, but that was two weeks after my third and simply a can I actually finish two marathons in two weeks?! race.) I’ve gotten better, but I’m still so far off the qualifying time. It seems laughable to even entertain the thought. The Boston Marathon is an important race with incredible history and I would absolutely LOVE to experience it, but for a long time I never considered it as an option. I think it’s an incredible goal for whoever wants to do it, but it has never been one of mine.
When Meb won in 2014, I cried. At my desk. At work. I’m not sure most Americans understand how amazing his accomplishment is, or how much it means to not only the running community but our country. I have a pretty healthy library of inspirational quotes and images in my head, and this one’s right up there at the top of that list.
I’m not trying to qualify for Boston. This post isn’t about that. I’m still bewildered by the pace a 3:35 marathon would be (8:12, sure. But for 26.2 miles? Yikes.). But now…I’ve at least stopped thinking it’s out of my reach. And more importantly, I’ve stopped thinking a marathon with a 3:xx:xx is out of reach.
Over the past few years, I’ve slowly begun to feel like I can do anything. Or I can at least TRY without feeling foolish. Without feeling foolish about thinking I can do something that spectacular, or foolish about trying and failing.
How many times can I say the word foolish in one post?
Because here’s the thing. When you try things, that’s how you get better at them. MIND-BOGGLING. I KNOW.
Remember that time I had a baby? Yeah me too.
It reminds me of the process of signing up for Ironman. When it came on my radar, I brushed it off as something I couldn’t ever do…but began noticing things. The types of people who were out there doing it. People who, from the outside, seem “ordinary”…however are anything but. People who I can relate to and people who I can see myself in. THEY were out there doing it…so why shouldn’t I try? I think that decision was one of the biggest leaps of faith I ever took for myself.
I know I’ve said this a million times, but finishing boosted my confidence by a strong 2.6 million percent. I wish everyone could feel this way.
Oh you’ve seen this photo 55 times already? My apologies.
When I’m running the NYC Marathon this November, I’ll be exactly 13 months postpartum. I’m grateful to be feeling as strong and healthy as ever, but after taking a year off, I’m not in prime running shape when it comes to the paces I’m running. I’m not too far off, and I’m secretly hoping when the heat and humidity dissipates I will magically become this fast little unicorn who shaved two minutes off her long run pace with ease.
Totally related.
A PR, of course, is always a fun thing to imagine, and much to my detriment, I find it too hard to run a marathon without at least dreaming that a PR is possible.
Still, making a goal this time around feels irresponsible…but of course I’ll have one. (I’m not that responsible.) It won’t be “under four hours”, my marathon goal for a couple years from now, but it will be something that motivates me, something I’ll be able to feel is do-able once my training starts winding down.
Maybe someday I’ll run the streets of Boston. Maybe I won’t. But it’s nice to know I can dream.
Do you want to qualify for Boston?
