Back Again!

I’m almost embarrassed … it’s been about nine months since I last posted. The funny thing is, I always THINK about what I want to write, especially when I’m running, but never seem to get a minute to type it out. I’m finally making time because I think it might give me the extra push I need.

Where did I leave off? Oh yeah, I ran Boston last April and qualified again! I had several months to contemplate running the well-known 26.2 again the next April and came to the conclusion that as long as I can qualify for Boston, I’m going to run it. It’s not something everyone gets to do so I want to take advantage of such a rewarding opportunity. Anyway, I went online the morning that registration went live and I tried signing up for Boston 2011 twice without receiving any kind of confirmation, which was strange. I couldn’t tell if I was registered or not. I had to run (literally) and then get ready for Chris and my engagement pictures that day so I figured I could sign up later that night. It took months and months for it to fill up last year – why would this year be any different? It was. Boston filled up in eight short hours and I found out via Twitter (@B_A_A_) on the ride home from getting our pictures done. I was devastated. Most of you know the story – MANY people did not get into the esteemed race due to technical difficulties and the short open period. After a couple days I more or less accepted the fact that I wasn’t going to be running that race in April but I still managed to call the Boston Athletic Association a couple times with my sob story. Leaving messages both times, I’m sure my voice was one of hundreds or maybe thousands on the machine. Finally, I wrote the association an e-mail explaining what happened on registration day and that I qualified for Boston 2011 at the 2010 race. I didn’t expect anything from it. It was more for me making one last effort. A few weeks had passed and I saw an e-mail from the BAA in my inbox. Hmm. It was a short note apologizing for the hiccups and a personal link to register for the 2011 Boston Marathon. I was beside myself with excitement and motivation! You can ask my dad or my sister, Marley, I was on the phone with them when it happened. I even think I squealed. :-)

Since Boston, I’ve gotten engaged and then encouraged my fiancé to run the Charlotte half marathon with me in December. We trained together and stayed together throughout the entire race. We had a blast. The weather was perfect, the course was great and we enjoyed each other’s company. I’ve even heard him say he’ll do another half, and yes, I’ve even heard the rumblings of a FULL! I won’t hold my breath but baby steps are good. Now, we’re planning a wedding and in the process of buying our first home. Not to mention, I’m in the middle of Boston training.

That motivation that was so present when I signed up for Boston has been playing a bit of hide-and-seek. Some days it’s there and ready to go when I wake up, other days I have to seriously do some digging to find it and there are even times when it escapes me completely. I’m getting through it – hitting my long run numbers and running just as fast this time around. But I wanted to do better. I set a goal for myself – 3:31:00, which is about six minutes faster from Boston 2011 and three minutes faster than my PR. I know I can do it, especially now that I know what to expect, but I have to be better in training. I can’t just get through my runs to reach my goal. I have to really push myself. Shaving minutes off a time isn’t as easy as butter and bread – it takes a concentrated effort. Maybe more like … boiling an egg. (haha)

Nine more long runs until the big race. I’m running 12 miles this weekend and after that, the mileage shoots up pretty quickly. I’ll be better and keep you posted during training. In the meantime, happy training!