An Unrealistic Goal

Photo by: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/


I have sort of been a runner for a long time. I guess all kids like to run at a certain age, but the world tells us that running isn't fun pretty early in life. So, I didn't really start running in earnest until I joined my high school's cross country team as a junior. No one got cut from the cross country team, and I liked that.

So, I ran. Every day after school in the heat of the late Las Vegas summer, I put on a cotton shirt (I don't even know if tech tees existed back then), and I ran, then walked, then staggered, then ran some more. Eventually I just ran. I was slow, at least by cross country team standards. I pretty much had one goal in high school cross country: don't be last in a race. I was never last! I came really close in a few races, though. I think I was second to last more than once. But I was never last.

When I graduated, I swore I would never run more than a few miles again. I think the longest run we did in cross country was about 6 miles. Never again. Never!

I had bought a road bike and through cycling I had discovered a whole new way to experience the burning pain that running had introduced me to, all while moving much faster and seeing much more. I'll never go back, I thought.

I didn't realize I would marry a runner. When we got married, she didn't know she was a runner yet, and neither did I. I should have seen the signs, though. The gritty determination, the tolerance for pain (she married me, after all), the competitive, goal-oriented personality. Yup, it was only a matter of time before running found her. And when it did, suddenly the speed work, the long runs, and the races were all back in my life (this time with Strava, which definitely improves the experience).

Now I'm a runner again, and I have a goal. I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon. This goal is not unique to me. A lot of runners want to qualify for Boston. This goal is also not realistic. I've never run a marathon (I've only run 2 half's, which I suppose adds up to a full marathon...). I'm not even close to running fast enough. My fastest recorded 1-mile time is about how fast I would need to run the entire marathon. I have a long way to go. Unrealistic, yes, but not impossible. I think I can do it.

If you too have a goal to qualify for Boston, or you just want to watch someone struggle, please follow along as I slowly get faster.

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