Since the year is almost halfway over, I figured it was a good time to think about my new years resolutions again. So resolutions 2 and 3, I have done pretty well in, which is really good. Unfortunately, resolution 1 will have to be altered a little, but that ok. I'm still pretty realistically optimistic about it.
Resolution 4 though. Boston. For runners, especially middle and long distances, this name carries the upmost meaning. The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest and one of the most prestigious marathons. It is probably the goal or dream of every runner to qualify for at one of the top 5 marathons in the world. To qualify for the 2012 Boston, I need to finish 26.2 miles (42.16 km) in under 03:10:59. However, it seems that the best chance to get a registration spot is to finish under 03:00:00.
Today marked the 8th annual Capital City Half-marathon. It was 52 weekends ago that I ran my first half-marathon. I ended with an official time of 1:49:30 and the mindset that I would never qualify for Boston. Fast forward a year, one half-marathon, one 5K and several track competitions later, I woke up to a (rare) perfect Spring Saturday morning in Columbus. The temperature was hovering around the 50's, and the sun was out with just a few clouds in sight. My seed time placed in the first corral, well ahead of most of the runners. At 8 am, the horn sounded, and I started my fastest half-marathon yet.
The training with the team propelled me to the front. By no intention did I run my fastest mile during the start, a sub-6 minute mile that set much of the mentality for the rest of the race. Counting on the flat, fast course, my teammates waiting for me around campus and familiarity with the course, I bolted ahead, wrapped around campus and headed back downtown in no time. After another 6.5 miles, I crossed the finish line at 1:29:56. In just one year, with the help of teammates, training and some new found self-confidence, I went from being on the outside looking in, to planning out my next big race and hopefully an even bigger race after that.
2 comments:
Congratulations on the remarkable improvement in time. That first mile marker came up faster than the rest. Had a great day and beat the 2 hour mark by 7 seconds. Happy to improve by 25 minutes from my last half. Best wishes toward Boston
yaaaaaay it would be so awesome if you qualified for boston senior year! :D
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