I am a happy runner. Running is my comfort zone. It has been for three years now. For three years I have run aimlessly without any specific goal race. I never really thought about running Boston. Hell, you have to be a wicked fast runnah to even qualify to run in the Boston Marathon and wicked fast I'm not. So, I just adopted the position that I'd find that pace I could run forever and run really long races. I get up every morning, put on a pair of shorts and a pair of shoes, and I just run whatever feels right that day. Some days a 9 minute mile for a 10K, other days I just lay back and run an easy 10:30 or 11:00 for miles, and yet other days I'll try to bust a 5K PR. But my running has always been a day to day whatever strikes my fancy that day.
And then Meb won Boston. At 38 years old, Meb - an American won Boston. What? Against all odds and with not a single soul expecting him to place even top 5, Meb wins Boston. Oooohhh... I want to run Boston. I want to qualify to run Boston. But. I can't run that fast. That's not my run happy place. When I try to run fast I seem to hurt myself. But, I want.to.qualify.for.and.run.Boston. I can run back to back marathons. I can run 50K's. I'm sure I can run a 50 and one day a hundred. But. I want to run Boston. "Your comfort zone is not a place that you want to remain in. Dare, discover, be all that you can be." Catherine Pulsifer Yes. To this end I've sought out and hired a coach to help turn my run happy ad hoc training into a disciplined training plan with speed work and strength work that builds this week upon last week's work. My coach is Jennifer Kimble, a coach with RunOn! and an accomplished runner and very motivational and inspiring person. Her job is simply to push me out my run happy comfort zone, show me how to run harder and faster, and keep me focused until one day, hopefully very soon, I break a 3:30 marathon and earn my ticket to Boston. And if anyone can do this, I'm sure Jennifer is that person. Because I'll do the work. Yes. To be a wicked fast runnah. To dare, discover, be all that I can be.
2 Comments
Megan
7/17/2014 11:12:28 am
You are wicked awesome Andy!
Reply
Sam
8/3/2014 03:18:50 am
You are so going to go. Wanting it that badly is half the battle. I am not a wicked fast runnah, but I'm proof that it's possible. :-)
Reply
Leave a Reply. |