marathon training

Monday Motivation and Boston thoughts

Movin' it with Michelle

Hey it’s Marathon Monday!!!!  I’m so excited for all those who ran this morning at the 2015 Boston Marathon.  I have so many friends who ran today, both virtual and in real life that I found myself constantly checking updates on my phone!!  I’m happy to report everyone I know finished the race, and it looked like such a blast.  I wish I could list them all, but hope they know I love and cherish each and every one of them as runners, and friends.

So this got me thinking about all things that are Boston, the number one of which being SPEED.  This is something that has never been a part of my life as a distance runner, or any other type of runner to be honest.  I’ve always been an average runner.  I’m not a ‘back of the packer’ but I am by no means, fast.  So does that make me less of a runner?

Let’s ponder that thought for a bit…shall we?

For fun, I looked up the Boston Qualifying times…FOR FUN.  Although I’ve never even dreamt of BQ’ing, I decided what better day to look up the facts and see if I could ever feasably qualify.  For my age group I would need a minimum of a 3:45 finish time.  Mind you, my fastest full marathon time is 4:25 and I have NO idea where that race even came from other than God himself as it truly was the best race of my life, and I can recall nearly every second of it.  But on the same note, I pushed myself harder than ever that day, and had to reach down to the very depths of my soul to find the strength to finish that marathon so strongly. I can’t even fathom running a faster marathon.

Does that make me less of a runner?  Some would say, yes…

Sometimes I catch myself questioning that statement…but only mostly during a race, or an event like the Boston Marathon.  Most of the time I am completely satisfied being an average runner.  But I suppose it is normal for nearly every distance runner to wonder…what if?  Could I qualify? Could I run the race that is the end all and be all of all things distance running?

boston

But I know myself, and my abilities as a runner…so the answer is:

Probably not…and that makes me NO LESS of a runner AT ALL.  Because during every run I am out there giving it my all…it may not be enough to BQ…but I strive to be a little better with each year for ME.

That won’t stop me for drooling over Shalene, Desiree and Meb and their amazing talent.  It won’t stop me from cheering on my friends who ARE speedy, and celebrating each finish line and finishing time.  It also won’t stop me from hoping one day…just maybe when I’m 65, that I’ll BQ, lol!!!  ❤

Have you BQ’d or are you striving to BQ?  What are your thoughts on the importance of speed?

Thanks for your support!  Have a great day, y’all!!!

❤ Michelle

Published by Movin' it with Michelle

My name is Michelle and I am a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. I have found a passion for running, cooking, writing, photography and all things that move my love for life! I've ran 3 full marathons, with a PR of 4:25, and 17 half marathons with a PR of 2:00:11 (yup-missed sub 2 by 11 seconds, lol). Thanks for joining me on my journey!

51 thoughts on “Monday Motivation and Boston thoughts”

  1. Michelle, you are amazing!! I’m happy to hear how proud of yourself you are because you should be! You are a fabulous runner and your dedication to the sport is phenomenal! You push yourself and run YOUR races and that’s all we can do as runners. You are supportive, too! I can always feel your happiness for others. So sweet! I’m always in your corner!! Smooch! XOXO

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  2. I’d be an average person too – never run a marathon but my best half marathon time is 2:12 and all the others have been within 10 mins of that. Including the one last summer when I was perfectly on course to smash that at mile 11, before the heat got to me and left me not smashing it at all. Anyway I reckon it’s all about doing what works for you. We all have our targets. For me it’s to beat 2:12 even if just by a second. For others it’s to win the race. And for others it’s just to get around, and never mind the time. All our targets are as valid as the others, and that inclusivity is what I love about running. The elites have disappeared over the horizon before I pass the start line, but we’re all in the same race!

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  3. I’ve never actually thought about running Boston until I decided to run my first FULL, which is still on hold 😦 Maybe someday I could qualify. I took checked out my BQ time and it would be 3:40 this summer but I have still yet to even run a full marathon. First thing first, get my hamstring healthy, then train for my first full *hopefully* this fall!

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  4. That’s what I love about running. It’s the same playing field as the elites.. a mile is a mile..a marathon is a marathon. No less of a runner than those in front of you or behind you.
    Speed is important to me..only because I work so hard for whatever speed I do have. I do want to BQ someday, but that’s not my make or break big time goal. Most of my goals are in the Half actually.
    Good points Michelle 🙂

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  7. But… for the past two years now I’ve cheered on ny marathoners. It goes through my neighborhood here in Brooklyn. I started 2 years ago because I knew people running in it.but I did it last year because it’s fun, screaming out encouraging the runners, calling them by name or country

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  8. I will also never BQ! But as long as I someday run a marathon I’ll be pretty happy 🙂 Your marathon time is awesome though, you need to teach me how to do that!

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  9. LOVE THIS. I’ve always said, if I make it to 70…maybe just maybe. LOL. I’m a middle packer and won’t even call myself a runner (therapy needed!). But, like you, all I can do is be the best ME.

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  10. One of the things I’ve loved about the running community is that very few people I’ve met tie being a runner to speed. It really is all about whether you get out there and run at all, and whether you have the dedication to keep at it 🙂

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  11. I’m fairly certain I will qualify in the 80+ range! Yes, this got me thinking about speed as well, as you know. I definitely don’t think pace reflects the runner at all. I just WANT to be faster. Most likely not to BQ but to reach some of my own personal goals.

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  12. I was going to say “don’t ever underestimate yourself”, and “dream big” as far as a BQ goes. However, you seem to find so much joy in running as it is regardless of what the clock says. So why not just keep striving for a “Me Q” by making those small improvements that have big rewards? 🙂

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  13. Michelle, I’d like to think (and say) that speed doesn’t matter to me and there are many times when it doesn’t and I’m content being the runner that I am right now; however, there are definitely times when I would love to accomplish some new goals and maybe (like you said, when I’m 60+) dream of qualifying for Boston. I think it would be an amazing experience and what an accomplishment! Thanks so much for sharing your own thoughts.

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  14. Speed is a great bonus but it certainly isn’t everything. I think the love of running brings us together much more than a speedy time. And there are other goals a runner can work towards besides time goals, like motivating a friend through a race, running for a charity, running in memory of someone, etc. Besides, you can always run Boston through a charity one day 😉 A BQ time isn’t the only way to run it! With that said though, I think you can do much more than you think you can. Confidence is key…confidence and fun 🙂

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  15. I love this post! You definitely don’t need to get a BQ to be a part of Boston. I think that’s what make it such an amazing event….it’s an entire city bonding over the love of running! You have to love running to run marathons, and you have to be a little crazy to love running. It’s just a bunch of crazy people coming together, and even if you aren’t running, you are essential.

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  17. Boston is for everyone, not just the ones who run it and the ones who qualify. That being said, though, I wouldn’t rule out qualifying. I never thought I would be able to qualify, but I did last year. My previous PR was 3:12 and I went from that to 3:44 (my qualifying time) in 6 months. It just took adding speed workouts once weekly and convincing myself that I could do it. The psychological aspect was huge.

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  19. I think that getting a Boston Qualifier isn’t a measure of running heart. Speed is something you’ve either been given or not and you can tweak what you’ve been given a little. Not being able to BQ doesn’t mean anything really. I possibly could if I have a great race (I have to go sub 4 hours at my age) but even if I did it doesn’t mean that I’d run it.

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  21. You are amazing! I am a very VERY slow runner and do not have the endurance to do a full marathon. I did a half in 2:43 and another in 3:00 if that tells you anything. It would take me 6 hours to do a full marathon, if I lived through it. And I still very much consider myself a runner and was tuned in all day on Monday. Boston made ME feel strong and motivated, and I teared up watching them cross the finish line.

    You keep doing you, because from what I can tell, you’re pretty freakin’ amazing. 🙂

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  24. I hear ya on the BQ at 65! My goal is to stay healthy and still be running at that age. I have started doing track workouts to get faster. I am still the slowest, but I AM getting faster. Plus, everyone is super supportive in all of the groups I run with. That is what I love so much about running, well runners, they are genuinely happy for you when you chase your dreams and achieve them. I’m preparing for my first full marathon this fall. I’m nervous, excited, terrified and determined to own it. Good luck at Grandma’s!

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