Tag Archives: Boston Qualifying

Some St. George Extra and What I’m Doing Now

Posted by hellyontherun in Marathon, Race, Running and tagged with , , , , ,

I mentioned in a previous post about St. George how I was excited about the race because of friends running it.

My friend Jenna, who also used the same coach as me, was running to Boston Qualify, and I had no doubts she would do it. Guess what? SHE KILLED IT. She needed a 3:35 like me and ended up with a 3 FREAKING 20!!! Yeah, demolished her goal!!!

My other friend Kimi was running her third marathon in 6 months (crazy girl) and also pulled out a BQ. We’re not sure if it’ll be enough cushion but that girl is serious amazeballs.

Ashley, my training buddy/partner-in-BQ-crime, came away with a 4 minute PR at 3:43!!! I *know* she’s got a BQ in her and with the right course (maybe CIM in December?) she’ll get her Boston ticket.

In my race recap, I recounted how we’d driven the course and seen that while it was net downhill, it was a lot of rolling up and down hill. I knew I was not prepared for that (or prepared to BQ or PR), but even Ashley who had done some hill training wasn’t feeling confident after the preview.

St. George Marathon is an absolutely beautiful course. The views the entire way are breathtaking. The volunteers and overall organization of the race are seriously topnotch. Like, for real. At each station, there were people who who would rub cream on your legs to help with cramping, they were people who had vaseline if you were chafing, there were people there to help you with mostly anything. I had never seen anything like it!

But as a Boston Qualifying course, I’m not so sure I’d recommend it. If you like hills, have hills around you to train, then this is def a good course to shoot for that goal. If you’re in the flatlands, it might be tough.

I’d have to stick with my Phoenix Marathon course. It’s also net downhill (that’s really more flat than downhill after the initial descent) and while boring and lacking in views (after the initial descent), I honestly think it’s a good PR course. (and of course, shameless plug: Use Helly10 for $10 off the half or full!)

Downhill but way less so than St. George.

So that’s where I’ll make my next attempt. I’ll have home court advantage, so I have that going for me. And if I’m honest, I need all the help I can get.

Right now I’m laying low, easing myself back into running after a much needed rest. I’m skipping CIM in December and instead getting a full cycle for Phoenix. Training for Phoenix officially begins the 24th, and I’ll be going in ready to give it all I have. I’d love to use my coach again, but with budgeting for the holidays, I’ll be re-using some of her workouts in addition to Hanson’s to go at it solo. I’m excited, and I feel really good about where I’m at right now with running. Even though I had a rough go at it with St. George, coming away with a PR match has given me a newfound confidence with this next attempt.

Let’s do this, blogging fam!! ❤

–What is your next running/fitness goal?

 

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Choosing A BQ Course (and beating FOMO)

Posted by hellyontherun in Marathon, Race, Running and tagged with , , , ,

When I went public announcing my attempt to BQ this year, I stated I’d be doing St. George Marathon in October.

But for a brief moment last week, I changed my mind.

After Phoenix Marathon, my good friend Bob messaged me congratulating me on my PR and telling me that he thought my chances to BQ were good and that I should consider a race that would qualify me for Boston 2018–the year he would be going.

I have A TON of friends going to Boston in 2018. My friend Marsha who qualified here two weeks ago is going.

My beautiful and speedy friend, Marsha ❤

Katrina is going, Carlee is going, my friend Kim is going, my friend Halley is going, I have no doubt Charissa will qualify next month–not to mention, a slew of friends here in Phoenix.

The FOMO is real, folks.

So when my friend, Bob, mentioned that I should consider Revel Big Cottonwood in September, I was intrigued. I was tempted.

The race was far enough away for me to get a good training cycle in. Revel races have good BQ rates. But most importantly, it would put me in Boston 2018. If I made it.

This just looks painful. (Source)

I was in. I thought about how much fun it would be to meet up with friends–friends whose BQ journey I’d followed. Now I could be in the race with them!

But as I waited to sign-up (my BQ training buddy Ashley was also in on this), I started to think about the negatives of changing courses. Up to this point, I had only thought of the plusses.

My husband had a huge PR at Phoenix too, finishing in 3:17–twelve minutes from his BQ time (he’d of course need a couple more minutes buffer).

I refuse to go to Boston without him.

If only one of us qualified in Big Cottonwood, the other one would be left having to do a race qualifying for the following year. We wouldn’t be doing Boston together.

When I thought about how much fun it would be to meet up with friends in Hopkinton, I realized it wouldn’t be as fun if it was without my husband, or watching from the sidelines.

Sticking with St. George means that we’d have several more chances to qualify if we didn’t make it there. I’m already signed up for CIM in December, and we’re both signed up for Phoenix in 2018. The back-ups (or fun runs, hoping it’s the latter lol) are set.

Putting all of our eggs in the one Big Cottonwood basket was just too risky.

So I didn’t sign up.

I’m proud I didn’t give in to FOMO and thought about what’s really important to me. My husband has been my number one supporter in my running journey and I know he’d say the same about me. Boston is going to get the both of us or none of us at all. ❤

Me and my fave

See you in St. George!

–When’s the last time you beat out FOMO (fear of missing out)?

–When’s the last time you succumbed to FOMO?

 

2017–And The Adventure Begins

Posted by hellyontherun in Running and tagged with , , , ,

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I love new beginnings. All of ’em. Mondays, mornings, new years, new months, new seasons…The hopefulness of the start of something new excites me and motivates me.

As far as goals and resolutions, I don’t look at them as having a deadline. If/when I create them, I do so with the intention of them being something I work on for as long as I can, as long as life will allow. So any goals I set for myself, I’m not looking to have fulfilled them by the end of they year. If they take longer, they take longer. For me, the pursuit of the goal, the lessons I learn while I’m actively trying, is always what stays with me the longest.

Because of a year like 2016, I finally feel confident enough to go for my 2017 goals, because honestly, I never thought I’d be within reach.

I want to Boston Qualify. You all knew this was coming, right? Lol! In all seriousness though, I’m still quite a bit aways, but this is the year I want to start making my attempts. I’m motivated by a good training cycle and marathon from NYC, I’m motivated by friends like Katrina and Colby and Jennifer and Ashley, and I’m motivated by the fact that I’m finally confident enough to even consider it.

My first attempt will be at St. George in October. It’s no longer a lottery (per their website) so on April 1st, I’ll be at my computer ready to register, lol. I’ve also already signed up for California International Marathon (CIM) in December.

Right now my current marathon PR is 3:58 and my BQ time is 3:35. Realistically, I’d need around a 3:32-33 to get in.

Completing a half marathon under 1:45 this past December really boosted my confidence in thinking I could actually qualify. That was a criteria for me before I even considered trying. With Hanson’s Marathon Method, the longest tempo run is 10 miles, so if I were training to BQ, I’d need to do 10 miles in 8:00 minutes. With a half marathon at a 7:48/mile average under my belt, I feel like I can better tackle a Hanson’s BQ training cycle now.

Can you tell I’ve thought about this a lot? Ja!!!

And because I’m crazy, I really want to qualify in the age group I’m currently in: 18-34. Right now I’m 32, and your needed BQ time is for the age you’ll be on Boston Marathon race day. So let’s say it takes me two years to qualify and I’m 34—the time I would technically need would be for the next age group, 3:40, since I would be 35 on race day. Many have said I should wait and age in, but, I like the challenge of qualifying in my current age group time. If people have done it, why can’t I? So what if I’m practically a half hour away–details shmeetails. 😀

I want to sub 1:40 a 1/2 Marathon. This is equally insane to me as my BQ goal. When I ran the Scottsdale Half Marathon, I thought a sub 1:45 was a stretch (my previous PR being 1:48) and I remember saying that as long as I got that sub 1:45, I would be done with any 1/2 marathon goals.

Well I finished with a 1:42 and now I kinda want to try for a sub 1:40, lol! And this time, I’m serious that whenever I do get it, I’ll be more than satisfied having that as my long standing PR.

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Like I said at the start of the post, I’m not looking to check these off this year. It would be great, but I know that it could take longer than 12 months. A lot longer. And I’m okay with that. I know trying for these goals, even if I don’t make them “soon”, will help me become a better runner. That’s still a win, right?

I have 3 marathons scheduled for 2017, two of which will be BQ attempts. I have 2 half marathons scheduled, one of which will be a sub 1:40 attempt.

Here’s to a fun ride trying to make these happen!! I hope you join me 😀

–What are your 2017 running/fitness goals?

–When you dream big, do you dream reeeeally BIG (like me, lol) or make goals that are more within reach?