Dare to Dream

I am now at Week 4 of training for the Philadelphia Marathon and so far—knock on wood—no injuries! Just a lot of soreness... and consequently, a lot of whining (sorry friends)! A few people have asked me why I chose Philly, as opposed to a race closer to where I live. There are many great fall marathons in California, some of which are incredibly flat and fast (a very yummy combination). But my heart is set on the Philadelphia Marathon for a few reasons:

- I lived in Philadelphia for many years and it remains one of my favorite places in the world.

- Some of my best friends live there (and nearby) as do the runners in my very first marathon training group (Dublin Marathon with TNT in 2009).

- It is relatively flat, fast, and… a Boston qualifier!

When I was training for my first marathon, my goal was to simply finish in one piece. I had no desire to be competitive, and didn’t even run with a watch (!). I just wanted to do it, raise funds for a good cause (the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) with a great group of people. Mission accomplished.

My second marathon was a different story. I trained by myself and had the goal of breaking 4 hours. Finish time: 3:59:02. Mission accomplished again (barely).

My third marathon didn’t go so well. Although I loved running with the Leukemia Society again, I got injured, so my longest training run had been around 14 miles before I attempted the marathon. I was on pace until mile 20 and then hit “The Wall.” I had heard of “The Wall” before, the mythical point in time when a runner has the life sucked out of him/her, every breath is a struggle, every step is excruciating, and every second stretches on for hours. There was no going through it; there was no way around it. The Wall was there to stay and I had no choice but to climb over it. I made it to the finish line despite not being able to fully bend either leg (knee injury, awesome) for 6 miles under a blistering sun and Texas-style humidity. It was terrible. My tentative and insanely overly ambitious mission had been to somehow PR (just a little). Mission FAILED (shocker).

Now here I am again. Marathon number 4. This time, the bar is set really high: Qualifying for the 2011 Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annual marathon and most prestigious road race. A serious runner's dream.

I’m trying not to think about it too much. I’m trying to just focus on training hard, one day at a time, one mile at a time. I’m trying to just “have fun.” Sounds like a good plan, right?

Unfortunately, I’m not really a “let’s just see what happens” kind of girl. I am a planner, a doer, a “make it happen” kind of runner (and person).

I can’t help but salivate when I spot a runner wearing the characteristic blue Boston Marathon shirt with the very distinctive yellow logo. It makes me immediately pick up the pace.

My unexpected PR at the San Francisco half marathon (1:47!) temporarily pushed away the doubts and planted a tiny little seed of hope in my head and heart that whispered “Maaaaaaybe it’s not impossible after all!”

So now what?

Now I train 6 days a week. I’m running, lifting, doing physical therapy, taking vitamins daily and even a Spirulina supplement. I’ve lost one pound, bringing me down to 114, but my goal is not to lose weight so I'm guiltlessly packing on the carbs before my long runs. I'm going to bed early and stretching before and especially after my runs. I’m doing my part (hear that, Universe?). Now all I need is a little bit of luck! 14 weeks to go!