Base of the Mountain, Top of the World
Greetings All,
I’m excited to be back to update you on what’s been going on with me in my journey towards qualifying for the Boston Marathon. In March 2022 I ran what I had hoped would have been my Boston Qualifying (BQ) attempt. While the attempt was unsuccessful, I learned a lot about myself, re-evaluated my training and got back to work. To check out the previous race recap click here.
In this post we’ll talk about where I am so far in my training, I’ll announce where my next BQ attempt will take place and I have a special discount offering for an upcoming Bay Area race. Let’s get to it.
After taking some time to rest, recover and regroup I started back training in early April. For the first four weeks, I slowed the pace and just got reacquainted with the rhythm of daily running while slowly increasing mileage. As the weeks progressed, I’ll admit that it became increasingly more difficult to keep the miles at a relaxed pace but it’s all part of the process.
Starting in May, I introduced speed work back into the program. First I introduced a tempo run, then I jumped in the lions den. On my workout plan I wrote that I would run with the Strawberry Canyon Track Club every other week. As I approached Edwards Stadium at UC Berkeley for the first time in years I’ll admit that I was nervous. I had arrived late due to some unexpected traffic so I decided to park about a mile away and jog the rest of the way for warm up. By the time I got there the workout was already underway. I jumped in and started running with Coach Carl Rose. I ran the remaining repeats with them, then did a couple extra to make up for the lost time. Though I was disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to experience the entire workout, this probably worked to my advantage since I was slated to run the Yosemite Half the following weekend. If you would like to read about the results of that race, you can check out my race recap here.
In the week after the race, I missed several days while recovering from the pains from running downhill for 13 miles, but I slowly bounced back. This week I was able to hit my first ever 50 mile week. I feel it’s important to accentuate the word “ever” because I honestly couldn’t believe it myself. I combed through my Strava stats all the way back to 2014 searching for a week where I had run more miles but found none.
This means, even in my prior marathon training, even in 2017 when I ran over 1,000 miles and completed several half marathons, I never ran more than 50 miles in a single week in my entire life.
I finished my 50 mile week by completing a 15 mile run across the Al Zampa bridge connecting Vallejo, CA to Crocket. It was a great run.
My body is slowly adjusting to the extra miles. It’s recovering faster. My appetite has increased significantly to make up for the increased calories I’m burning. I’m pretty sure my weight lifting routine includes opening and closing the refrigerator 30-50 times a day.
I’m still at the base of the training mountain, but I’m grateful for how far I’ve come. Before we get to the big announcement, I’d like to share an offer with you.
June 26, 2022 - Vallejo, CA
Take $5 off of registration price of any race by using promo code: RUNTHEISLAND
In 2015 my wife gave this runner the most amazing birthday gift, race entry to The Mare Island Half Marathon 5k & 10k. I ran the 10k.
I had so much fun that in 2016 I came back to run it again and my twin sister joined to run the 5k.
While the promo code is good through June 15th, the next scheduled price increase is June 4th. Sign up today!
My Next BQ Attempt
Without Further Ado…
My next Boston Marathon Qualifying attempt will take place at The Santa Rosa Marathon on August 28, 2022.
In order to make this decision, I weighed a lot of options. I’m still relatively new to marathon running so I wanted to give myself time to fully heal from the Oakland Marathon and to have time to make the necessary adjustments.
The Santa Rosa Marathon is a relatively fast and flat course which serves well as a Boston Qualifier. One main drawback of this race that I’ve had to factor in is the time of the year it takes place. Santa Rosa in August can be exceptionally warm. Although the race starts at 6:30am the temperature can quickly escalate. To prepare, I’ve begun doing midday runs when I can and when I can’t, I wear too many clothes to simulate a higher temperatures.
In order to qualify for the 2023 Boston Marathon race, racers need to run their qualifying times before the September 2022 registration date. This means that this will more than likely be my last attempt to qualify for next year’s race. If I instead qualified at CIM in December 2022, I wouldn’t be able to run Boston until 2024 and I REALLY don’t want to stay in marathon ready shape until December.
Part of me wishes it was sooner. I feel ready, but I know that with increased consistent mileage I’ll be even more prepared.
I’m sticking close to my rule #1 which clearly states: DON”T GET INJURED! so I’m taking days off when needed, listening to my body and slowly progressing into any changes.
Training to qualify for the Boston Marathon has been a long and taxing journey, but I’ve been down similar roads before. I’ve learned to take one step at a time, learning from missteps and appreciating exactly where you are. Frustration and impatience aren’t in the recipe for great results so I’ll continue to be present in this moment, thankful for the lessons and continue to visualize the future I’m working to achieve.
