Sunday, March 02, 2008

8:23

That is the magic number. It is the number that I became obsessed with 3 years ago when I ran my first marathon. It is the number that stands between me and my goal of running the Boston Marathon. 8:23 is the pace that I must run each and every mile of the 26.2 miles in Salt Lake City. I can't even tell you when I decided that Boston would be my goal. All I know is I have been working very hard for the last few months, and I hope my reward will be meeting that goal. I explained it to Ang that "I am an average runner with an above average dream." I think that describes me pretty well. I feel I am pretty mediocre at many things and this goal has allowed me to think that I can be better than mediocre at something if I truly put my whole heart into it. On the other hand, putting this out there for the other Mommies and anyone else who reads this to see makes me very vulnerable. I am a little scared to put this kind of pressure on myself, but I know if I don't give it all I have, I won't make it. Seeing 2 of my very good friends(Smith and FoxontheRun) qualify for Boston has made we want it even more. I will definitely be cheering them on April 21st, hoping that I will join them soon. I am grateful also to have Sarah joining me on this journey and I hope we will be doing this together! (I know she will make it, I just hope I will too!)

So, tune in to see if I will run a 3:40 marathon on April 19th...I will need your support! Wish me luck!

13 comments:

amydear said...

You go girl! I wish you TONS of luck. I'm 6 weeks into training for my first marathon, but I already have Boston in my mind for the future. I, too, am an average runner. But I think I can get better! I lived in Boston for 3 years and went and cheered on runners 3 times. It was AWESOME. Never did I think I'd be running a marathon then, but now I'm totally excited. I think it's great to let others know your goal. We'll all send good running vibes your way.

Roxanne said...

Thanks for sharing your goal with us. I understand your drive to accomplish this feat. I will be shooting for a time close to that once I have the baby. You seem to have great mental focus so keep it up. You will have many mommies cheering you on.

Jen said...

3:40?!?!?!?! You are my hero! Good luck! I'll be waaaaaay behind you on April 19th, cheering you on from the rear end. Hey, there has to be someone finishing behind you, right? That's my goal: to finish.

foxontherun said...

You have been so dedicated to your training plan and it seems to be going so well for you. You will do great. Look at how far you have come. You are definetly a stronger runner and in the best shape of your life. I'm so glad the heartrate thing is going well for you. I'm so glad you invited me to start running with you. I wish you the best of luck and I will be cheering and thinking about you on that Saturday.

Ang said...

You go girl!!! You can do it.

Suzie Petunia said...

What? You want to run the Boston marathon? Since when?

:)

From the first time we met I think this has been the topic of 1/2 of our conversations. What will we talk about once we qualify? I'm sure there will be other "mountains" you will want to climb, and we'll all be right there with you. You have made me a more goal-oriented person. I appreciate that so much. You have helped me see that it is OK to reach for something, even if you don't reach it the first time you try. You may think of yourself as an "average runner", but you are a well-above-average friend.

Suzie Petunia said...

And "average runners" don't run 7 x 800s at 5:30 in the morning... So I guess that means you are not an average runner after all!

Team Hanni said...

You are incredible!!! I think I could maintain 8:23 for a 5K, but 26.2 miles??? You absolutely amaze me! I'm sure your all of your speedwork and training will make it happen for you. It will be so exciting to watch you cross the finish line. I plan to park myself at the finish line and celebrate along with everyone I can.

I hope everything clicks into place for you on race day. You deserve a PERFECT race!!!

foxontherun said...

And then don't forget you always get another 5 minutes when your as old as I am.

Kelly(M&M) said...

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the kind words of support. It just pumps me up and makes me feel it is really possible!!

AmyPete- I can't wait to hear how your first one goes. That is so cool that you have cheered on the Boston runners. I wish I could be there this year to cheer on Smith and Foxontherun.

Roxanne and Team Hanni- You are both running a different kind of marathon and I am amazed at your dedication.

Jen-The goal to finish is the perfect goal for your first marathon. I can't wait to cheer you on and read all about you and the other girls' stories! I love your blog!

Ang- I sure hope you get better soon. You have come so far with your running in such a short time, you deserve a fantastic first marathon.

Suzie- I have no clue what we will talk about once WE qualify. I love the sound of that!!

Foxy- Do you really want to listen to me talk about Boston for 5 more years? For mine, my husband's, and all of my friends' sakes, I really hope I qualify in this age bracket, ha ha!!

Whew!! You Mommies are the best!!

Chelle said...

Name it to claim it, girlfriend! WOO HOO!!! (you'll notice that I'm not naming my goal time quite yet. Not ready to "claim" the training involved to qualify for Boston!) : )

Thoroughly impressed, so excited to meet you in person... three cheers for you!

p.s. when you are doing speedwork, how fast do you run your "bursts" of quicky running? I'm still trying to figure out if I'm doing it right.

Kelly(M&M) said...

Yes, it is 1:30 and I am still awake! Chelle- Thanks for your enthusiasm. You started this whole thing again for me when you suggested Salt Lake. Thanks for making me get my behind in gear. As far as training paces, I do it mostly by heartrate and effort, but these are about the paces:
800's- 3:40 or less
Hills- 7:30-8:00 pace
Pace run- 8:23 baby!
Tempo- Gradually work up to 7:45
Long slow distance- between 9:20 and 10:30

I hope that makes sense. Email me if you have any more questions. I can't wait to see how your race goes. You will do awesome I know it!

cherl said...

Kelly, you've come such a long way. I've been quietly rooting for you (since I haven't been running and haven't been posting here) and can't wait to hear about SLC. It's going to be an amazing ride no matter what. I'm envious of your dedication and commitment to reaching this goal. I'll get there someday, but until then I'll just live vicariously through you. :)