This is Kathleen Jobes, who works for Runner's World, crawling across the finish line at Grandma's Marathon in 2006 to qualify for the Olympic Trials. Her legs gave out a few steps from the finish, but she finished in 2:46. If that doesn't inspire (or scare), I don't know what will. You don't crawl across the finish line for a sprint - you can run 100 meters in less than 20 seconds (less than 10 if you're Usain Bolt) and finish standing, even if you're gasping for breath. But the marathon does such a number on your body and your mind. But there is still a determination to finish - even if on your hands and knees. And that has to be the love of the sport - to run and push beyond the limits in order to conquer the distance. I just keep falling in love with this more and more every day.
I found out yesterday that the Ryan Hall and Meb Keflezighi (the top 2 male American marathoners) will run Boston! I am pretty psyched about this and thrilled to know that I'll be running in the same race as they are. These are the coolest guys in the sport and putting them in the same marathon should allow for a pretty exciting race. I guess I'll have to watch the highlights, seeing as they will finish over an hour ahead of me! Hall is eager to take on Boston a second time and Keflezighi is coming off a NYC Marathon win, so hopefully that hunger for the marathon victory will mean an American win (which hasn't happened since before I was born). One of the great things about this is that the desire for an American victory will bring more attention to the marathon and get everyone excited about it. I hope I get a chance to meet them at the Expo.
I start training for Boston next week. It feels as if I just finished the Marine Corps Marathon, but training starts up again! I found out about Ryan and Meb right before I went out for my run yesterday, and that was all I could think about. "I'm running the Boston Marathon in 4 months and I get to run it with some of the best runners in the world." Boston is exactly 4 months from today. I am getting hyped. I get all filled up when I read or hear about Boston - it still feels unreal.
While the official training hasn't started, I feel like I've built a good base. This was my first semester of graduate school when I ran the whole semester - papers and schoolwork did not get in the way, which is a sign that I'm finding my groove, both with school and marathon training. But I am ready to go and looking forward to starting training again. Since school is over, I will start my training at home, which is good. Not only will I not have the pressure of school, but I can run on roads with limited stoplights, eat well, sleep well in a good bed, and as a whole, get off on the right foot. I just will have time - I can go to the gym and recommence weight lifting, I can get in the pool and start swimming again. All good things.
There is excitement - I am just going to harness it for four months and unleash it on April 19th. Can't wait to get to Hopkinton and can't wait to get to Boston.
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