This week the Boston Marathon announced new qualifying times that will go into effect next year. Currently I would have to complete a marathon in 3:40:59 or less in order to qualify for Boston. And starting in 2012 that qualifying time drops to 3:35:00. Unlike previous years, an additional 59 seconds will NOT be accepted for each age group time standard. As anyone who has run a race knows, every second counts so the fact that they are dropping those extra :59 is notable.
And while these new guidelines put Boston even further out of my reach, I'm actually OK with that. My PR is a 4:23:43, a number that I'm hoping to improve on April 3 in Knoxville. But even with an improvement, I'm never gonna see 3:35:00. Running is something I love, something that keeps me active and healthy. Running reduces my stress and makes me happy. But running isn't my life. It's a part of it. If I could run full-time, meaning - if running was my job - I'm sure I could chip away at my PR and make it to 'ol Beantown for that race. But running isn't my job. It's just one of the many parts of my life that make me who I am.
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