Boston 2012 or Bust!

At the ripe old age of 48, roughly ten and a half years ago, I qualified for the Boston Marathon. In ran 3:10:33 at the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati and proceeded to lose my focus and run WELL over that in Boston 2001. Over a decade later, it's time for redemption.

Last night, after much deliberation, I committed to the Napa Valley Marathon on March 6, 2011 - eighteen weeks away. My decision was clouded by my desire to run the Livestrong Austin Marathon two weeks earlier. Practicality won over desire, so NorCal, here I come. While the decision was challenging enough, now comes the tougher part: committing to what has to be done to effectively run a marathon.

As mentioned, I have eighteen weeks. To me, that is the perfect lead time. My training will be divided in to three 6 week blocks, each containing three 2 week microcycles. I will engage my thirty years of coaching experience as well as duplicating many of the things that worked nearly eleven years ago to design each and every detail of the plan.

The goals are threefold. First, I simply want to get back in the marathon lifestyle. Having finished fifteen in my life, it bothers me that the last one seems like a very distant memory. Second, I want to re qualify for Boston. I have unfinished business in Beantown. I'll need to run 3:45, which while not just a stroll in the park, should be attainable. Last, I am seeking the healthy lifestyle and fitness level that comes from focused training.

So, this morning's run was step one in the Commitment to Boston. So far, so good.