Rachel vs. the Boston Marathon

If you know much about me, you know that all I really want is to qualify for the freaking Boston Marathon.  One time I lied and said that there is special qualifying time for new mothers, but that is untrue. Up until today, I had to run 3:40:59 to qualify.  A normal person would say, "Wow.  Three hours forty minutes and 59 seconds?  That seems like a really long time to run."  But not me.  I say, "Three hours forty minutes and 59 seconds?  I'm going to have to run my tail off to make it across the finish line that quickly."

(This is what I will look like when I eventually run the big race.)

So the big news in that marathon world today... the qualifying times for Boston have changed.  In a way that is not good for people who are 30 seconds shy of qualifying already (3:41:35... see my recap of the Pittsburgh marathon).  I'm a little hazy on what the actual implications are... but it sounds like in 2013, the new qualifying for me will be 3:35 instead of 3:40.  And in the meantime, they will register runners in order of fastest qualifying times.  So even if I ran a 3:38 in the next year, there's a chance it would still fill up before it got to me.

Grr.

Well, who knows what will happen.  Since I'm currently running 13 min/miles I have a long way to go.  Running for two is slow.  My current plan is still to give it another try--I'll run something in the Fall (Chicago? Marine Corps? NYC?) and likely not qualify since I didn't qualify last time I had just given birth (4:06:58... see my recap of Marine Corps).  Then I'll run something in the Spring (Poconos? Houston? OKC?) and hopefully qualify.  And then I may give up.  That certainly is easier.

I feel like pushing a double stroller full of children is going to help me run a little faster?  And I know there are things I can do to help myself be faster (stop eating like a crazy person, stretch, cross train...) and I feel like I owe to myself to try once more, even though it's going to be a little harder.

***And for the record, I think it is probably a good idea that they are making the qualifying times a little faster... last year the race sold out in 8 hours!  Marathons are becoming more and more popular and people are getting faster and faster... so I guess it's fair.  But that doesn't mean I like it.

Wish me luck.