3:25 or 3:20? This new discovery about qualifying times is really causing me some problems. I've been training for a 3:25 marathon, hoping to make 3:30 at the actual race. I've been remarkably healthy and have missed very few runs. My speeds have been better, generally, than my training schedule has demanded. So I've started wondering if I could run a 3:20 marathon this time.
There are a number of things that make me want to shoot for a qualifying 3:20. First, this training session has gone well. This is not always true. Three of the four guys I'm training with have had to reevaluate their goals because of injury or sickness. Some might not even run. A while back, I had to abandon a marathon halfway through training because I wasn't healthy.
Second, work will start to get crazy for me in February, and will continue to be crazy for several months. This means serious marathon training may be out. My next marathon may not come for a year.
Third, I'm impatient and like instant gratification. If I can make 3:20 now, I will be qualified to run Boston in 2009. Guaranteed. Then if I cut an additional 5 minutes and qualify for 2008, that's icing on the cake.
Oops. I need to read better. The qualifying window for Boston 2009 won't start until September of this year. That means if I can make 3:20 now, I will be qualified for absolutely nothing. Dilemma solved. I run my race and hope to make 3:15 or 3:20 another day.
Long Beach Marathon is in October. Hmmm....
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