Today is the Boston Marathon!
Yes, it’s on a Monday so it’s Marathon Monday to be exact.
The Boston Marathon is the most prestigious marathon in the world. Runners have to qualify with competitive marathon times to even try to sign up!
The best long distance runners in the world are running the Boston course today! But more motivating than that – most of the runners are people who fought very hard to run a time fast enough to qualify.
(From the Boston Marathon wiki page)
Hours and hours of running, sweat, blisters, chafing, tears, nerves, bloody nipples and more – to run 26.2 miles. It’s crazy. And it’s awesome.
I am about 7 minutes away from my BQ time and before the LA marathon I NEVER thought I would even try to run a BQ since I was so far off. But I’m inspired and motivated today, so I’m toying with the idea. In the RRCA class we had to write up a training plan for a 51 year old male trying to BQ in 12 weeks. 
So, since I just wrote a program for someone to qualify that’s about 5 minutes fast than my time I’m considering writing a program for myself to get to Boston one day. Lemme think about it a bit more, I’m just talking crazy since I’m watching Boston as we speak (or as I blog). And my super NOT Type A personality is going to make it hard to stick with a running program. We’ll see.
If you want to find out who won the Boston Marathon in 2013 go here.
But, being an average runner I am keeping an eye out for all the inspiring stories beyond that. Here are a few I wanted to share:
From Today 40 Blind Runners go to the Boston Marathon
From the Boston Globe: Cancer Survivor Runs Boston
From WUBR: One Legged Runners Does Boston
Awesome, right?!
Question: Now are you motivated?
Hi Monica,
I am going to link your post in my post about the Boston Marathon. I’ve written about my thoughts and now I am wanting to share other posts from the bloggers I follow. I want to share this post because you share the BQ times and you provide links to amazing athletes! Thank you for sharing!
Thats a great goal to try and qualify for Boston as you’re right is is one of the most prestigious races in the world. My sister was running yesterday and didn’t qualify but raised money for the Boston Art’s Academy. It’s a shame what happened. My family and I were watching from a mile away from the finish line and then my sister got stopped at about 25.5.
Go for it Monica!
I’m so sad to hear of this. Honestly as soon as I heard the news, I went out and ran 2.62 miles in honor of the runners <3
Thank you for this post. I started out my day very motivated and looking up races that I could use as qualifying races and two hours later was being shocked and sickened by the videos and pictures of the events today.
It’s like you had the forsight to know that some happiness would be needed and your links to the motivating stories remind us all that people come out of some hard situations to do extraordinary things.
Praying for all of the runners, spectators, volunteers, and first responders…
I read your blog everyday but have never left a comment. I just heard about the bombs at the marathon and immediately thought of you! I see you left a comment above so I am glad you are OK 🙂
Please pray for people affected the explosions at the Boston Marathon!
http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/metro/Explosion-reported-near-Boston-Marathon-finish-line/-/11971628/19757044/-/odjbsx/-/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Yes. So so sad 🙁
I thought of you right away! I said a prayer, too. You were the only person I knew who would be there! 🙁 I can’t believe that happened.
Totally a big dream of mine to qualify. Maybe I’ll have to wait til I’m 80 though 😛
I haven’t even ran my first full yet and this makes me want to BQ one day. I am nowhere near a BQ now but maybe if I actually added some speed training to my life I could get there.
I went to college in Boston and Marathon Monday is one of my favorite days in the city. I wish I was still there to cheer on all the runners. Maybe I’ll get back one of these days to cheer ’em on!
Thought you might find this interesting also. I am a principal at a school in GA and our nurse’s daughter is running it today and she is the first ‘little person’ to be running the Boston.
http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/13/dwarfs-outrun-expectations-and-send-message/7T3OgXHJnKp7AMBqowve9O/story.html
Love it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Wonderful story!
Looks like I might qualify in my 50’s assuming my mile time doesn’t go downhill in the next twenty years… Maybe someday (:
So inspiring and encouraging! Maybe one day I will make it to Boston. That is so far away!!!
How awesome that you’ve decided to try for a BQ! I am way to slow to think seriously about training for a BQ, but I’ve also only been solidly training for a couple years, so maybe someday when I have a few more years of running in my legs. 🙂 It sounds like you got a lot out of your RRCA class. Thanks for the motivational stories!
I’m not committed to the cause just yet, thinking about it right now – it’s scary!
You can dooooo it!!!
Totally motivated. 🙂
Marathon Monday is such an amazing day in Boston! You should check out this story though – Talk about inspiring! I’ve seen this duo twice in person at a Thanksgiving Day race I run sometimes in MA when visiting my parents. Hearing about their story never gets old and is truly inspiring!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1111767/
Thanks for sharing!
That is crazy to me to be able to not only complete a marathon…but to do multiple!! You are an inspiration girl!
I get such a rush from just watching Boston! Can’t wait to check out some post-race coverage this evening after work. You could SO do it!
I am so far away from ever running Boston but it is very inspiring. Such great athletes! And I totally think you could BQ.
Question!!! I ask this b/c of the pic you posted. I notice in lots of full marathon pics that it looks like many women may not wear a sports bra, but rather just a running tank with built in support. Is this because of the distance/time along with sweat and chaffing etc. or is it just a personal preference? I’ve never run that far, so I don’t know how a sports bra would effect me. You mentioned bloody nipples, and I wonder if that happens to women in too many layers. Thoughts?
It’s personal preference but my thoughts: I think the same thing – how are they NOT wearing a separate sports bra?! I have small boobs and would ALWAYS wear a sports bra for running any distance. I think bloody nipples happen when your layers are loose the fabric rubbing instead of holding in tight.
Super motivated! I wish I could watch it live at work but I guess creeping on @BostonMarathon on Twitter will have to do. 🙂
I doubt I’ll ever want to run a marathon but it’s so inspiring that people do it!!
Motivated. Now, I just need to be able to run more than 5 miles — I’m more than a quarter of the way to marathon-city! Or maybe I’m just delusional…
You are awesome 🙂
Definitely motivated! Hope we both find ourselves in Boston soon 🙂
🙂
Not only is the marathon itself such an incredible event, the vibe all the runners brought to the city was amazing over the last few days! Already can’t wait til next year:)