It was my 3rd marathon and managed to get myself Boston qualified for any age (not just the 40+ age group like I did last year). I ran what is for me a tremendously good time.
In my previous two races I felt there was a lot of room for improvement. This time I feel like I did as well as I could have possibly hoped. While I didn’t have the great sense of joy I had felt with my first race, I am glad I was able to beat my goal time. I’m just more glad it is over.
Amazing! Congratulations.
Congratulations! I know I was proud when I was just able to run a whole marathon without walking, let alone BQ. Who knows, maybe I will still try to improve my time some day if they ever hold events at a reasonable hour of the day (you had to get up at 3:30 am for the Disney Marathon and I’m sure that impacted my time.) (FWIW, I came close to beating Puffy’s time :))
Awesome!!
We need a “high five” smiley.
Wow! that’s fantastic! congratulations and I hope you run a good race.
Don’t get me wrong. I have no intention of running in Boston. I’m just glad I was good enough to qualify.
On another note, I read what you posted in the couch to 5k thread and I just want to encourage you to keep plugging away. As others have said, just find what works for you and keep at it. I’m certainly not the fastest runner and at 42 I never will be.
Even if you never run a 5k or break a 10 minute mile, just keep getting out there and moving. As my 4th grade teacher used to say, take care of the effort and the results will take care of themselves. Sometimes it is easy, most of the time it isn’t.
One more thing to think about. During the marathon many, many people passed me in the early miles. Most of them I saw again as I passed them 15 miles later. Others may be ahead of you now, but if you keep at this, really keep at this, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Congrats!
I’d be quite happy to just complete a marathon one day. A BQ time is amazing 
Congratulations. That’s amazing.
Very few people can BQ, to run a 3:10 at 42 is awesome. However, you ought to rethink running Boston. I ran it some years ago, it is an incredible experience. The crowd is unmatched anywhere else. There are people screaming the whole 26.2 miles. When you turn the last corner, you realize there might be 50,000 people at the finish alone - all of them screaming. Even though you are tired, the rush is unbelievable. (I understand why people like Brett Favre can’t quit.) You owe it to yourself.
Too cool. Finished my first marathon in May and looking to qualify for Boston in 2010. Not specifically to run it (although I bloody well intend to), mainly to have qualified.
You really should run Boston. Think about it: as cool as it is to say “I qualified for the Boston Marathon”, it’s much cooler to say “I ran the Boston Marathon”.
Holy crap!
I’m lucky if I can do half that distance running at ~7mph.
You were cooking at >8 all the way. My hat’s off to you!
Awesome!!!
Dude, you HAVE to go. The baseball game lets out and all the fans come and scream for you! I haven’t told anybody yet, but I’m making plans (as in putting in for time off from work) to do the Marine Corps Marathon next year. Which is pretty ambitious, as I’m on week 3 of the Couch to 5K, but everybody needs a goal, right? Go to Boston!
That is totally badass. Keep us updated.
cmosdes - where did you run this marathon? St. George?
You mean three days and ten hours, right? There’s no god damn way you ran 26 miles in three hours. That’s ridiculous.
…
Daaaaaaaaang.
Holy crap. That’s seven and a quarter minute miles for 26.2 miles. My hat’s off to you. I have a hard enough time trying to do that for three or four miles. There’s no way I could imagine keeping that pace for three freaking hours. Wow.
I ran the Portland (OR) marathon.
How many marathons have you done? You must be a pretty good runner if you were able to run the Boston Marathon. Do you still run long distances?
The Portland marathon is actually extremely well supported. While there aren’t 50,000 people cheering you on, it is still quite a site when running down that finish shoot. But this year I just didn’t get the same rush or sense of exhilaration like I did the first time I ran. I was just glad to be done. I’m happy enough just to say I qualified. My actual time was just over 3:05, and I can’t see myself improving significantly on that.
Zsofia - It wasn’t all that long ago that I was essentially where you are now. I wish you luck on your goal! Keep at it and you’ll get there.
Priceguy - Which marathon did you do? How many do you think you’ll do a year? Do you have a training plan all the way out to 2010? That would be impressive!
I ran the Stockholm Marathon. I don’t have any others planned right now, but I’m hoping to squeeze one in before the next one in Stockholm. I’m counting on doing Stockholm 2009 in under 3:30 and I should be in position to do a 3:10 in 2010, but I don’t have a detailed training schedule worked out or anything.
OK. The St. George Marathon was last weekend also - and I’ve been volunteering for many years. This year I was in charge of the radio communications.
Wanted to make sure I didn’t miss a fellow Doper.
Congratulations on the great time! Maybe see you in St. George next year?