In pursuit of the BQ (introduction)
As a new retiree, I've accidentally started down the traditional path of checking bucket list items. I accidentally retired last year when I chose to accompany a co-worker across the US on a bicycle. Until I ran into her at the cafeteria and asked her what she was up to, I had no intention of retiring any time soon. She said she was leaving in a month to ride her bicycle across America and would I like to join her. I said yes, and decided to just retire since the trip would take at least 2 months and I didn't have that much vacation time. It took me 58 days to ride my bike from Yorktown, VA to San Francisco, CA without any support and camping most of the way.
My goal this year is to qualify for the Boston Marathon (BQ). I tried to do this last year after returning from the bike trip since I was retired and had all this time but I broke my clavicle in a bike accident on a simple charity century ride in October so had to cancel the two marathons I had signed up for in Winter.
While I was feeling sorry for myself and recuperating in a barcalounger all day, I signed up for five marathons in 2019: LA marathon (https://www.lamarathon.com/), The Tunnel Marathon (https://www.tunnelmarathon.com/), Chicago marathon (https://www.chicagomarathon.com/) , NYC marathon (https://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/) and CIM (https://runsra.org/california-international-marathon/)
The LA marathon, Tunnel and CIM were just signs up. I qualified for Chicago with an earlier marathon time (good for my age) and it took me 4 years to make it in the lottery of NYC.
I've been running marathons for 8 years and have completed 12 so far. I'm not fast but I am close to qualifying (within 10 min). I've never dedicated the miles needed to succeed and have made it mostly out of sheer determination. Now that I'm retired, I hope to actually run more than two or three days per week and follow all the recommendations coaches suggest.
Pros: I am retired, have a great running trail within 5 miles of my house and the weather is great for running long distances Oct - Apr in Sacramento.
Cons: I am old so I have osteoarthritis in my knees from years of abuse, my heart gets too high running in heat and Boston made the qualifications more difficult in the last few years. (https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/enter/qualify/history-qualifying-times) In 2012, I just needed 4:30 to qualify as a 60 yr old, it changed it to 4:25 in 2019 and now it is 4:20. There is also a rolling registration so just because you qualify time-wise may not mean you will get in.
Let's see how I do.
My goal this year is to qualify for the Boston Marathon (BQ). I tried to do this last year after returning from the bike trip since I was retired and had all this time but I broke my clavicle in a bike accident on a simple charity century ride in October so had to cancel the two marathons I had signed up for in Winter.
While I was feeling sorry for myself and recuperating in a barcalounger all day, I signed up for five marathons in 2019: LA marathon (https://www.lamarathon.com/), The Tunnel Marathon (https://www.tunnelmarathon.com/), Chicago marathon (https://www.chicagomarathon.com/) , NYC marathon (https://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/) and CIM (https://runsra.org/california-international-marathon/)
The LA marathon, Tunnel and CIM were just signs up. I qualified for Chicago with an earlier marathon time (good for my age) and it took me 4 years to make it in the lottery of NYC.
I've been running marathons for 8 years and have completed 12 so far. I'm not fast but I am close to qualifying (within 10 min). I've never dedicated the miles needed to succeed and have made it mostly out of sheer determination. Now that I'm retired, I hope to actually run more than two or three days per week and follow all the recommendations coaches suggest.
Pros: I am retired, have a great running trail within 5 miles of my house and the weather is great for running long distances Oct - Apr in Sacramento.
Cons: I am old so I have osteoarthritis in my knees from years of abuse, my heart gets too high running in heat and Boston made the qualifications more difficult in the last few years. (https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/enter/qualify/history-qualifying-times) In 2012, I just needed 4:30 to qualify as a 60 yr old, it changed it to 4:25 in 2019 and now it is 4:20. There is also a rolling registration so just because you qualify time-wise may not mean you will get in.
Let's see how I do.
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