What do I think about the new Boston Requirements?

If you are someone who has been striving to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon, you are well aware of the recent changes which have taken place regarding the registration process and the qualifying times. If you are not aware, I apologize for being the bearer of bad news, but believe it or not, it just got harder to BQ!

The news broke a couple of months ago and although I kind of cringed when I heard, I didn’t really give it a second thought as I hadn’t BQ yet. Well, now I must ponder upon the new requirements, as I recently BQ at the 2011 Ottawa Marathon with a 03:09:51... now, forced to toil with the issue that I have been avoiding for several months: how do I feel about the BQ changes?

Jogging into the past

Before I proceed with my (impertinent) opinion, I assume it would be prudent for the readers to be aware of my ‘’running career’’.  I began running in 2007, when my older cousin displayed a marked level of romantic feelings for the sport of running. I was taken aback, not because I had never seen my cousin engage in sporting activities, but rather because I wondered how (and why) anyone could enjoy the so-called sport of running (need some reasons click here).  Baffled by the mystery, I decided to try running for fun! Coincidently, my same cousin was organizing a friendly race. The distance was a half-marathon, I thought this would be a great opportunity to try this so-called sport of running and see what all the hype is about. Three years later, I have ran approximately 6 000Km, counting seven (7) marathons, twelve (12) half-marathons and a multitude of shorter races. Needless to say that I have developed those same romantic feelings towards running! 

Objective

Before running my first marathon, which was in March 2008, I had decided that one of my medium-term goals was to qualify and run the Boston Marathon. To achieve this goal, I had to attain certain standards established by the BAA, which is referred to as a BQ (Boston qualified). The BQ time for a runner my age is 03:10:59. After running my first marathon in 03:33:23, I realized that reaching that objective would be more difficult than previously anticipated.

Seven marathons later, I achieved my goal, by more than 1 minute, however as I referred to my goal, I realized it had two dimensions: a) Qualifying for the Boston marathon; b) Running the Boston Marathon. So, after reassessing my situation, I realized I had achieved one part of my goal, leaving the greater and most important part of my goal to be realised. Before the recent BAA changes, this wasn’t really an issue, because running under your BQ meant the following year you would be running the famous Boston Marathon. However, with growing demand and a disastrous registration process last year (link), the BAA revised the registration process and the qualifying times.

BAA changes

Basically the changes for 2012 gives registration priority to the runners who qualified with 10-20 minutes faster than there required times. Thus, the first week of registration is open strictly to them, then the second week it is open to all who qualified (including me).  Considering that last year registration was complete within 8 hours, I highly doubt my chances for the 2012 race! For 2013, the BAA are using the same registration format and are cutting 5:59 minutes on all qualifying times (Wow, didn’t see that coming!)

How do I feel?

So how do I feel about all this... considering the fact that I actually know people who have ran the Boston Marathon with a qualifying time which was worse than mine? At first, I was frustrated and disappointed, I felt cheated and duped, as I worked so hard to attain a certain goal and once I attained it, they changed the rules... sounds like cruel and unusual punishment...

Then I asked myself why is Boston so important to me and to the running community? I asked myself why I wanted to run the Boston Marathon and why the Boston Marathon was so prestigious. The answer: because it is the only marathon which one has to qualify for and it gives priority to the fastest runners. Moreover an average runner can run among the best in the world with a little bit of hard work and dedication... I guess it is kind of a metaphor for how life should be: work hard, keep your nose to the grind stone and it will pay off, you will be able to peruse among the elite... but I guess Boston is a true reflection of life, as life isn’t fair! One must simply suck it up and deal with it. So what is my ultimate reaction: I must start aiming at sub 03:00:00 marathon. Impossible you say. Perhaps, but constantly stepping out of my comfort zone is what I am all about, challenging myself is what I am all about, testing my limits is what I am all about, living life to the fullest is what I am all about.

So what do I think about the new BAA requirements: I salute them, I embrace them, I thank the BAA for providing me with a new challenge a new objective, keeping me striving to gain my full potential, thanks. The BAA had many options which they could have used to lower or / and deal with the registration problem, such as augmenting the field, augmenting the fees, referring to a lottery like NYC, but instead they stayed loyal to their prestigious inclination towards recognizing the special class of runners, they stayed loyal to what they mean to the running community: a race to strive towards, a race that simply by running it, no matter how you finish,  means everything... they  opted to favour the faster runners of each category. In my opinion, it is brilliant. They preserve all there swagger and in my opinion make it more prestigious.

You know that from now on, when someone says they ran Boston, the follow up question will be ‘’before or after’’.... and the only worthy answer will be: ‘’after’’.

Ottawa Marathon 2011

Nous avons un peu oublié notre blog pendant quelques temps, suite à la naissance de notre garçon Simon, en février 2011. Par contre,j'ai recommencé à courir 5semaines après son accouchement, à titre de un ou deux km ici et la...quand j'avais le temps!!

Le 28 mai,j'ai  fait ma première course de l'année 2011, soit le 5km au marathon d'Ottawa. Enfin, je retrouvais mes souliers de course en participant à un événement! Quelle joie! Avec aucun entrainement, j'ai fais un très bon temps, surtout que je m'étais blessé 3 semaines avant en me lançant un peu trop rapidement à l'entrainement. Grâce a Annie Chenard de Physio-Action de Chambly, j'ai pu compléter mon 5km au la main en un temps de plus de 32min! Il faisait chaud. Seul hic, j'avais oublié mes bouteilles d'eaux et la station d'eau était seulement au 4e km!

Pour mon conjoint, cet événement lui à permis d'atteindre son plus grand objectif, soit de se  qualifier pour Boston! Après de gros effort, enfin il a battu son meilleur temps de 2min, pour atteindre les 3h09:51sec!

Mon garçon ayant maintenant 3mois, je crois que nous aurons peut-être le temps de vous tenir à jour sur les événements auxquels nous participeront.

A bientôt
La coureuse

Chicago Marathon 2010

As I crossed the finish line in Grant Park, a first time marathoner says ''Is it suppose to feel like you'll never walk again?'' and she adds ''My hamstrings feel like they are broken''.

I auspiciously look over at her and say ''Yes!'' and ''They probably are broken!''.

Then, as a volunteer hands me a bag of ice to put on my head in the 32° weather , I say ''But, don't worry, the next one won't be any easier. Have a great day!''

More to come!

Utimate XC Mont-Tremblant

Histoire de nous changer le mal de place, nous avons décidé de participer à une course différente! N'ayant jamais pratiquement couru dans la forêt ou sur une autre surface que du béton, nous trouvions que cet événement pourrait être intéressant!

Pour ma part, la coureuse, je me suis inscrite au 13km...étant assez conservatrice,je me disais que c'était une belle distance pour un commencement! Ne sachant pas à quoi  m'attendre, je m'étais entrainée un peu au Mont St-Bruno! On m'avais pourtant dit que les sentiers du mont St-Bruno n'étaient rien comparé à ce que j'allais faire!

Le coureur lui, malgré une tentation vers le 35km, il a décidé de faire lui aussi son inscription dans une distance confortable pour lui soit le 21km! Un demi-marathon en montagne, quoi de mieux?

C'est avec rigueur que nous nous sommes entrainés intensément...bof...! En fait, le coureur s'est entrainé de façon assidu tandis que moi les dernières semaines d'entrainement étaient très pénible en montagne et vraiment, je me demandais pourquoi?? J'étais tellement essoufflée que je me demandais si je ne souffrais pas de surentrainement!

Hélas pour la course et youpi pour nous, j'ai appris que j'étais enceinte une semaine avant la course et j'avais ainsi réponse à toutes mes questions d'essoufflements inhabituels!

Je n'ai donc pas pris part à cette course, mais j'ai plutôt encourager tous mes autres amis qui avaient eu aussi eu l'idée de s'inscrire à cette nouvelle aventure de course en forêt. J'ai pu courir les derniers mètres avec mon amie Nathalie qui s'était inscrite pour le faire avec moi...oups!!!

Les commentaires du coureur suite à cet événement: Le parcours n'était pas facile, beaucoup de "singles tracks" et de montées, en tout, environs une trentaine de minutes de plus qu'au demi-marathon "normal". Surtout, on recommence l'an prochain! Peux-être pour une autre distance??
 Site internet pour vous inscrire: www.ultimatexc.com

Voici donc quelques photos de cette journée!

Dans la montagne!

La fin de la descente de la montagne.

La montée avant la montagne.

La médaille du 21km!
Bravo!

Running Goals

As I continue working on my other posts. I figured I would post a short blog describing my running goals. When I established these goals, it was important to have objectives which varied both in time and in type (Outcome Vs Performance). There are multitudes of goal-setting and motivational theories which establish appropriate ways to set goals and the best way to achieve those goals. This topic is fascinating to me, so I will definitely post a more in-depth blog about goal-setting and motivation, but for now let’s scrutinizes my goals!

Voilà:
1) Becoming a member of the Seven Continent Club
2) Running the five major Marathons
3) Qualifying for the Boston Marathon

When I started running I immediately was attracted to the lure of the Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon which is a very prestigious event for the everyday runner. There is something special about The Boston Marathon, as there are not many sports where you can refer to an event by only mentioning the name of the city it’s held in... (ei. Have you done Boston?) Therefore, setting Boston as a goal to keep me motivated was a ‘’no-brainer’’. (Performance goal)

As I became a more serious runner and started completing marathons, I found out that qualifying for Boston would not be an easy task and that I should start setting outcome goals to counter the inevitable defeat of not qualifying for Boston on a short term basis. Hence, I decided that I wanted to run the five Major Marathon (This is an ironic goal... you’ll find out as I name the Major Marathons). Therefore, by setting this goal, I am relying less on performance (time) and more on outcome (completing the marathon). So, even if I don’t run a PR in a Major Marathon (or BQ), I am still one step closer to attaining a goal. Therefore, my self-efficacy remains intact and I am still motivated to run, as I am still achieving my objectives. By the way the five majors are:

• Berlin Marathon
• London Marathon (Done)
• Chicago Marathon (October 2010)
• New-York Marathon (Nov. 2011)
• Boston Marathon!!!

My last goal is a long term goal, maybe even a lifetime goal. I set this ‘’outcome’’ goal, so I will be motivated to run for the rest of my life. The reality of ‘’growing’’ (as Dr George Sheehan would say) is that my times are going to get slower as I get older, so setting a long term goal with a performance standard, would be setting me up for serious disappointment. So, basically my lifetime running goal is an outcome goal and it’s to run on all Seven Continents! In case you were wondering here are the seven continents:

• Europe (Done)
• North-America (Done)
• South-America
• Asia
• Africa
• Oceania
• Antarctica

In July 2010, I met Julius Winkler, a 79 year old marathoner, who has been a member of the Seven Continent Club for years, and he’s presently training for the Athens Marathon in October 2010! Amazing! As he raddled off tales of his exploits, I realized that this person is now a role model for me... for life!

Moral of the story: Even though goal setting is an amazing tool, it should constantly be self-monitored, altered if necessary and renewed.

Run long!

Upcoming blogs

It has been a busy summer filled with races, training, a sojourn at a running camp and finally a running injury. Therefore, I have a lot to talk about!
I am presently working on the three next posts, which are:

The Virgin London marathon report

                                                   

                        The Ultimate XC running report

The Craftsbury Running camp report

I am also working different topics, such as the benefits of tapering. I look forward to conversing with you!

Ottawa marathon week-end 2010

Cette année, quoi de mieux que de partir en famille pour le week-end de course à Ottawa! C'est ainsi que moi, mon chum, ma mère, ma belle-mère et son ami, ma belle-sœur, mon beau-frère, mon oncle, ma tante, mon neveu et ma nièce ont participé tous ensemble à cet événement.

Arrivé le vendredi, nous sommes allés chercher nos dossards à l'exposition, puis ensuite laisser nos valises à l'hôtel Cartier Suite, situé au 180 Cooper à Ottawa. Cet hôtel situé à quelques pas de la ligne de départ et d'arrivé était parfaitement localisé pour des gens comme nous qui ne voulions plus prendre la voiture de la fin de semaine et également éviter les marches à n'en plus finir avant nos courses! C'était parfait.

Vendredi soir: Course de 5km et 10km! Plus de 9000 personnes prenaient place au départ. Ce n'était pas ma course et j'en avais des papillons dans le ventre. C'était la première course pour ma belle-sœur et mon beau-frère qui ont adorés l'expérience! Ma mère à très bien fait aussi, ainsi que ma belle-mère et son ami! Les meilleures places pour voir les gens arrivés selon moi: 200 mètres avant la fin!

Mon père dans tout cela vous direz? Lui, il film!

Pour une première fois depuis mon premier demi-marathon, j'ai enfin dormis. J'avais commencé à faire de l'insomnie d'avant course...quelle horreur!

Samedi matin: Je suis allé voir mes amis du Coin des coureurs de Brossard, partir pour le marathon. Parmi ceux-ci, plusieurs termineraient leur premier.
Puis ensuite, les enfants de ma belle-sœur effectuaient leur premiers "Kid marathon". C'était très drôle à voir!
Finalement, nous avons, moi et mon chum, pris le départ pour notre demi-marathon.

Personnellement, je n'avais jamais tenté de suivre les "pace bunny". En ce samedi, j'ai tenté ma chance, car je voulais essayer de battre mon record personnel de 2:10:44 sec. Temps fait il y avait plus d'une année.
Je me suis donc collé au lapin de 2:10 et j'ai pu maintenir le cap, jusqu'au 17km, ou à cet endroit, j'ai décidé d'accélérer le pas pour terminé ma course avec un temps record de 2:09:13 sec! Le coureur, lui à fait aussi sont meilleur avec 1:29:29 sec!

Cette fin de semaine a été aussi particulière pour plusieurs d'entre nous, car une personne qui nous était chère devait être parmi les coureurs. Tous ont eu une pensée soit avant, pendant ou après la course pour Sandra De La Garza, décédée à Rougemont dans l'accident de vélo. Plusieurs de mes amis se sont aussi dépassés ce jour là grâce à Sandra! Bravo à tous mes amis et à toute ma famille.

On continue la course! Que diriez-vous d'inscrire un membre de votre famille à une course pour l'an prochain? Ce serait un beau cadeau! C'est ce que nous avions fait cette année, et que  de plaisir avons-nous eu tous ensemble!
Maintenant, un peu de repos et de yoga avant une autre aventure!