From the moment I first decided to run a marathon, eight years ago, I wanted to qualify for Boston. It would take running a 3:10 marathon; that was my goal from the very beginning. It didn't happen in the first race (4:53!), and it didn't happen for many more after that. But finally, in October 2009 (in my first marathon after becoming vegetarian), I did it. 3:09:59 at the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, New York, and a day I'll never forget for as long as I live.
With such an inauspicious start and so many years of failed attempts, I'm now in a unique position to share what I learned about getting to Boston when it once seemed so far off (impossible, even). I hope this seven-part series of posts provides you with the information and inspiration you need to make it happen. The hardest part (the work) is up to you.
1. Qualifying for Boston: How I Did It
2. My Plan to Qualify for the Boston Marathon
3. Boston-Qualifying Requirements, Races, and Information
5. Down to the Last Four Miles (Qualifying Race Recap)
6. Photos and Videos from the Qualifying Race
7. Looking Back
