Confessions Part I

Confession: I want to run Boston.

There, I said it.

When I signed up for Ironman late in 2008, it was a daunting task. I didn't know what the training would be, what to expect from myself, or how the experience would affect me. But I had my coach's word that if I trusted in the plan, I would get there. Come race day nine months later, was I nervous? Sure. But I knew that I had done the work, and that barring something going wrong on race day, I had a good shot at finishing.

So what's the difference? Why does Ironman feel doable, but Boston seems like a pipe dream? Is it just the fact that I've done 140.6 twice, and never run under four hours in a marathon? After all, I'd have to cut nearly an hour off my marathon PR. Heck, I've never even run a 5K at a Boston qualifying pace.

No, I think the difference is the unknown. Can my body physically do it? Racing for speed is something I've never really seriously attempted. Ironman was all about the distance - the question was "Can I finish?". "When will I finish?" was a very secondary issue. But "Do I have the potential to go a certain speed?" is a whole different animal. Meredith has said in the past that she doesn't want to measure her VO2 Max, because it would tell her what her limits are. This feels almost the same - I'm not sure I want to know the answer.

It scares me to put this goal out there, but it seems like maybe the time is here. I've done three marathons, but my confidence in myself and my attitude toward sport has changed dramatically since that disappointing last 26.2 in 2007. Ironman can do that to you. Maybe it's time to take the leap. We're planning to be in Houston next January to watch a friend run in the Olympic trials, and then the marathon the next day would be my first target. Not to qualify, mind you (barring some huge unforeseen leap in speed), but to serve as an initial milestone in the journey.

So, that about covers it, other than one tiny detail...

Confession: I can't commit to a 2011 race schedule quite yet.

And why? Well, Meredith and I went to see "Race Across The Sky" again this year.

Why are you laughing?

Um, yeah, I might have signed up for the Leadville Trail 100 bike race lottery. Because really, what better race to train for in the flatlands of Ohio than a hilly one at 9000+ feet? The odds seem pretty long that I would actually get in, but if so, that will have to dominate my training for the year, especially given that whole "I haven't ridden my mountain bike in years" detail. It's in August, so it wouldn't necessarily scrap the Houston plan, but it would mean more biking than running for the first half of the year.

So, one way or another, there it is. Unicorn, consider yourself warned.