The Boston Marathon – An Amateur’s Lighthouse Goal

Ask any marathoner his dream, and most would tell you about qualifying for the iconic world major, the oldest amongst the six of them, the Boston marathon, held every year in April on the Patriot’s day. Known as the amateur’s Olympics, because of its tough qualifying standards, it stands out as a target, just a shade tougher than most runners can achieve or think of achieving, that ends up making it a doable “dream” project. Although other world majors like the Chicago, New York, Tokyo and Berlin too have time qualification standards, but they are far tougher, and are often meant more for slower elites than something for amateurs to even dream about.

The first time I heard of Boston marathon and could fathom what it was all about was in 2015, after joining Ash’s workshop and later as a mentee with him, and always looked at the age-wise time qualification standards with awe. Even with my best efforts, I was more than 30minutes away and at that point in time, it did seem unsurmountable. Ash always spoke about how I was holding back my pace and not letting it come out, something I found very funny, because I always felt I was at my best effort and nothing more was possible. But why would any runner not try and be faster, in a sport where timing is the only tangible measure of improvement. In the months of training that followed, I realized and now am convinced that straining for effort in running or any activity for that matter, only hampers performance. All that’s often required is to relax, let go and follow the process, and let the results happen. Working on the basics of running form, breathing, strength and conditioning, nutrition and fueling/hydration showed me in the ensuing weeks that what this “holding back my pace and performance” meant. Soon what was my “sprint paces” turned into tempo paces and what I perceived as “conversation pace” was what I used to pant and puff not too long ago. While this transformation was happening and showing results in various training runs and local events that I was running in, targets for the major events like ADHM and SCMM was being revised aggressively, and almost reluctantly being accepted by me as “probably doable” with a lot of self-doubt and apprehensions. Soon I was inching closer to this dream target, but it remained a distant one, but always provided a direction and beckoned. Albeit elusive but a dream nevertheless.

A huge leap of 20min over my previous best at the SCMM 2017 was the first big improvement noted after almost 6years of running FMs, and all credit to the technically sound, individualized training plans designed by Ash. That 36k mark on that morning of 15 Jan 2017 when I started rolling down from the Peddar road top was the first time I felt I could get under my dream target of 3h 25min, which was the qualifying standard for my age then. A good strong finish there ensured my finishing with a timing of 3:23:30, a tiny 1min30sec inside the target. This was something I had never imagined but an achievement that immediately catapulted me into the hallowed category of runners who have qualified for the iconic Boston marathon, populary known by the acronym “BQ”.

The popular adage of “cup and the lip” was never so familiar than after this for me, in the years that followed. It was then that I realized that while qualifying for Boston was one struggle, making the cut to be able to register for the event was another challenge, which didn’t depend on how well I performed but how well the others ran, and so if there were faster runners in my age category, I would have to stay satisfied with the title of BQ and stay back, waiting for the next year when I would have to qualify again.

Another attempt at bettering my timing followed soon thereafter at Rotterdam marathon in April’17, my first international marathon experience, where after all the expenses and efforts, I ended up finishing with a timing of 3:23:18, just 12s of improvement, definitely not likely to get me home. So, fingers crossed, I applied when the registration window opened in Oct 2017 and waited patiently, only to be told when the declaration came that I had missed by about 1min 40sec. Not a very good feeling after having done well, and waited in anticipation but what this left in me was a positive feeling of the urge to better myself and get a safer cushion for a more definitive chance at managing an entry during the next attempt. The training started in right earnest for the next TMM in Jan’18 and a more friendlier course at Delhi for NDM in Feb’18. A 3:20 was targeted very optimistically at a tough Mumbai course under coach’s guidance and pacing, where I just managed to improve further by a minute and get a 3:22. Delhi proved luckier and expectedly so, with a timing of 3:20:16, something that made me and the coach feel very confident, as never in the history had the cut off been more than this.

Its even more disappointing when one applies with confidence and expects to make it but misses the cut by just 8sec, and it was one shattering experience. What was worse is that due to a faster field noted, the B.A.A decided to up the qualifying times by 5min and made it 3:20 for my age now.

In my next attempt, at the Chicago marathon, my first world major experience, I missed this target by 44sec, a good timing otherwise in a racing experience of a lifetime, but soured by the feeling of having missed the target.

With the prospect of missing the NDM in Feb’19 due to an impending family holiday, all my eggs had to be put in the TMM basket, despite it being a tough course with an unfriendly weather. Then started a period of training where the mileage was increased and so was the intensity of workouts. This was made further tougher by a move to Delhi on posting where I had to do most of my training runs in freezing winter mornings. There is no bigger motivation than the urge to achieve what’s close to one’s heart. TMM was done with diligent preparation, pre-race acclimatization, and hydration/fueling. Ash decided to pace me one to one, and in an extremely precision race, we ended up clocking 3:17:02, a timing I will be proud of considering the tough weather, course conditions and on a day when most seasoned runners couldn’t perform up to their expectations. Having a cushion of 3min from a qualification timing that has recently been upgraded by 5min is a fairly definite chance of making the cut. But once bitten twice shy, and I wouldn’t be sure till November’19, when I get the confirmation from the B.A.A.

These two years, where I ran five FMs, qualified for Boston in each of them but missed the registration cut on both occasions for 2018 and 2019 BM, have taught me lessons unforgettable.

To start with, having a distant dream, however unsurmountable it may seem, is very important when one wants to follow the path and improve on one’s performance. Even if not achieved, it serves as a “lighthouse” that one can use as a direction to pursue.

On a pursuit of such seemingly impossible goals, it’s taking the individual small steps, and sticking to the process that is important. One should be part of a team with similar goal to help make the pursuit interesting, but never forget the fact that the journey is one’s own, whatever be the triumphs and tribulations. The goal will eventually be achieved, if the right direction remains and the effort is relentless.

On the flip side, to have such challenging targets and a focus on a distant goal, may make one miss the enjoyment that the journey provides. Often, even a good effort seems like a “failure”, if the intended target is not met. So, for an amateur who starts running as a hobby and a pleasurable activity, to make it a disciplined goal-oriented pursuit, may make it an agonizing experience. This is not what we set out for when we got into this sport and so may be a big put off.

To strike a balance between the two needs a mindful approach to the process and the journey, with a constant eye on the goal, celebrating small victories enroute and learning from the setbacks. Mixing up this individual pursuit, with some social running with friends, helping others along the way get to their individual goals by sharing one’s experiences in whatever best way possible and remaining true to the reason that one actually set out into this journey in the first place, is the best way to make this an enjoyable experience.