Is Boston possible?

I think at one time or another every runner thinks about Boston at some point. It’s that pinnacle of running the one race you just can’t sign up for or throw your hat into a lottery to get in. It’s that race you have to qualify for and be somewhat good at this thing we call running and or our hobby to do so. I am aware of the charity route and I don’t look down on anyone who goes that route but to me that route personally would seem like cheating like buying an entry into the most prestigious marathon out there. The reason it feels like cheating is because I know deep down if I put the time in, the effort in, the blood, sweat and tears in I could qualify. It would be hard, it would be a lot of work, it would be a lot of sacrifices but I know I could do it. So buying my entry rather than earning my entry feels cheapened. To line up at Boston knowing that I put all that time, that effort, that hard work to get there would be the greatest feeling ever.

For the first time in years I can actually think about Boston again, when I was running 5 hour marathons because of lack of training or my focus being elsewhere (life or triathlon it makes no difference) Boston was a fleeting dream no where in the realm of reality. But after spending the last 10 months regaining my speed and training hard and going for my first sub 4 shortly I could actually possibly think about Boston once more. I know don’t get ahead of myself get that sub 4 first heck I’ll easily beat my 5:17 at Saint George last year without barely trying. But that leaves the realm of what now after spending the better part of the last year training hard. The thing is I know I have the speed my last timed mile was a 6:46 in February (I want to retime a mile after marathon training but don’t want to mess with my training to do so right now) so I know I can run the 7:27 mile my BQ would require me to run it. Heck I should be able to run a 5k around that range right now (I ran a 23:44 5k in March which is a 7:39 average close to what I would need) but the trick is getting it from a 5k to 26.2 miles. Do I want to spend the next year putting in the effort, the blood, the sweat and the tears. First things first though Big Cottonwood and the goal I have chased since 2011.