Last fall/winter was fairly uneventful and unexciting, which eventually led way to the high activity and excitment of my spring/summer. In March Craig and I bought our first house, after searching for the perfect place for us to move our family of four (2 humans, 2 cats), we found our dream home (our dream home for now anyways....) and were thrilled with the sale of our condo (3 days on the market!). 10 days before "move out of condo/move in to house" day, our condo building went up in flames and that was the end of that chapter. This led to A) the worlds easiest move known to man (2 cars, 2 cats and that's it) B) a massive insurance claim and C) a very fond (and gracious) reintroduction to my account with "The Bank of Dad" (for the millionth time in my short 27 years). LOTS of shopping and then some more shopping found us settled in our new place just in time for me to celebrate my 2nd wedding anniversary and my 20th marathon on May 2nd in Vancouver. After 20 solid attempts, I qualified for the Boston Marathon with a 3:35 marathon, and I got to celebrate with Alison as she ran her first half marathon! June brought me to the start of my final year of a decade worth of post secondary education, which is being spent working full time (12 hour days/nights) as a Respiratory Therapist Intern at the Rockyview General Hospital (by intern, that means, I pay tuition, work full time, and not get paid for it.... which is really just so great). I'm continuing with my job at the Foothills Hospital in the mean time, working 2 days a week for a total of 60 hours a week in Calgary hospitals. Luckily... I love it. In August we went on our annual "Neary family vacation" to the Okanogan, which proved to be, as always, the best week of the year.
Today, on October 18th, Calgary is waiting with great anticipation for the announcement of our new mayor and city council. However, this day has SO much more meaning to me than I think I can even fathom. While many were out with their "Barb is the Best" and "Nenshi or die" campaigns fighting to the last second, I was awaiting 7am when the 115th Boston Marathon registration opened. While so many people are concerned with the future of our city and things like ring roads and airport tunnels, I think the truly important message from today is: What am I going to wear, in 6 months from today, when I line up at the start line for the Boston Marathon?
I've missed writing this past year, as I thoroughly enjoyed this blog (knowing fully that the only person who actually reads this is my mom - which I'm ok with). And what better reason to start my online diary again, than perhaps accomplishing the greatest goal and journey of my life to date! I have dreamt about the Boston Marathon for years. I have run 20 marathons, over 7 years with one ultimate goal in mind. My two ironman finishes, pale in comparison to qualifing and running Boston. This is the absolute and number 1 thing on my bucket list. It almost brings a tear to my eye thinking about.
Aside from being the most prestigous road race on the planet, and aside from being known for it's incredibly challenging course - It is with great humility that the running community of the world looks at Boston marathoners in a whole new light. Some may say that a "real" runner is one who has lost their toe nails to longs runs (check), or one who runs in minus 30 degree Calgary winters (check). Perhaps a "real" runner is known as someone who has accomplished a 10 km race (check), or half marathon (check) or marathon (check) or 50 km run (check) or even an Ironman (check, check). Others think of runners as ones who have placed in the age groups and won races (check), people who eat nasty gooey things (check), people who wear spandex 30+ hours a week (check), people who join run club and have the token running room reflective jacket (check). But as an aspiring runner and one who has dreamed of being a "real" runner - let me tell you the truth. The only people out there who are the real deal, who can wear the title of runner, and wear it proud, the only ones that deserve right of way on the pathways, the only ones who Sunday morning run club should yeild to, the Obama's of the running world - These people are solely Boston finishers. No matter how much I want it, and how many miles my feet have carried me over in the past decade, and how much I've dreamt about it, I am not a real runner - not yet anyways. But let my countdown begin, because that day is coming for me, it's so close, I can almost feel the victory melting in my mouth, almost like the taste of a Boston Cream Donut (which I intend to be eating at the time of my victory). My life is pretty close to perfect, but on April 18th, 2011, I think my life will reach it's own personal definition of perfection.
Don't get me wrong - I am WELL aware that I am just a recreational athlete. I will never go to the olympics, or anywhere near it. I will never be known as a famous runner, I will never make money doing it. My name will never be a household name. I will never represent Canada, or any other country, as an athlete. I know I am just an average person, with an average goal. I know that there are 20,000 people who run the Boston Marathon every year, I know that there are about a bazillion people who could run circles around me. But for me, in this life, this represents so much more to me than any of those other things I mentioned. This represents an unrealistic goal, that with a lot of hard work, a lot of time and a lot of wonderful memories, somehow became a realistic goal. Put me in a room with other athletes and I am very quickly humbled - but for just one sentence and one nano second, the selfish, prideful, self satisfied person in me wants to gloat. I rock!
It only seems fitting that my sister joins me, like she has for every other marathon I've run, and we celebrate together as I show the world (my world) that this chubby teenager is actually a REAL runner. This will be my diary of training and my thoughts on running while I prepare my body for the ultimate in running... The Boston Marathon!
Proof I'm still alive: Pre Vancouver marathon (and qualifying for Boston) with Alison (1st half marathon), Dani (first 8 km), Jen (first half marathon) and Whitney (first marathon)
