Goal Before the Goal: 2:19

2:19.

This weekend, that's the target number; 2 hours, 19 minutes. I don't know at what point I decided that I was going to attempt a Boston qualifying time, but it was somewhere early on in my training. And maybe even sooner. But I do know that doing a race as part of my training was something I thought about, and when I saw the Just a Short Run advertised in Runner's World Magazine, I checked it out and it fit in with my training schedule.

This Sunday was supposed to be a 20 mile run as I build to my high of 22 miles next Sunday. But the 30k race this Saturday will not only break up the monotony of running alone, but it is an excellent opportunity to gauge where I am in terms of my ultimate goal. That day will be 5 weeks and 1 day before the Flying Pig and will give me either increased or decreased confidence.

I may have to ultimately wait until May 6 to determine whether I have travel plans to Boston next April, but Saturday will go a long way toward letting me know if I'm even in the ballpark. That's a bit of a scary thought, but I'm going to give it my best shot and come Saturday afternoon I'll have a better grip on my odds. Scary, but definitely an advantage that should help my mindset for the next five weeks. Stay tuned.....