O.k., so it's not for the marathon; yet. On Saturday I'll be flying out to Boston to attend a 4 day conference on risk management. Not the most exciting topic, but something that I desperately need professionally. Dealing with workers' compensation claims and all the nuances of the Law in regards to it is probably my weakest area so it should be productive and useful professionally.
On a personal note, it will also serve as a bit of a pilgrimage. I will be within a stones throw of the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Having never been there, it is my hope that I will be energized and hope that seeing the city and being there will help me to keep my eye on that elusive goal. To envision it without ever having been there is one thing, but to be able to draw upon the actual sites and sounds and flavor will be quite another. I will use this trip to soak in the city and then use it for motivation when I return.
I will also be heading to Fenway Park for the first time. Having grown up in a modest middle-class family opportunities like this were never available. To me, Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field were untouchable, mythical places that existed only on television and in my mind. Don't get me wrong, many kids had it way worse off than us, but my life revolved around Johnstown and chances to go places and see the country was not something I ever aspired to do because it just wasn't going to happen.
As I've grown older I have been fortunate and lucky in some respect. I am forever grateful for being chosen to take this particular trip. I will go with the intention of learning as much as I can to bring it back and use it in my job. But I cannot lose sight of the other opportunities that come with it. To see the places that Babe Ruth and Ted Williams and Carlton Fisk roamed and to run along the Charles River and if I'm lucky; take a jaunt up heartbreak hill. And then to bring those experiences home with me will be priceless.
When I finished the Flying Pig Marathon on May 6 and then had a few days to absorb what I had done, I recall thinking, "Boston, I am a comin'". I meant that I was ever so close to a qualifying time. I still mean that, but I am also comin' this weekend and I will use you to finalize my fall marathon plans. If you've read this and followed along, I hate to put off the announcement yet again, but I think I'll let Boston tell me where I should go to qualify for her. So Boston, "I am a comin' with my eyes and ears open. Tell me. Tell me where to go."
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