The Runner-Life Balance

The pinnacle of marathon racing in America is Boston. For over 100 years, this 26.2 mile journey through the heart of Boston Massachusetts has attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators and over 30,000 participants each year. Even after the infamous Boston Marathon bombing in which 280 were injured and 3 were killed, the marathon continued. The resilience of the city’s tradition and the prestige of the race has intrigued me for years.

A Background in Running

A little about myself as a runner and writer. I’ve been running for the past 9 years, as a 12 year old on a club running team, then for multiple seasons in both middle school and high school. My time in the past 4 years running the 5k (3.1 miles) on a cross country course have improved from over 22 minutes in 2019 to just under 19 minutes in 2023. The improvement and time drops I’ve seen in my own running journey have motivated me to continue in the coming years. On the track, I’ve run as part of the distance team (1 mile and 2 mile primarily) for all four years. My times have steadily dropped in this as well going from over 12 minutes to the low 11’s. Motivated by these times, and the work ethic I feel has only strengthened with years of training, I don’t see it as an unreasonable goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon by 2027. As well, I have written as the editor in chief of The Owl for three years, honing my skills as a writer while researching topics involving the world and our government.

The Steps I Need to Take

These are the challenges I must face, and hurdles I must get over to have a chance of qualifying:

• Run more than 13 miles (this is obvious but my furthest distance to date has been 13, with time and persistence this can be improved)

• Cut down my pace to 6:50 or less per mile (the qualifying time for males ages 18-29 is 3 hours, which is a 6:50 pace for 26.2 miles)

• Run every single day regardless of weather, Put in the work!

•Practice proper nutrition, get adequate sleep, and stay injury-free

Follow Along With My Runs

Every week, I hope to post writings that detail the pain and progress on the journey to Boston. I enjoy writing, and running, and I hope that this is a worthwhile combination of the two. I know the roads ahead will be difficult, but by putting one foot in front of the other to the end of the line, I know this goal is attainable.

See you on the roads

-LJ