{"id":34588,"date":"2014-06-30T09:24:53","date_gmt":"2014-06-30T09:24:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nomeatathlete.s1.cdadev.com\/?page_id=34588"},"modified":"2020-04-15T11:09:27","modified_gmt":"2020-04-15T15:09:27","slug":"boston-marathon-qualifying","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/boston-marathon-qualifying\/","title":{"rendered":"Qualify for Boston"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Qualify for Boston<\/h1>\n

From the moment I first decided to run a marathon, eight years ago, I wanted to qualify for Boston. It would take running a 3:10 marathon; that was my goal from the very beginning.<\/p>\n

It didn’t happen in the first race (4:53!), and it didn’t happen for many more after that. But finally, in October 2009 (in my first marathon after becoming vegetarian), I did it. 3:09:59 at the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, New York, and a day I’ll never forget for as long as I live.<\/p>\n

With such an inauspicious start and so many years of failed attempts, I’m now in a unique position to share what I learned about getting to Boston when it once seemed so far off (impossible, even). I hope this 11-part series of posts provides you with the information and inspiration you need to make it happen.<\/p>\n

The hardest part—the work—is up to you.<\/p>\n

1. How I Qualified for the Boston Marathon<\/a><\/p>\n

2. My Plan to Qualify for the Boston Marathon<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Boston-Qualifying Requirements, Races, and Information<\/a><\/p>\n

4. The Training Program I Used to Qualify for Boston<\/a><\/p>\n

5. You Have to Believe<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Down to the Last Four Miles (Qualifying Race Recap)<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Photos and Videos from the Qualifying Race<\/a><\/p>\n

8. The Psychological Strategy I Used to Take 100 Minutes Off My Marathon Time<\/a><\/p>\n

9. My recap of the Boston Marathon<\/a><\/p>\n

10. On the Boston Marathon Qualifying Standards Debacle<\/a><\/p>\n

For a long time, injury prevented me from ever getting into the training groove necessary to qualify for Boston. But eventually, I beat the pain. Here’s how:<\/p>\n