It took me 7 years and 11 marathons to quality for BQ.

My first marathon was 1999....the same year that I ran my first 10K. Actually running a marathon was the furthest thing on my mind. I had no idea how to train. I just wanted to finish. My finish time was 4:25:44. Needless to say, running Boston was the last thing on my mind. In fact I was not too aware of the real meaning of Boston.

Marathon #2, year 2000, I wanted to break 4 hours desperately; I was still struggling on how to train properly. I didn't know any marathoners so I was on my own. My finish time was 4:13:06. I was extremely depressed at mile 20, knowing I would not break 4 hours. After the race, I refocused with the understanding that would not run another marathon if I couldn't have fun with the experience, even if it meant that I may never improve. The training is too hard not to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

I continued to run marathons with no thoughts of Boston, except that people began to ask me, more frequently: “Have you run Boston”? I would respond, that Boston is a qualifying event and that I was still trying to get under 3:45 minutes. If I could do that then I would try to knock off 5 minutes at a time to reach my qualifying time of 3:35. Still Boston was a pipe dream. I really did not see it in my future.

I experimented with training programs, read books; all I was trying to do was get under 3:45. My training predicted a 3:45 finish, but as you can see, I was really struggling. BUT…I knew I could do it. There was no doubt in my mind that my training supported a 3:45 finish time.

Finally, I broke through 3:45 with a great PR (just as I did when I finally broke the 4 hour mark), from a 3:48:33 PR (2002) all the way to a 3:36:05 (2004). Not only did I PR but as the last few miles approached, I actually though I might quality. I ran those last 2 miles thinking, wow, what a day, a big PR and Boston too...With a few hundred feet to go my right hamstring tightened and all thoughts of Boston were gone. But, with lessons learned, I was ecstatic with such a PR. NOW I could seriously think about Boston. But, I was not sure if I wanted to train that hard again.

I prepared for the Freescale Marathon in Austin, Texas, Feb. 2005, but my hamstring halted my training 2 weeks before the race.

I re-focused on the 2005 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon; Mile 20, hamstring problems, I lost 10 minutes in the last few miles.

So, I decided to take a shot at the Houston Marathon in January 2006. After a couple months rest, I started training again. I knew I needed to get under the 1:40 mark in the half marathon, so that was my main focus. If I could do that, my chances to qualify would look good. Two fall Half marathons did not go very well, but the 2005 Dallas Whiterock Half Marathon rewarded me with a 1:39:12: just what I needed, mentally and physically.

I continued to train, but with a week to go before Houston my right hamstring began to tighten again...

But with all my hard training and a little luck, I qualified with a 3:33:26.

Lessons learned, the Long run, LONG Tempo runs and Marathon Pace runs are critical to marathon success. After that, on race day, you MUST NOT GO OUT TOO FAST….period, too fast and you are cooked. I absolutely, positively, can not stress that enough. I was very prepared and focused for Houston, but there is no doubt in my mind that mental discipline during those first 6 miles, not letting the other runners control my destiny by running my race and not theirs, made it all possible.

Take a look at my race results, can you figure out which race was run well? The first race was the 2001 Whiterock Marathon. I entered this training period convinced I would break the 4:00 hour mark, but the last few weeks of training did not go well. I was tired during those last few long runs which was not a good sign. I was prepared not to finish so I decided to go out slow with the hopes that I would finish the race. During the first mile I ran and conversed with a runner carrying the American lag. After a mile, I noticed that my pace was somewhere in the mid 9 minute per mile pace. I decided to pick it up. Notice that I started SLOW. After a few miles I was homing in on a nice comfortable 9 minute pace. At mile 13 I felt incredible and saw that I was on course for a sub 4 hour marathon. I cautiously picked up the pace at every mile. At mile 18 I felt awesome and knew that a sub 4 was very possible. AT mile 20 I felt so good that I "kicked it in" and continued to pass one runner after another. I finished with an awesome PR. What was the moral of this story? I did not go out too fast. I learned a valuable lesson that day but none the less a lesson learned is not a lesson practiced. I ran many more marathons before I was able to practice such a valuable lesson.

Can you tell when I was able to repeat my previous success? No, it wasn't the 2004 Dallas Whiterock Marathon where I finally broke the 3:35 barrier. It was the 2006 Houston Marathon. Check my race report and you will see that I ran a very focused race. I had practised this race in my mind for weeks. My mantra, DO NOT GO OUT TOO FAST....I repeated this over and over again in my mind. I felt like it was now or never. I was never this well prepared for a marathon and the last thing I could afford to do was blow it by burning myself out in the first half. I finally practised what I knew to be true and it paid off.   

Below is a list of my Marathon times, with a few Half marathons thrown in (not all). For every marathon, I trained the best way that I knew. My training habits have changed but so has my racing strategy. Train hard, race with mental focus and above all have fun regardless and you can reach your goal.

1999 – Whiterock Marathon – 4:25:44
2000 – Whiterock Marathon – 4:13:06
2001 – Inaugural Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon – 4:09:23
2001 – Whiterock Marathon – 3:52:54
2002 – Rock and Roll Marathon, San Diego, CA – 3:49:30
2001 – Arts Classic Half Marathon (Norman, OK.) – 1:51:08
2002 – Whiterock Marathon – 3:48:33.80
2003 – NYC Marathon – 4:04:11
2003 – Whiterock Marathon – 3:54:32
2004 – The Half (Half marathon in Dallas) – 1:43:11.4
2004 – Whiterock Marathon – 3:36:05.3
2005 – Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon – 3:46:12
2005 - The Half (Half marathon in Dallas) – 1:42:48.6
2005 – Reuel Little Half Marathon (Madill, OK) - Looking for my results
2005 – Dallas Whiterock Half Marathon – 1:39:12
2006 – Chevron Houston Marathon – 3:33:26
2006 – 110^th Boston Marathon – 3:51:35