The Marathon Continues

When I started getting more involved in the running world a couple of years ago, I soon learned about the Abbott World Marathon Majors and the "Six Star" journey that many marathoners are on a quest to complete. Like so many other runners, I was intrigued by the idea of completing all six world majors: Chicago, New York, Berlin, London, Tokyo, and of course, Boston. However, entry into these major marathons is not easy or inexpensive to come by. In the past year, I had already decided that if I didn't get in via lottery, I wasn't going to pursue entry via other methods such as marathon tours or charity fundraising. I also was more interested in qualifying for Boston and had decided that I wouldn't mind just being a "Three Star" finisher by completing the three big American races. But I figured it wouldn't hurt to enter the lottery drawings for the other three races each year, not really expecting to get in because the odds are so slim (especially for Tokyo and London).

While we were in NYC, my running friend Shadetria and I decided to enter the Berlin Marathon lottery as a team entry. I must admit that it was an impulsive decision on my part and I secretly didn't really want to get in for 2020. I had entered Berlin once or twice before and had been rejected both times so I really didn't expect to be selected. After NYC, I began thinking about my goals for 2020 and had settled on trying to do the California International Marathon (CIM) in December 2020 as my BQ attempt marathon I had gotten quite excited about this plan. CIM is a whole 12 months away which would give me plenty of time to build in the areas I need to improve in order to BQ. I also liked the idea that I wouldn't have to get into heavy marathon training until the fall, bypassing having to do the longest training runs in the summer heat. I was really confident that this was the race I wanted to make my goal race and had already started getting my mind and budget prepared for that route.

I really didn't even give Berlin a second thought. Unlike when I entered the Chicago and NYC lotteries and was counting down the days and refreshing my email like a madwoman on the day of the drawing, I wasn't even aware of what day the drawing would take place this year. I vaguely thought it was the first or second week of December. I was on my way to Farwell for Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 27 when I happened to check my email on my phone. I was confused when I saw the email subject line that read "Drawing Result for the BMW Berlin Marathon 2020: CONGRATULATIONS" I had to re-read the first couple of lines at least twice before it began to sink in that this was not a rejection email like I've received before.

I felt almost dismayed and my first thought was "Noooo!" while at the same moment my heart raced with excitement. On one hand, I really didn't WANT to get in....at least not right now. I had already set my mind on CIM for a fall marathon, I wasn't sure I could afford a trip to Europe next year, and I was worried about the fact that the race takes place during the school year and I'm limited on the number of days I can take off to travel for an overseas race. Berlin hasn't seemed particularly appealing other than it is a necessary stop on the six-star journey. (To be honest, Tokyo is not appealing to me either. I'm definitely not in a hurry to get that one done). I laughed with a hint of irony when I realized that just a couple of days previously I had posted a Facebook memory of my trip to Paris with the caption "I've got to get back to Europe in 2020!" Well...now I definitely have the added motivation.

For the rest of my six hour drive home, I stewed the news over in my mind. I knew that I really couldn't turn this opportunity down. Berlin is a flat, fast course known for PR's so it is possible that I could knock out my third star while punching my ticket to the fourth...without having to run another non-major marathon in between to obtain the BQ. Of course I was excited that I would have Shadetria to travel and run with. The idea began to grow on me and I started thinking about how I could make it work with my school schedule and budget as I researched the costs of flights and hotels and mulled over the itinerary in my mind.

But it wasn't until I learned that my other running friend Kelli had also been accepted via the lottery that I KNEW this was meant to be! Kelli is the one who got me into this crazy marathon life and she, Shadetria, and I have done Chicago, the NYC Virtual 26.2, and of course NYC together. Kelli and I also ran our very first one, the LA Marathon together (at Kelli's insistence!). I couldn't believe the luck that we three again had been selected simultaneously. I was beyond thrilled to know that I could again share this journey with them in the biggest adventure yet...our first overseas race! (Well for Kelli and me anyway.....Shadetria is actually doing Tokyo in the spring solo!). I knew from that point on that I had to make this happen....there is no way I could miss out on this opportunity to travel to and run Berlin with my two closest running friends!

So now that I've got my mind wrapped around it....I am growing in my excitement each day! I've got ten months to plan, prepare, and most importantly train my tail off. As much as I'm excited about collecting a third star, I'm even more anxious to run the best race of my life, shave 16 minutes off my PR, and earn my spot on the Boston starting line in 2022. I'm thankful for the health, freedom, and opportunity to continue to chase crazy dreams and I'm shifting my attitude to gratitude as I turn my eyes and mind toward the Berlin Marathon on September 27, 2020.

The marathon continues!