This was supposed to be my third and final attempt at a Boston Qualifier. That’s what I told myself. My coach. My family. No more after this.
Training was intense: brutal; identical to Valencia. The same early mornings, long miles, and relentless structure. But this time, something felt different. The intensity was beginning to erode the joy of running.
And yet, the dream refused to let go.
I wanted to show my children what it means to fight for something; to keep going, even when it’s hard, even when it hurts, even when it doesn’t go your way.
Race Day: Everything Aligned
Manchester delivered what every marathon runner hopes for.
Cool temperatures. Cloud cover. Calm conditions. Even the uncontrollables behaved.
I stood on the start line confident. Training had gone well. I was injury-free.
‘This is the day. This is it!’, I told myself.
A Different Race Strategy
The first 15 miles felt strong, controlled, steady, deliberate.
(And as for Manchester being ‘flat’… if that’s flat, then I’m a kangaroo’s auntie😊)
This time, I ran smarter:
Monitoring my heart rate
Keeping it controlled early
Respecting the distance instead of fighting it
I had learned from Berlin and Valencia.
By mile 20, I could feel it— the BQ was slipping. But this time, I made a different choice.
Instead of chasing the goal at all costs, I chose discipline. I chose to finish on my feet.
Mile 24: Redemption… Then Chaos
Mile 24 in Valencia was where everything fell apart.
This time? I arrived intact. No dizziness. No fading vision. Just relief and joy.
The photos show it; arms outstretched, smiling, proud to still be standing.
And then, about half a mile later…
Everything I had consumed: gels, water, all of it came back up. Spectacularly. In front of very alarmed spectators.
Not quite the triumphant moment I had imagined.
I stopped briefly. Sat down. Regrouped. Then got up and kept running.
Because that’s what this journey has become about.
What I Learned
This race wasn’t about the result. It was about growth.
I applied the lessons:
Better fuelling
Heart rate control
Discipline over ego
And most importantly:
I learned that finishing on my feet matters more than chasing a goal that could land me in hospital.
Watching the dream slip away again was hard. Really hard.
But this time, it didn’t feel like failure. It felt like progress.
What Happens Now?
For now, I step away from marathon pressure.
Not from running, but from the weight of expectation. The question I’m asking myself is simple:
Can I build a system where BQ pace feels natural not forced?
I will try again. But only if:
It comes from curiosity, not pressure
It’s supported by stronger fitness
It doesn’t cost me my love for running
Because that joy is too important to lose.
A New Definition of Persistence
Doing the same thing over and over isn’t resilience.
Changing the approach until it becomes possible, that’s resilience.
So I won’t quit.
But I also won’t rush back.
I will rebuild.
I will raise my ceiling.
And when the time is right, I will return.
Boston doesn’t define me.
But the pursuit has shaped me.
And more importantly, it has shown my children what it means to keep going.
I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to Boston. But I do know that I’m becoming stronger, wiser, and more resilient with every step. And that’s enough for now. But this isn’t the end of the road. It’s just a different stretch of it.
It’s not over🔥💪🏾🏃🏾♀️