Hobbyjogger11 wrote:
I’ll give you my perspective as a 2:17 and change qualifier. Guarantee at least one person reading this knows me.
I ran D1 made the team for the XC national champs 4xs, had some good years and some bad ones too. I recently used up my eligibility and figured what’s next? The last 2 years of college I went through a pretty serious surgery and had a real hard time coming back and getting motivated. I wasn’t happy with where I left off in college so I set the goal to get the OTQ as I was coming back as a way to motivate myself. I watch the trials on tv as a high school running nerd and thought it’d be really cool to get there. So I grinded my butt off for a year. Got my mileage up to about 120 mpw and ended up being in likely the best shape I’ve ever been in.
Yes I ran a conservative 2:17 on a flat course in a perfect day. Could I have ran 2:15:xx…maybe. Do I think that I can qualify for the Olympics… fk no, but hey I’m proud of it and excited to go. I’ll be thrilled with a top 50 finish. Anyone saying 2:18 is easy. Sure it’s a lot easier when you’re unemployed living in your parents basement. It’s a grind when you’re working 8 hours a day.
As far as the influencer stuff goes, ya I don’t like it and I’ll make fun of you all day long. I do get this stuff gets expensive, especially out of college. I think the trials standard sets a good goal for recent graduates and beyond to stay in the sport and maybe developed some competitive marathoners in the process. 95% of the people talking smack on here I doubt can go under 3 hours.
Great post. Congrats on making the standard. 99% of posters here couldn't do it on a bicycle.