Five years ago, I ran a local half marathon race called ‘Just A Short Run’.  Looking back, that race represented a turning point in my endurance sports journey.  Why was it a key moment?

Back then, I was mostly a runner and only starting my triathlon journey.  I had been running for a few years and as 2017 began, I set myself two very ambitious goals. Goals that I thought were a huge stretch for me.

The first goal was to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  Most runners dream of running in Boston, and I thought that if I worked really hard, there was an outside chance I could get close to doing it.

The second goal was to finish an Ironman race. This was probably an even bigger stretch, because I had only done my first triathlon in June 2016 and had done nothing beyond an Olympic distance race.

As I lined up to start the half marathon five years ago, I had a target time in my mind. That time represented a pace, that would put me on course for a Boston Qualifying time, at my marathon race in Toledo a month later.

Me crossing the finishing line in today’s photograph represents a key moment, because I beat my target time.  Before crossing the line that day, the Boston Marathon and an Ironman finish were a dream.  After crossing that line, those targets became achievable goals. 

My mindset changed that day…. I ended up qualifying for Boston at the Toledo Marathon and I finished Ironman Louisville later in the year.