This morning, April 20, 2008, the Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials ran at 8am, in Boston.  Lewy Boulet led out the pack and ran alone for much of the race, but in the end pre-race favorite and world record holder, Deena Kastor, who had started conservativley running with the pack, passed to come in for the win. Then Blake Russel, the only contender who had qualifiing time from a track and field 10,000 meter race that she ran at Sanford on April 2nd, just a couple of weeks ago, trailed behind, making third place. The three amazing runners will be running the olympic marathon in Beijing!

1   Kastor, Deena                      2:29:35     CA     Mammoth Lakes
2   Lewy Boulet, Magdalena       2:30:19     CA     Oakland
3   Russell, Blake                     2:32:40     CA     Pacific Grove
4   Gomez, Zoila                       2:33:53     CO     Alamosa

Tomorrow is Monday, Marathon Monday…. the 112th running of the famous B.A.A. Boston Marathon.  Traditionally this race has started at 12 noon, but has recently switched to having a 10.00am starting time.  The Boston Marathon is perhaps the most favored marathon event. 80% of entrants must have a seperate previous marathon time in order to qualify to run in it. (a small number are eligible for entry if running for charity.)

Why am I writing about this? I would like to run Boston someday. When I had back surgery in Boston in 2005, we took a tour bus over the painted finish line, and I said that someday, I want to run across that same finish line. Since then I have run my first full marathon last year at ING Georgia Marathon Inaugral. I have a ways to go in order to qualify fo it (need to run under 3:40 in order to qualify. My half marathon time is 2:02. My first and only full marathon was 5:00, but I know i can get faster than that.)  I never say “I can’t…”. If I don’t get a great time, I push it behind and train for the next. So hopefully someday I will run across that finish line.