I think about qualifying for Boston a lot. For some runners, getting to Boston is no big deal, but for me, it is a goal that seems almost out of reach. Sometimes I think I can make it, other times, I think it is too much to ask of my 36 year old, over worked, big boned body.

As I am out there on the roads, thinking about my training, I often wonder about other runners who have qualified for the race. How long did it take them? How much did they run? What is their story? Running may be an experiment of one, but learning from the experiences of other runners is also invaluable. When the new BQ times were released this winter, I decided that no matter what, I was going to qualify for the race, and I decided to start asking other runners how they got to the starting line in Hopkinton. I developed a list of ten questions and began asking other runners to share their stories. I will start posting the responses today. If you have run a marathon that qualified you for the Boston Marathon (whether or not you actually ran it) please get in touch by writing me at dearjtd at gmail dot com.