The Joy is in the Journey

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it” – Ferris Bueller

I’m a relatively fast runner, not Flo-Jo fast, but recreational runner fast. However, this marathon training cycle is different from past races. I am excited to run Boston and have no intention to run for a goal-time.

“Cash Me Ousside”  

Running can be a veryyyy competitive sport. Not only when it comes to competing with others but also when you are pushing yourself to improve. I used to size up the competition at 5k’s, half-marathons and other races to figure out how fast I needed to run in order to place or beat a running nemesis – that one person who you go back and forth with. If someone attempted to sprint past me during a run, I’d speed up thinking “Don’t let them beat you, Brie” or “Catch me at the finishline, how bout dat”.

During my many attempts to qualify for the Boston Marathon I focused on beating my previous time. During training runs, I’d check the pace on my Garmin every couple of minutes as if I were an anxious employee ready to jet out of the office on a Friday at 4:59 p.m. The harder I trained and worked on pacing, the lower the finishing time went 3:45, 3:40. 3:39, 3:36 then finally 3:33 ding, ding ding BQ!

Enjoy the Journey

Taking in the views during a morning run in Roanoke, Virginia

The Boston Marathon will be my first visit to the City of Champions. While my main goal is to finish the race without injuries, I also want to spend time taking in the sights and sounds.

Looking back, I realize I missed out on making some fun memories while running “fast”. For instance, the 2014 Rock & Roll Marathon in Raleigh was a blur to me. Instead of seeing the scenic views I chugged along the rolling hills hoping to get a qualifying time (Unfortunately I did not).

This April, I will not be focusing on on the clock. I plan to relish the 26.2 mile journey by taking in the moments, enjoying the scenes and snapping some pics along the way. After putting in the work to get there,  it’s time to enjoy the reward.