Well, here we go! My first blog! I'm not really good at all of this social media stuff, so I decided to try blogging and see if it works better for my personality. The fact that I am not on my phone trying to type all of this out is already a good sign that I'm going to like it :)
So you're probably wondering about the header: "Just. One. Second." Let me start you off with a little back-story...
December 6th, 2015 - I woke up feeling more nervous than I have ever felt before a race. This was going to be the day for which I had been vigorously training for 18 months and I was going to qualify for the Olympic Trials! I had done everything right in terms of preparation, I just needed to leave it all out on the course, and that's exactly what I did.
The Olympic Trials Marathon qualifying time (OTQ) on that day was 2:43:00, and I managed to run a hell of a race, but fell short of the OTQ by 2 minutes and 1 second, running 2:45:01. I'm not going to lie, I was really disappointed. It was sort of a gut-wrenching feeling, crossing the finish line 2 minutes slower than I had planned and being surrounded by so many women who achieved what I had been working so hard for, but couldn't accomplish myself. I could just feel the tears building up inside. How could I not be happy? I just ran a 4.5 minute PR, felt stronger in a marathon than I have ever felt before, but for some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling...not this time. This was NOT the Theresa I knew.
No matter how a race goes, competitive runners always bounce back and try again. It’s in our nature. The week following the race, I started to plan my next attack. Would I try again in Phoenix or Houston on January 17th, the last day to qualify for the Trials? Is that even enough time for my body to repair? Maybe I could try to qualify with a half marathon time (1:15)...
December 10th, 2015 - Text from my coach, Rick Lovett: "If you get news about a changed Olympic Trials Marathon qualifying time, that is the Olympics, not the Olympic Trials...It used to be 2:42, but they changed it to 2:45. I texted because I didn't want you to think you'd missed the Trials by one second!"
Hmmm...okay....?
December 11th, 2015 - It's all over the running news: "IAAF changes Olympic Trials Marathon qualifying time to 2:45:00 and USATF follows suit."
I was heart-broken. Just. One. Second.
In situations like this, runners can choose to appeal their race time. Given the circumstances, and being just one second off, my coach and I thought I had a really good chance of making it into the Trials. We wrote up our appeal, submitted it to the board, and waited four long weeks (probably the four longest weeks of my life). Unfortunately, just this past Monday, I was informed that I would not be accepted into the Trials because I had not met the standard. I knew this would be a possibility, and in fact, I almost certainly thought it would be the case.
Upon reading that email, I was really bummed, but at the same time, I could feel the real Theresa coming back. "We've got this! 2020 Olympic Trials here you come! And heck, let's go for the "A" Standard (2:37) this time! Make it a little challenging since we have so much time ahead of us!"
As I look back on this journey, it has been just that, a journey...and it's not over yet. I'm the kind of person who is always looking for the next challenge; it's what keeps me driven and motivated. Running will always and forever provide a challenge for me, which is why I think I connect with running so well.
And as for what the future holds for me, let's face it, I'm a planner! I've already got my next year of races mapped out. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you!
Onward and upward to new adventures, goals and hopefully new PRs!
