new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trials?

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new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trials?

ginger

Cambridge, MA
Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 46

new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trials? Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:50 pm

www.youcanqualify.com launched this week - interesting site geared to people trying to qualify for boston or the olympic trials (and is billing the austin marathon as its first event)

Bricks
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
Chicago
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 222

Re: new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trial Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 8:56 am

i'm interested to see how this website develops... thanks for the link. It already answered a question I had (if i read it right). I qualified in October, so needless to say it is good for this coming Bosoton, but the site mentions that a qualification can often get you into 2 consecutive Bostons. I had wondered if I used this qualification this year if I could go back to Boston next year using the same race since it came after that September cutoff. It sounds like I can!!!

Rickshaw
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
San Francisco, CA
Joined: 26 Nov 2004
Posts: 1157

Re: new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trial Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2005 4:12 pm

Interesting... I'm having some difficulty understanding exactly what their site is for. As far as I can tell, it's basically just a discussion forum for people trying to qualify for Boston or the Olympic Trials. They're not selling anything or providing any coaching services or anything that I can see. So I'm not sure what it means to say that Austin will be their first marathon-- what are they doing at Austin that couldn't be done at another race? It's also interesting that their two target audiences are Boston qualifiers and Olympics qualifiers. Those are pretty different groups. The men's open Boston qualifying standard is 3:10, whereas the Olympics "B" standard is 2:22. That's quite a huge difference! I wonder how much the two groups will even have in common. All this makes me think-- there ought to be some major running goal for those who can meet, say, a 2:45 time standard (or an age and sex-adjusted equivalent). As it stands, a lot of runners work very hard to qualify for Boston, but probably lose interest after that because there are no more higher goals that they can realistically aim for. 2:22 is just too far out of reach for most people.

mfox

South Orange, New Jersey
Joined: 19 Dec 2004
Posts: 367

Re: new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trial Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:59 pm

I had the same reaction when I checked out the web site. I think it simply boils down to a ploy for them to get people to register for the Austin Marathon. They are encouraging both qualifying groups to use the Austin Marathon to qualify. The Austin course is mostly downhill and thus can be one of the fastest courses in the country. The web site doesn't offer anything that you can't get elsewhere. I have a suspicion they may be hoping to distinguish the Austin Marathon as the place to race if you want to qualify for Boston or the Olympic Trials. I went a head and sent an e-mail message yesterday expressing interest to see what kind of response I'd get. I haven't heard back yet.

ginger

Cambridge, MA
Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 46

Re: new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trial Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:07 am

Yeah I agree - I'm not sure who is running youcanqualify.com or why. It could just be advertising for the austin marathon - in which case I think that it's pretty clever advertising. :) Re: Rickshaw's point about qualifying for boston and qualifying for the trials being two very different goals - I agree. I think what the two groups have in common is just that they're trying to run a very specific time. Not many marathons other than Boston or the trials force you to qualify. As for what they're offering at austin that you can't get at other marathons - it's not clear for the boston qualifying group (other than a fast course and pace groups, which might be enough to draw a lot of boston hopefuls.) But for trials hopefuls, they are offering relaxed elite standards (meaning free race entry and some other perks) plus pace groups at the 4 trials paces, which no where else (to my knowledge) offers. I'm curious to see who they have pacing the 2:20 group! It may have to be a bike or a relay of people.

Rickshaw
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
San Francisco, CA
Joined: 26 Nov 2004
Posts: 1157

Re: new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trial Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 1:47 pm

ginger wrote:
But for trials hopefuls, they are offering relaxed elite standards (meaning free race entry and some other perks) plus pace groups at the 4 trials paces, which no where else (to my knowledge) offers. I'm curious to see who they have pacing the 2:20 group! It may have to be a bike or a relay of people.

I must have overlooked that... that is a great perk. Are you going try for an OT qualifying time? You're within shouting distance of the women's B standard, right? That would be pretty incredible to run the trials.

ginger

Cambridge, MA
Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 46

Re: new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trial Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 4:15 pm

That would be pretty incredible to run the trials.

It would be incredible.

Are you going try for an OT qualifying time?

I'm not sure. I ran twin cities a month ago and am 7+ minutes over the standard. I'm probably going to run Boston and Chicago next year, trying for a fast time at Chicago. I'll have to see how my training goes next summer to see if 2:47 seems possible. Right now 7 minutes feels pretty far away :)

mfox

South Orange, New Jersey
Joined: 19 Dec 2004
Posts: 367

Re: new website - looking to qualify for boston or oly trial Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:12 pm

Ah ha! Ginger, that's something that has ocurrred to me lately. The faster you get the harder it is to get faster. A seven minute improvement in time is much easier for a 3:30 marathoner (like me) than it is for a 3:00 marathoner, for example. I feel like I put in a lot of time and effort as it is now. The thought of how much more effort and time it would take to be a sub 3:00 marathoner is a bit daunting.

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