Project 2:59 is a goal, an ambitious effort to qualify for the iconic Boston Marathon, but to me it's more than that. Project 2:59 is going to be a way that I will be able to push my body and my mind to places that it's never been before. All my life I've ran, I played soccer throughout school and at a local league after high school. The only difference is that I've never experienced running like this.
A little under a year ago I started to run for the fun of it and always quit after it started to hurt, after it started to get tough. In that year I had the crazy idea one night, while sitting in my girlfriend's driveway with her, to sign up for a marathon. I had no idea what I was doing, I had never even ran a 10k before. Immediately after, with the help of an online template, I felt like I had a plan. A plan that didn't last long as I started to modify it and change dates around. Next thing I knew, the marathon came around and I was still under prepared. Stuffing gels down, gulping down water and pinning my bib on I made it to the race starting line. It wasn't until mile eighteen that I started to feel like giving up, but kept pushing myself one step at a time. I was proud to say I finished, but as soon as the emotion and adrenaline went away I quickly realized I wasn't satisfied. If you ask me now, I'm happy and lucky I finished given my lack of preparation.
One thing still stays on my mind though, I didn't stick to the plan. I didn't suffer through the mileage you log in each and every week. I didn't follow the proper nutrition. They say that finishing a marathon is one of the most rewarding experiences ever because of the way you prepare for it. Something I didn't fully do and didn't fully feel. Project 2:59 is more than just a goal. It will be a test of discipline and commitment that I failed to do my first time around. Running means more than just going out there and logging in miles to me now. It's a you vs you environment. You can quit or you can keep going, mile after mile, day after day. You learn more about yourself. Are you going to give up, complain? Or will you train your mind to a place that endures the pain, that comes out on top and doesn't give up.
The only problem is that running a marathon in under three hours is no easy task. To put it into context, to run a three hour marathon you have to run 26.2 miles at a six minute fifty second (6:50) pace per mile consistently throughout. Which is also running roughly around 8.8 miles per hour every mile. Unless you've been given a talent, that will take months if not years of preparation. Preparation that I'm willing to do and endure.
Qualifying for Boston means that I was able to be disciplined and committed to a goal. A goal that pushes me further not just in running but in every aspect of life. A goal that teaches me to stick to the plan and that even though it's tough, you have to keep moving forward. It's now time to put in the work and document every step of the way.
This is Project 2:59.
- Jose Sanchez, Owner