48°
“They all fully expected that I should win,’’ said Lynch, a Pleasantville resident who will be running her first Boston Marathon. “We had a long conversation about personal goals and trying your best, and that’s all that matters. I told them if I work hard, I can finish the race. But all the believing in myself doesn’t mean I’m going to win this race. It was cute that they were giving me a pep talk, but really, I’m not expecting to finish in 2½ hours.”
Lynch qualified for the race by finishing the Philadelphia Marathon in 2013 in 3:30:11, an average of just over eight minutes per mile and about 15 minutes faster than the hard-to-achieve Boston qualifying time. It was only her second marathon, and her first in nearly 15 years.
“A friend and I ran New York when I was 25 and I qualified for Boston, but couldn’t manage to get there,’’ Lynch said. “It absolutely was a goal of mine. I hadn’t run one in such a long time, I didn’t know what to expect. I followed a training program, but you never really know what’s going to happen on the day of the race.”
Lynch said running in Boston was important for her to experience the world’s most prestigious marathon. She also found new respect for runners who are able to meet the qualifying standards.
“When I was much younger I didn’t realize how challenging it was,’’ she said. “I played sports in college, but with a job, having children, it gets trickier. And this winter was ridiculous. Anyone who managed to get their training runs in has my undying respect.”
Lynch and her family, including three young boys, will make the road trip to savor the Boston experience. She worked hard to get there. Now she gets to share the excitement with her family.
“They’ve done a few races themselves,’’ Lynch said. “They’re excited to be going. It’s going to be a fun day.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice Pleasantville and receive free news updates.
