Some might have thought that the e-mail I received last Tuesday informing me officially that I was accepted into the 2021 Boston Marathon was the moment I would celebrate that achievement. They would have been wrong (mostly). I knew it was a foregone conclusion with the time that I had posted in Toronto in 2019 and used for my entry. (My BQ-17:58 was far better than this year's BQ-7:47 standard. I was expecting it to be closer to a BQ-15:00 standard, which still would have admitted me.) So, what was it that had me beaming this time (my 5th year in a row that I've gotten into the Boston Marathon) nearly as much as when I first hit a BQ time in Baltimore in 2015? Getting the Celebration Jacket.
While most Boston Marathoners that I know refuse to wear the jacket until after they finish the race (save, maybe, for trying it on to verify that it fits), to me the celebration inherent in this jacket is the accomplishment of getting into the race. I proudly wear it any day where it is permissible weather conditions (not crazy cold, not crazy hot). I celebrate with this jacket until it is time for the next Boston jacket to arrive, at which point this one is relegated to the closet. And with the registration timeframe that Boston announced for the 2022 marathon (accepting times as far back as September 2019, meaning that Toronto will count again for me, and since I "age up" to the next age group, it will give me a BQ-22:58), this celebration with another jacket will certainly happen at least once more.
Here's to everyone celebrating: whether it is getting into the Boston Marathon, getting a qualifying time but being squeaked out, or any other goal that you've been working hard at achieving. Take pride in each accomplishment, and use it as motivation for your next achievement along the way.
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