Boston Qualified! 2015 - "By my fourth race, I was passing my buddy and really enjoying competing!"

Dale Sandley

 I really haven’t been running very long. When I turned 50, in 2005, I started thinking more about my health, and joined a fitness center. I ran on the treadmill, used the elliptical, and regularly went to fitness classes.

In 2010, a buddy talked me into running a 5k with him. This was the first time I ever ran outside. It was a small event and I finished 4th in age group (behind my buddy). My next 5k I finished 3rd in my age group, again behind my buddy. It was wonderful winning an award. I had never played sports in school, so it was a new experience. By my fourth race, I was passing my buddy and really enjoying competing!

The more races I won, the more motivated my training became. By the end of that year, I had my 5k time down to 21:30!

The second year I learned that overtraining causes injuries, and only ran two races before becoming injured.

In Year 3, I listened to my body, and placed in six out of eight races, adding 5 mile, 10k, and 13.1 distances.

Yes, I am dressed warmly, it was 31 degrees, and it rained the last 5 miles.

In 2013, I placed in all ten races, with eight firsts and two second place finishes, and ran my first marathon at age 58. The marathon was the Honkey Tonk Marathon in Wisconsin Dells, WI, on October 20th, and it was a hilly course. I ended up running that race because the flat races had all filled up early.

My sister and her family at the 20 mile mark, where I really needed to hear those cowbells.

It was a small event, 107 runners, and I finished 1st in my age group, and 10th overall, with a time of 3:27:19. I had needed 3:40 to Boston Qualify. It will be really hard to top the feeling I received after crossing that finish line.

The race had a county western theme, at the finish
we received a cowboy hat and a finisher medal shaped
like a belt buckle.

Because this marathon was in October, I will not run in Boston until 2015, I would have needed to qualify before September to run in 2014. But, I will be there in 2015!

Dale Sandley
Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin


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