I've got a renewed vigor for my Cleveland marathon training. I realized yesterday that it is possible I could qualify for the Boston Marathon (you have to run a certified marathon in a certain time -- based on age -- to be able to participate in the Boston Marathon). For women my age (35) that time is 3 hours and 45 minutes.

My original goal was to complete the Cleveland Marathon in four hours. This means I'd have to maintain a pace of about 9 minutes per mile which is an attainable goal for me.

To run it in 3 hours and 45 minutes, I'll have to run my stretch goal pace of 8-minute-30-second miles. I can, and have, done that in a half-marathon. The question is...can I sustain it in a full marathon?

I've never been the kind of girl to back down from a challenge.

But, I AM the kind of girl that lacks self-confidence as it pertains to my running abilities.

Maybe it's time I did something really big to prove myself wrong.