Beyond Boston: Erica Green

Erica's reaction to the cancellation was very real - then after some tears and wine she focused on the positive and is planning for 2021!  She calls herself a "late onset runner" (she has been running competitive for 2ish years), but she also ran her first half under 1:30 and her first marathon in 3:04!  Her advice to those who are mourning Boston 2020: "It’s totally okay to be upset, disappointed, and angry about the cancellation of Boston; these feelings are all 100% valid. But letting these negative thoughts consume us is not healthy. If anything, that should just inspire us even more to fight even harder to get there in the years to come."

Introduce yourself (who you are, where you're from, what you do, etc.)

My name is Erica Green and I am an occupational therapist working and living in south Jersey. I am a late onset runner and have only been running competitively for the past 2ish years - but I am hooked! Running is truly what keeps me sane - especially in these weird and uncertain times.

What are your thoughts on Boston 2020 being cancelled? How did you handle the initial postponement and eventual cancellation, mentally and physically?
Initially, I was admittedly glad that they had postponed it. Although I was thinking selfishly, I had just been getting back on my feet after an injury and knew that I wouldn’t be in the best shape when April 20 rolled around, so when they made the announcement to postpone it, I honestly wasn’t that upset. However, when they cancelled it altogether - that’s when the wheels fell off. I may or may not have shed a tear (or two), and poured myself a glass of wine (or two...or five). However, after the initial shock, I told myself that I was going to allow myself to be sad about it for 24 hours and embrace these valid, disappointed feelings - but in the end I knew that my sadness would not change the outcome so I did not want to dwell on it. I decided to then shift my mindset and started to focus on the positives. After all, I now have a full YEAR to train for next years race.

Do you plan to run Boston 2020 virtually? Why or why not?

No, I don’t. I trained to run Boston IN Boston, and although it would be “cool” to be a part of history and run it virtually, it just isn’t the same for me. I want the full Boston experience. And with my injury history, running a full marathon virtually just isn’t worth it. I want to make sure I am 100% ready to go by the time April 2021 rolls around.

Do you plan to run Boston 2021? Why or why not?
Yes, I do! Luckily, I have a pretty solid qualifying time and shouldn’t be in jeopardy of not being accepted for the 2021 race. I think being a part of Boston 2021 is going to be an extremely exciting and inspiring experience, especially because it very well might be the first “big” race that occurs post-pandemic. I am really looking forward to running it next year and getting to enjoy the experience that was robbed from us first timers this year.

How did you get started in running? Tell us a little about your early running career through present.
I have always been an active individual, but never really took running seriously until about 2 years ago when I signed up for a 10 mile race on a whim. The course was hilly, the weather was awful (torrential downpours and heavy winds), and I almost dropped out before the race even started. BUT - I’m glad I didn’t. I ended up surprising myself (and everyone around me) by getting first female overall, and from there, my journey took off. I then went on to run my first Rock n Roll half marathon in Philly and ran sub 1:30, which is when I knew I was onto something. From there, I just continued to get stronger, fitter, and faster, and I am so so grateful for finding this outlet in my life.

Why did you decide to run your first marathon?
I love to challenge myself. I remember running a half marathon and thinking “I am dead - there’s no way I could run twice that distance!”. But that thought inevitably kicked off my competitive side, and I decided to sign up for a marathon shortly after.

When did you set the goal of qualifying for Boston and what inspired you to try?

I may sound a bit pretentious here - but bare with me.  I signed up for my first (and now only) marathon to date without having a goal other than to finish. I thought it would be cool to BQ but didn’t want to put that much pressure on myself during my first marathon, so I just decided to run it for fun. Low and behold, I ended up running a 3:04! After that, I got hooked on the idea of running Boston (as well as other world majors), and really hope I get the chance to in the future.

How did it feel to be accepted into Boston 2020?

Boston 2020 was going to be my first Boston, and it’s truly the pinnacle of every runners career. I’ve watched it on TV many times, have had friends who have run it and have heard amazing stories about the experience, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. To be accepted after only running one marathon was truly a dream come true.

What did you learn from this journey - from BQ to postponement to cancellation?
I learned that there are a lot of things that are out of our control - but that we can control how we respond to them. It’s totally okay to be upset, disappointed, and angry about the cancellation of Boston; these feelings are all 100% valid. But letting these negative thoughts consume us is not healthy. If anything, that should just inspire us even more to fight even harder to get there in the years to come.

Anything else you'd like to share?

Thank you so much for this opportunity to share my story!!