Beyond Boston: Lisa Cabiles

My friend Shawanna recommended Lisa as someone to interview for this series, and I'm glad she did! Lisa's story is inspiring; she just ran a PR in a marathon time trial on June 7! She is coached by Ryan Hall, & has big goals at Boston 2021 and beyond (hint: targeted at 2024).

Introduce yourself (who you are, where you're from, what you do, etc.)
I’m Lisa, Christ follower, mother of 3, and marathoner . I have my eyes set on qualifying for the Olympic Trials 2024. Recently I started training with Coach Ryan Hall and was able to crush my PR by 13 minutes on 6/7/20 with a 3:02:34 marathon time trial.

What are your thoughts on Boston 2020 being cancelled? How did you handle the initial postponement and eventual cancellation, mentally and physically?
I was totally bummed by the postponement of Boston 2020 but expected it with all the other events being cancelled due to Covid . Therefore I was really looking forward to the September 14th date . The cancellation of Boston 2020 was a huge letdown though, as I was gearing up to run with #TeamHylands this year, and have gotten to know many teammates via Instagram and FB. I also have known some of them prior to being selected for #Teamhylands and was really looking forward to reuniting with them at Boston 2020.

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

Yeah, I will run Boston 2020 virtually with #teamhylands  

We are a team dedicated to running Boston in spirit together the week of September 7th to 14th.

Do you plan to run Boston 2021? Why or why not?
Yes I have qualified for Boston 2021 and plan to have a race course PR .

How did you get started in running? Tell us a little about your early running career through present. 

I started running in 5th grade when my Dad took me on a 2 Mile run 🏃‍♀️ and I collapsed on the grass and said I was never going to run again 🙄 

I then did an alumni run with my brother’s cross-country team (not on the team at the time) and ended up finishing 4th female which secured me a varsity spot. I didn’t necessarily like running at this point but enjoyed the team spirit . I went on to run track and cross-country and went to state my senior year .
I ended up not running in college as I was very focused on academics and graduated with an BSN in nursing at the age of 21. 

I continued to enjoy running 5-10 mile runs throughout my 20s. 

 
After I had my first kiddo, we took up stroller running . This is where I ended up finding marathon running. I would go on 10-12 mile runs regularly but hated mornings so never considered racing.

 
Finally October 12, 2016 for my 33rd birthday I ended up running 20 miles. I knew then I could complete a marathon. I signed up for the Seattle marathon 2016 in which I qualified for Boston 2018. From them on it’s been history. June 7, 2020 I completed my 27th marathon with a 3:02:34

Why did you decide to run your first marathon? 

I fell in love 😍 with long distance running and wanted to qualify for the Boston marathon.

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

My first marathon; I figured with all the stroller miles I had done ✅ I had the speed and strength to qualify.

Why did you decide to run Boston 2020? 

Since Boston 2018 (yes even with the horrific conditions) I fell in love with the Boston Marathon. The entire weekend is electric, and the entire Boston community is so welcoming. It makes for an epic race experience.

How did it feel to be accepted into Boston 2020?
Thrilled but even more so to be running with Team Hylands.

What did you learn from this journey - from BQ to postponement to cancellation?
I have learned to be patient and know this time of no racing is only setting me up for my journey to OTQ as I can train harder than I ever have before.