Jenna Bunnell
Q: Congratulations on running the Boston Marathon. How long has qualifying for Boston been a goal for you?
A: I’m actually not sure how to answer this. I feel like Boston has always been a dream of mine, but I didn’t put myself in the same playing field as those that qualified so I never considered it a goal I could actually achieve. I broke sub 4 in March of 2020 and that felt hard. So dropping down 30 minutes felt impossible. I publicly started making the goal known in November 2020.
Q: Can you share with us your experience in achieving a qualifying time and some of the challenges you faced along the way?
A: This makes me laugh because I had everything working against me in that race. It was a destination race near Seattle, so I didn’t have all my meals planned. I couldn’t eat the night before, I didn’t sleep well, it was much more humid than anticipated, it rained…I don’t know how I kept from falling into a negative headspace. But I didn’t let myself succumb to the negativity. I collapsed on the way to the finish line. I was pushing so hard that my legs just gave out. But I was going to crawl across if I had to. And I made it. BQ and all.
Q: Besides crossing the finish line, which must have felt amazing, what was the best part of your experience running the Boston marathon?
A: I ran with friends that I had trained with to get to my BQ. That was amazing and not something I think everyone gets to do. The friends and family I got to enjoy the race with were the people who supported me in training runs, were my accountability partners, and were my biggest cheerleaders. It made it really special getting to run and celebrate with the people who helped me get there.
Q: What was your biggest challenge during the race and how did you overcome it?
A: Boston is no joke. They tell you about Heartbreak Hill, but really it’s all the others that come before it that are killer. My quads definitely took a beating but the crowds along the way were a solid distraction to get me through.
Q: What makes the Boston marathon such a special race for you?
A: Qualifying for Boston shifted my entire belief in myself. I remember having a conversation with someone 3 years ago and saying to them, “trust me, I’m not qualifying for Boston anytime soon.” And looking back I realize how much my own belief in myself was impacting my potential. Once I started to build some confidence, my mind shifted and I truly built the confidence to push through the pain cave in my qualifying race. It’s amazing what a positive mindset can do.
Q: You are an inspiration for many of our adult fitness members. What would you say to one of our members who has a dream of running the Boston marathon?
A: Believe in yourself and trust (and enjoy) the process of training.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share regarding this experience?
A: Just that I’m thankful for all the love and well wishes everyone sent from the Blue Crew. It was heartwarming to know people were watching for us!
Q: Now a little just about you. When did you first join R4R and how did you learn about us?
A: I joined R4R about a year and a half ago. I had seen the shirts out and about at races but finally heard about it firsthand from a previous teammate of another running group.
Q: Describe yourself in 25 words or less.
A: It’s always weird trying to describe yourself so I phoned a friend and they said, “A Fun-loving, positive, and determined person who is serious about her commitments but also doesn’t take herself too seriously.”
Q: What’s something most people don’t know about you?
A: Before I started working in Marketing and figured out what I truly wanted to do, I was a flight attendant. I wanted to travel so I would pack all my work trips into the first part of the month and work 2 weeks straight, then I would take off and travel to wherever I wanted for the second half of the month.
Q: What has been your proudest moment since being a part of the R4R family?
A: I worked the RBYC race last year and it was by far my favorite moment. It was my first big event with R4R and it was amazing to see so many students out there pushing themselves.
Dave Fox
Q: Congratulations on running the Boston Marathon. How long has qualifying for Boston been a goal for you?
A: I set my sights on qualifying for Boston after finishing the Shamrock’n 10k in March 2018.
Q: Can you share with us your experience in achieving a qualifying time and some of the challenges you faced along the way?
A: My initial goal was to qualify for the 2021 Boston Marathon. To do so, I needed to get under 3:05. However, soon after setting my goal, I broke my foot. By August 2018, I had recovered, and ran CIM that year in 3:28:03. I then trained for and ran Mountains to Beach in 2019, and ran that in 3:03:30, over a minute and a half below the standard. But it was not enough, and I missed the Boston cutoff by 7 seconds. I ran CIM in December 2019, finishing in 2:58:51, over a 6 minute cushion, which would have put me on track to run Boston in 2021. But then COVID hit, and Boston 2021 was postponed to the fall, where due to a field reduction, my time – again – was not fast enough. I then ran CIM in 2021 in 2:52:45, but was able to apply for Boston 2022 using my 2019 CIM time, and I finally made it!
Q: Besides crossing the finish line, which must have felt amazing, what was the best part of your experience running the Boston marathon?
A: The last 5 miles after summiting Heartbreak Hill. I knew at that point a PR wasn’t happening, so I ran to enjoy it. I used to live right on this route and watched many marathons there on the sidelines. Being able to run it, and seeing my family along the way, was special.
Q: What was your biggest challenge during the race and how did you overcome it?
A: Running with patience and backing off the pace at the beginning. Boston starts on a big downhill, and it’s easy to go out too fast. Holding back gave me enough energy to get up the Newton Hills (miles 16-21) and to finish feeling good.
Q: What makes the Boston marathon such a special race for you?
A: It’s the culmination of four years of hard work. Setting a ridiculous goal, and then working day by day, run by run, to chip away at it, overcoming the setbacks along the way, is really fulfilling. The real race for Boston is getting to the starting line. The race itself is the reward.
Q: You are an inspiration for many of our adult fitness members. What would you say to one of our members who has a dream of running the Boston marathon?
A: Set that goal, but be realistic about it. People tend to overestimate what they can accomplish in a few months and underestimate what they can accomplish in a few years. Then fall in love with the process. I get up, run the miles, and do the workouts because I love it. Each run can be its own accomplishment, and they all add up. It’s less, “I’m doing this because I want that BQ,” and more, “I’m doing this to run my best today.”
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share regarding this experience?
A: As human beings, it’s amazing what we can do when we dream big and put in the work. If you had told me 5 years ago that I would be running any marathon – let alone the Boston Marathon in under 3 hours – I probably would’ve laughed in your face. We are each capable of so much more than we think.
Q: Now a little just about you. When did you first join R4R and how did you learn about us?
A: I joined in 2018, and learned about R4R by seeing all the blue shirts out at Capitol Beer Fest. I was looking to give back to the community and loved running. This was where I needed to be.
Q: Describe yourself in 25 words or less.
A: I try to use the time I have here as well as I can and leave this place a little better than I found it.
Q: What’s something most people don’t know about you?
A: I’m a Beatle-nerd. I know all the songs – even the B-Sides – and can probably tell you who wrote what and played what on most of the recordings.
Q: What has been your proudest moment since being a part of the R4R family?
A: Completing this year’s Run Because You Can 5k with my son, Declan.
