Alexandra describes her journey to the marathon distance as an itch to scratch. After a collegiate career left her wanting a break from the sport, she started over—back to social running. The consistency of training with the Greater Boston Track Club and the contagious atmosphere of the Boston running scene influenced her decision to take her training a little more seriously again.

“Not that I needed that I needed that validation…but maybe this is something I should do.”

Alexandra approached her first marathon in October of 2018 with the poise and intensity of her collegiate athlete roots. She even said that she wanted to do the marathon, but wanted to do it at the right time—when she knew she could devote the appropriate amount of time to this level of training. Alexandra debuted at the marathon distance with a hard fought 2:51 finish, crossing the finish line as the fourth woman and twenty-first finisher overall. She’ll be the first to say that she had a storybook day on the course and can’t pinpoint a low on the day, but she worked immensely hard to earn a day this pedestrian to her. Alexandra recalled coaching herself through some rough patches and, for the first time, telling herself that she can do it…out loud.

Approaching the Olympic Trials Qualifying (OTQ) standard in her second race brings a level of objectivity to her new foray in to distance running. Whereas her first marathon was the litmus test to understand her capability in the sport, her second marathon is her chance to attack a goal set for all athletes.

“WHen you boil it down, its such an objective number.”

Despite being motivated by the goal of an OTQ, Alexandra doesn’t put too much pressure on herself. She recalls several people she knows who have chased the elusive 2:45 for years with no luck. In her opinion, they’re no less of a talented athlete. A 2:45 to her is a culmination of hard work, miles, and the balancing act of life, but the journey makes this whole process worthwhile.

Listen to her interview below:

"Alexandra's Why" - Chapter Three

“Not that I needed that I needed that validation…but maybe this is something I should do.”

“WHen you boil it down, its such an objective number.”