Volée team member Miranda Santee shares her prologue card, and the big goals she isn't afraid to chase.

Last year I set the big, scary goal of running a 3:25 marathon. I loved having a goal that I wasn't quite sure I could reach. With each workout, I started to slowly build up the confidence that I could run a 3:25. The last month of training took a major toll, though, and my confidence started to decrease. I had nagging pain each run that wouldn't let up. I felt tired. I was having major GI issues, and I was unable to run the last 2 weeks of training due to getting sick. I toed the line on race day sick, tired, and with no confidence. It showed, as I ran/walked to a 4:30 finish, missing my A goal by over an hour. 

I've reflected back on that scary goal a lot, wondering if I set myself up for failure by choosing a goal that I wasn't really sure was achievable. But if I've learned anything through that experience, it's that the scary goals are the ones worth going after. Although race day didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, I trained to a 3:25 marathon for that entire cycle and nailed my paces more often than not. My goal for Eugene is to break (and preferably crush) the 4 hour mark. I think some races are meant to fulfill big, scary goals, and others are meant to help you get there. My big, scary goal is to BQ within the next year, and building up my confidence while chipping away at my time in Eugene is going to be a major stepping point in getting there. Sub-4, I'm coming for you!