Becoming an athlete. I’m an athlete.

I’m an athlete.

For some strange reason, I’m thinking of the movie The Fly. The metamorphosis has been that dramatic.

I’m a runner. I’ve always enjoyed running but two years ago I started to run more. I started to run consistently. My consistency became an uncompromisable habit. My non-negotiable habit made me strive for perfection.

But now I’m more than a runner. I’m an athlete.

I ran my first sub-three-hour (2.57) in October 2021. I ran a 1.19 half marathon in February 2022. I just ran a 2.49 marathon in Orange County, California. I won my age group.

It was a small marathon. In a bigger race, I’d have many betters runners finish ahead of me. Still, it’s a meaningful improvement from 2.57 to 2.49 in six months. I will try to run 2.39 in Chicago five months from now.

Then I got this email:

Hi Alexey -

This is Gary, race director of the 2022 SDCCU OC Marathon. Congratulations on your completion of the event.

Following your result at the 2022 event, you have scored highly in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Rankings system. Another similar performance at a 2022 qualifying event could result in you receiving an invite to the 2023 Age Group World Championships.