Category: Training

2019 Boston Marathon - Banner

2019 Cleveland Marathon

This race was pretty high on my list of tough marathons.  If the race was a week or two earlier, I think it could be a destination event.  It was well organized and there’s just enough to do around downtown for a three-day weekend.

I finished the 2019 Boston Marathon in mid-April and did a “reverse taper” before training again.

Based on the warm weather forecast, I adjusted my expectations considerably and just wanted to finish.  The spectators were fantastic – spraying runners with hoses and giving out water.  In the final miles, the temperature was 84 degrees!  My time was 3:57:09 (9:02 pace) – my second slowest marathon.

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2019 Cleveland Marathon Infographic - Week 3

2019 Cleveland Marathon – Week 3

Essentially, this was a repeat of Week 17 from my 2019 Boston Marathon training only this time, I finished it feeling race-ready! I constantly wondered whether I’m adequately recovered, though. Training Schedule May 5th – May 11th Sunday: Long Run.

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2019 Boston Marathon - Banner

2019 Boston Marathon

The afternoon heat made it a tough day but the cheering crowds made the race bearable.

I went into the race with a lot of confidence after running the 2019 Rock n Roll DC Half Marathon in 1:38:36 (7:32 pace) – my fastest half marathon in three years!  My goal was sub-3:28:00 (7:57 pace).  But, in the days before the race, my knees were killing me.

A few miles into the race, I was already sweating.  By the time I reached Newton, running 7:59 pace, the temperature was probably just under 70 degrees!    I left that town down to 8:08 pace but rallied in Brookline.

My time was 3:34:40 (8:12 pace).  My goal marathon for this spring was actually the 2019 Cleveland Marathon so, I plan to take a few days off and then start training again.

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