Marine Corp Marathon 2024
My goals here was to run a marathon, and I had a pace goal of 8:45. On October 28, 2024 I ran the Marine Corp Marathon in VA/DC, USA. I completed in just under 4 hours, 3:58:50 to be exact. Unfortunately this means I didn't make my pace goal, but I wasn't far off and I am still very proud of what pulled off.
So why did I not hit my goal pace? Well, I got caught up in race fever and didn't stick to my pacing goal. I was moving much faster then I should have been out of the gate. Strava on my watch was saying I was in the 8:10-8:30 range at various points, which is way too fast. However, I was feeling fine, and held that pace for most of the race. At around mile 19 I started getting a cramp in my abdomen which slowed my down and caused me to have to walk-run for a few miles. This really tanked my time.
Still, in the end I ran the last 2.5 miles, pushing hard to make up some of the lost time. I even ran up the last hill to the finish line. Overall I am still very happy with what I accomplished, and even though I was cursing my self for the last six miles, I am already planning how to beat my time.