2018 MARINE CORPS MARATHON RACE PREVIEW

The start of the MCM. The race starts on both sides of the highway at 7:55am sharp.

Hard to believe, but it's here... my first marathon in three years! It's been a long road since the last one, the 2015 Detroit Marathon. If you hold told me after that race that I wouldn't run another one for three years I would have thought you were crazy. I had plans of running another marathon in the fall of 2016. However, this was the beginning of a descent into the psoriatic arthritis this took a couple years to crawl out of. But crawled I have, and finishing the Marine Corps Marathon is going to be my "I'm back!" moment. Hopefully, haha.

In terms of the course, it is not the fastest course, but it is pretty fast. The biggest challenge in terms of elevation is the first two miles, where you go up 200 feet. Now 100 feet a mile isn't too bad, definitely noticeable, but nothing tragic. On fresh legs it is going to feel easier than normal, so I'll have to make sure to reign myself in and not go too crazy. I need to do these at like 25 seconds over my target pace. You should always start a marathon a little slower anyways. I'm then going to take advantage of the downhill, but also make sure not to attack it too hard and trash my legs. Once that is over, the course is pretty flat with some rolling hills.

Course map. You'll want to enlarge this.

I plan to utilize every aid station at my disposal, alternating Gatorade and water. That'll keep the electrolytes up but not also overpower my stomach with too much sweet drink. I also plan to eat three packs of gummies along the way at 200 calories each. In previous marathons I have tried to eat these one or two at a time, but this time I think I'll just eat the whole bag at one time. Probably miles 6, 12, and 18. Just get them in my stomach. Previously I've been annoyed at having to chomp on stuff too often as it breaks my rhythm and is hard to breathe while doing so.

There should be a lot to see at the race! Starting at the Pentagon, going through Arlington National Cemetery, up and down the Mall with sights of the Washington Monument, Capitol Building, Supreme Court, and more. I haven't been to Washington, DC since I was 14 during a school trip, so it will be really cool to see everything again. It will be good distraction for a while at least. Even the parts that don't have famous things to look at should be interesting, whether it be beautiful tree lined streets with fall colors, or intense cheering sections. It will be fun to experience it all! I actually haven't analyzed the course too much because I want it to be new on race day.

One thing I always hear about this race is not only are the sights cool, but the crowds are awesome too. There should be a lot of support on the course to keep me motivated, which is good! I like hoopla in long distance races, so hopefully that will keep me energized and going. The hardest part of the race might be a boring stretch where we climb a highway bridge and cross the river. There is some uphill here on the bridge along with no spectators and a reputation for wind. Once that is over, shortly after mile 21, it is into Crystal City, which is supposed to have really good support. And finally, the finish line is actually up a pretty steep hill. The Marines can't make anything easy. Luckily it is only a quarter mile!

A flavor of the sights during the race!

Once huge factor that will affect my race is my corral. This is the first year of corrals at the MCM, which is surprising, considering the number of racers usually tops 25,000. Anyways, when I signed up I put a finish time of 4:15. Well, I ended up getting faster a lot quicker than I thought, so that is going to put me in the wrong spot. I emailed them hoping to move up but the bibs were already printed with the corral. Luckily, there are only three corrals, and mine appears to be 4-5 hour people. So they suggested I just scoot up to the front of my corral to avoid being pinned in by too many other slower runners.

However, even if I manage that, I'm still going to have an issue trying to get my "A" goal. This race is HUGE, which tens of thousands of runners. I watched a couple clips of it and yeah... there isn't going to be much room. Even if I mange to get with 4:00 paced runners, if I want to go any faster, that is going to be a big problem. I am going to have to weave around and generally be frustrated. Even later on in the race it stay pretty packed as the route moves to smaller streets. There will be some more room after halfway or so, but still, that is going to be a major challenge.

Alright, what you have all been waiting for:

"A" Goal: Under 3:50. This is 8:45 a mile or less. I would be *so* happy with this time. To get a 3:4X marathon in my first one back, after basically doing no speedwork... heck yeah! I will try to start out at a clip that can achieve this. Whether I am actually able to run it (due to the crowds) or finish at it (due to miles 18+) remains to be seen.

"B" Goal: Under 4:00. This is really my main goal. If I can walk away with this one, I'll be as happy as a clam. This is 9:09 a mile or less. Unless I have some major walking issues, I think I can get this one. However, it is going to take a solid effort and the crowds to cooperate to achieve. If my time starts with a three, happy I will be!

"C" Goal: Finish. You (mostly) ran a freaking marathon. Two years ago you were hobbling around with no idea of what was wrong and the thought of never being active again. You've come a long way baby, enjoy it!