I would consider last weekend's Key Bank Vermont City Marathon my debut marathon. Yes, I finished the Philadelphia Marathon this fall, but to be honest, I had no business being in that race. This training cycle, which started in February, marked the first time I had successfully trained for and prepared to really race, not just complete a marathon.
Things did not go perfectly in Vermont, thanks to Mother Nature who dumped rain, wind, and frigid temperatures on the beautiful city of Burlington. From the time I left Harrisburg on Friday morning, right up until the awards ceremony on Sunday afternoon, it rained, torrentially at times. I tried not to let the weather get in my head, as I knew I was fitter than I have ever been in my life, but with winds forecast to be in the 20 mph range and rain on Sunday morning, I knew life would be tough for the next 26.2 miles.
The race itself played out exactly how I had figured it would. A pack of 5 runners got out straight to the front. Matt Pelletier, a 5 time VCM champ and Olympic Trials qualifier, and Chris Zablocki, with his 2:17 PR, were the class of the field, and after running as a pack through 10k in just over 33 minutes, they began surging slightly between miles 7 and 9. The two leaders took off for good after mile 9, and I was left running with another young up and coming marathoner, Kyle Stanton. We ran together through mile 12, hitting 5:15's comfortably, but unfortunately it was not Kyle's day, and he ended up dropping out of the race. That left me alone for the last 14 miles of the race. I faced very strong winds from miles 13-20, and after coming through the half in 1:09:35, I struggled to battle the wind on my own and ended up running in the 5:25-5:35 range the rest of the race. It was very difficult battling the wind, and by the time I hit the tailwind for the last 4 miles of the race, I was spent and could not benefit from it. I finished in 2:22:28 in third place and kicked strongly the last quarter mile to hold off the first relay team. No way after running 26.2 miles was I going to lose to a relay team!
Overall, I must say I am very pleased with my final time, a PR by over 9 minutes from the fall. This winter and spring, I learned so much about training for the marathon by working with Mike McKeeman, a true expert on the sport. For the first time in my running career, I put together the consistent 100 mile weeks required to be truly successful as a distance runner. The winter months certainly were difficult, as it seemed the only time I ran in daylight was on the weekends, but all those cold dark miles are worth it now.
Mike and I believed I would be ready to run under 2:20, and this result, given the weather conditions, supports that belief. For what it is worth, Pelletier thought he was in 2:16 shape and ended up running 2:19 due to the weather, so I certainly feel my final time was worth a 2:20 given the conditions. I walk away from this race confident that with continued development and hard work, I will be a 2016 US Olympic Trials qualifier for the marathon!
Also have to give a shoutout to my fiancee and parents who made the trip up to Burlington to watch me and cheer me on like crazy! Their support on the course really helped me fight through some rough patches and finish as strongly as I did. Another shoutout goes to Keystone Elite teammate Lauren Kelly who finished third in the women's race in her debut marathon in 2:52. There are big things in store for the two of us Lafayette alums!
Now, I will turn my focus to recovering and getting ready to race at the USATF National Half Marathon championships in Duluth, Minnesota, where I have been accepted as a part of the USATF's athlete development program. I can't wait to represent Keystone Elite on this big stage!
Happy Miles!
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