I ran the 2024 Shamrock Shuffle this past Sunday in downtown Chicago. Although the weather was a little chilly, the opportunity to run through the streets of the Loop made it a memorable experience.
I just finished running the 2022 Wharf to Wharf race in Santa Cruz, CA. Despite not training for the race, I managed to run the race faster than when I ran it last in 2019. This time around, the race organizers placed me in the “elite” corral, which meant that I didn’t struggle too much with crowding at the beginning of the race. I got to my corral with plenty of time to spare, so I was able to warm up a little bit before the race.
This past Sunday, May 22, I ran in the Cleveland Marathon. And it went very well! When I ran in the 2019 Cleveland Marathon, I struggled due to poor pacing and heat, but this time neither of these were an issue.
This past Sunday, July 28, I ran in the 2019 Wharf to Wharf race in Santa Cruz, CA. The course is exactly 6 miles long. My time was 43:40: I got to the corrals about 20 minutes later than I should have, so I struggled to make it in before the starting gun went off. Then, I felt like I was trapped behind other runners. The weather was nice — right around 60º and overcast — so I didn’t have to deal with heat like I did in the Cleveland Marathon.
This past Sunday, May 19, I ran in the Cleveland Marathon. And it was awful. The race started at 7am. It was about 72ºF and overcast. Caught up in the excitement (and the throng of runners surrounding me), I sped across the start line. During the first mile, I spotted pacers who would be running 8:12/mile pace. Considering I had run 20 miles at 8:10 during my training, I figured this was an appropriate pace to start out with.
Setting: Albany and Berkeley, California. Nighttime, half past eight. A run with friends Cabernet and Elphaba to meet up with Jimmy.