Monday, May 11, 2009

Know the Enemy

I took a little trip to over the weekend to visit family and go on a reconnaissance mission on the Cleveland Marathon course. I am glad that I did. I have seen the enemy...and it is...Cleveland.

I got a ground-level view of what I am in for on Sunday morning. Some sections of the course promise to be lovely. Others...not so much. Um...whose idea was it for three miles on North Marginal Road with a lovely view of I-90? Really?


The intersection of East 9th and Lakeside in downtown Cleveland, looking west. The finish line is just beyond the Free Stamp (visible at right of picture).

Sunday morning between 10:40 and 10:45 am (barring disaster) I will be pounding pavement as hard as I can down this very stretch of road to complete my second marathon and hopefully, HOPEFULLY, qualify for the Boston Marathon.

I began training for this race exactly four months ago. It's time to put up or shut up. It's on, bitches.

18 comments:

Maggs said...

Good luck this weekend!

MCM Mama said...

Good luck!!

Carolina John said...

Have fun and good luck in cleveland! marathon weekend is here baby!

Spike said...

enjoy yourself and have fun. and by that I mean kick the CM in the shin, stomp on its throat, and BQ!!!

raulgonemobile said...

Good luck! Go out there and own it!

tfh said...

North Marginal Road? You're gonna KILL that ugly street.

B. Kramer said...

I was just checking the course map and saw that they changed it from last year, which they started talking about doing in June. Without running into the Lake Erie headwind, BQ is yours. Run well and drink well.

C said...

You can do it! Good luck.

joyRuN said...

Rest well & good luck!

Unknown said...

Define yourself

jen said...

Wow, I was going to make a comment but dirtdawg50k's comment above says it all. Ditto. Do it.

chia said...

Good luck! Hope the weather and all that is perfect and none of that windy crap is flying off the lakes!!!

Nitmos said...

Best wishes for a great race! Either BQ or not, you are still getting faster so truly it is just a matter of time. It'll come. Here's to hoping it is in Cleveland. Relax. Run.

Glaven Q. Heisenberg said...

And the best way to know the enemy is in the biblical sense soooo ...

Good Luck F*cking Cleveland!

(You'll be the proud mother of a bouncing baby BQ.)

Unknown said...

Good Luck at a place known as a Mistake by the Lake. You will do well.

Esther said...

The marathon will be coming through my city, Lakewood, briefly! Looking forward to cheering all of you runners...go get that BQ!

Vava said...

Good luck on your BQ attempt, and here's hoping the weather is perfect and the wind is at your back exactly when and where you need it most!

Duff said...

Congrats. In case you didn't know the north marginal used to be mile 21 through 25 in previous marathons. It zapped me in the previous two years.
Congrats again. See you in NY.