#1 – 2001 London – a world class marathon, in the city where I now live.
#2 – 2002 Chicago – a World Record Marathon, the finest and fastest in the US.
#3 – 2003 Stratford-upon-Avon – my hometown marathon, with closing symmetry in the town where I grew up.
My perfect marathon tour has just a month left and I have two questions to ask:
Hill work – after mixed success and some injuries from intervals, this time I have profited from a hard, hilly 7 miler built into my weekly pattern. How many weeks out should I cut this run from my routine ?
Pace – my marathon best is 4:05 from Chicago. This spring I have brought my half marathon time down by 4 minutes to 1:47:22. As a big guy, I will slow a little towards the end of any marathon or even 20 mile training run. Stratford has a couple of smallish hills, but is otherwise mostly flat.
Bearing all this in mind – what could I realistically set as time goals for the first half and the race overall ?
Related articles:
2. My first marathon: London 2001
4. GO British ! Chicago Marathon 2002
23. The uncertain glory of an April day: Shakespeare Marathon 2003
116. London is Olympic – The London Marathon
127. Altiora peto, and other Latin lovers
roads of stone 
