Cal Ballou – Boston Marathon 2025
At Maydi Strength, working out of Trifecta Athletics, I get to see people use their strength for big goals outside the gym.
One of those people is Cal Ballou, who trains strength with me twice a week as part of his overall program. Watching him stay consistent through early mornings, travel, and long workdays has been really motivating to me as a coach.
Cal recently ran the Boston Marathon in April 2025, and I asked him a few questions about his experience.
Below are his answers, in his own words.
1. Who you are & what you did
My name is Cal Ballou.
I ran in the Boston Marathon in April 2025 after qualifying the year before running a 2:45 at the Coast Guard Marathon.
2. Mindset & difficult moments
Day-in, day-out early morning runs, including long runs on early Saturday morning, sometimes while traveling.
I never quit by telling myself I had to stay disciplined to meet my goal. I told myself I would be a minute too slow if I didn't finish each workout with full effort.
I gained confidence through the cumulative effort over time. It made me feel like I belonged at Boston and could run the time I was aiming for.
3. What surprised you
I was surprised by how much the crowd and atmosphere helped. There were so many people cheering the whole way, and it really helped me stay locked in and keep going when it started to hurt.
4. What you’re proud of
I’m proud that I stayed committed through the whole training cycle, even when life was busy. I showed up, did the workouts, and trusted the process.
I’m also proud that I didn’t let up in the race, even when my legs were telling me to. I stuck with my plan and finished strong.
5. What you’d say to someone with a big goal
Set a clear goal, then build your routine around it.
You’re not always going to feel motivated, but you can always choose to be disciplined. The small, boring things you do every day add up. Over time, they give you the confidence that you’ve earned your place at the starting line.
Coaching Cal has been really inspiring. This past year he trained for Boston while also being part of more weddings and events than I can count. I was tired just hearing his schedule 😅 – but he kept showing up, lifting, and doing the work.
Seeing someone make that kind of progress while living a full, busy life is really cool to watch up close.