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Runner hopes London Marathon leads him to Rio Paralympics

At 2 a.m. on a typical Tuesday morning, Donald Balcom channels his DVR to Deadliest Catch and begins his 90-minute run on the treadmill in the basement of his Hollywood, Md., home.

The 42-year-old legally blind marathoner then cross-trains for 25 minutes on a rowing machine before a quick trip to the gym for his weekly 45-minute workout to finish his “hard day.”

A mechanical engineer for the Navy by day, Balcom completed a version of this morning six times a week while training for the London Marathon on Sunday. Plus, he’s got Rio on his mind, hoping for a strong performance in London to help make his case for a spot on the U.