Reflection on my first half-marathon

Last weekend, I completed my first half marathon. I'm still feeling some minor effects of the race (and probably didn't let myself rest enough before getting back in the gym), but it was worth it.

Being the only one in the group racing this distance for the first time, I was definitely feeling the pressure as we lined up in our corrals. It was a little chilly at the start, and there was a light rain shower passing through as we crossed the start line.

Matt and Chad started first in Corral B. A few minutes later Jessica and I got our start. The first three miles were entirely dedicated to getting around other racers to try and get up to a comfortable race pace. Running with 30,000 other people means you have to stay alert the entire race.

We crossed the first bridge around mile 3. This was my first "pretty" view of Pittsburgh. The next couple miles were uneventful, though I was not prepared for the constant up and down the course provided.

Shortly after mile 6, Jess and I grabbed some water and ate our gels. There were fans cheering at almost every corner of the course, which helped me keep up my motivation.

Around mile 8 my body started getting fatigued. I tried to keep my mind occupied by reading the race signs. A couple favorites: "Bob couldn't be here today because he has pink eye...again." and "Welcome to mile 7. You only have...a s&*t ton of miles left."

I knew that mile 11 would be the most difficult feat of the race, since it was the most significant incline of the course, especially intimidating because of the inevitable fatigue I'd feel after running the previous 10 miles. As we crossed the bridge that led us to the bottom of Forbes St. I told Jess I was scared and she gave me a running side hug and reminded me that we were almost done (and that I could celebrate with a mimosa back at the hotel). As we came down the Boulevard of Allies I felt relief for the first time in the race. I knew success was around the corner.

My official time was 2:13:01. I would have liked to finish under 2:10, but now I'll have a record to beat in my next half marathon...which will not be for a while. This race was undoubtedly the most difficult thing I've ever put my body through, but the feeling of completing 13.1 miles without walking made it worth the pain.

Pittsburgh Half Review

The Stats
13.1 mi; 2:02:54 net time; 9:22/mi avg. pace

It was a cool, cloudy morning this past Sunday in downtown Pittsburgh. Four friends, and about 12,000 other half marathoners, toed the start line and completed one of the toughest races of a lifetime. Why, you might ask? For fun, health, food...and glory.
Okay, now for the prose section of my recap. I started the race with aching pain in my left knee. Through the first three miles I developed some shin pain in the right leg, probably due to overcompensating. It didn't feel good, but I kept pacing myself and tried not to overreact to the pain. If I could deal with this level of discomfort I knew my lungs and the rest of my body could keep going. We completed three beautiful bridge crossings in the first five miles. Plenty of cheering Pittsburghers were on hand to clap for us and encourage our feet to keep moving.

Crossing Clemente Bridge

The first 10k was over by the time we crossed the West End Bridge and entered the longest stretch of the race. I had some "bladder discomfort" and saw many a runner stop at a port-a-john (or go off into the trees), but toughing it out seemed like a better option. The quicker I finished, the quicker I could find relief. Before hitting Carson Street, a nice group of schoolkids was lined up cheering wildly and looking for high-fives. I appreciated the sentiment, but needed to chill out. To relax, I would close my eyes for a second or two at a time. I let my legs go almost independently from my brain; I pretended to be sleeping back at the hotel and dreaming of still running. But I made sure to dodge the occasional swerving runner who would cut across the street to grab a water cup. Miles eight to eleven were a long haul on Carson Street. There were some rolling hills that weren't featured prominently on the elevation chart that tested the legs.
It was a great feeling to reach the Birmingham Bridge without stopping and turning left away from the full marathon course. This was the first point at which I saw a significant amount of people walking the course. I slowed my pace a bit, but maintained a jog over the long bridge. I knew to conserve some energy for the hill on Forbes Ave. Once I hit the hill, I took my first gel pack and sucked down its calories. I needed anything to help me keep running on this hill following twelve long miles. It was disappointing to see the uphill section continue onto the first part of the Boulevard of the Allies. The crest of the hill seemed to continue to stretch out ahead of me.
Once I reached the peak of the hill on Boulevard of the Allies, I was sure for the first time in the race that I would finish without stopping. And Sweet Baby Rays how good that descent felt! The Monongahela River below and to the left, we rolled down the Boulevard feeling a release. I was passed by a bunch of other runners who felt it was time to sprint. With a mile still left, I was more cautious. The last mile was my third fastest for the course. A good finish for a long race. I crossed the finish mat and continued jogging until my fellow runners would let me go no further. Success!

I caved and bought some race photos

Participation medals!

We slowly piled into Point State Park where refreshments were waiting. Our group decided to meet under the S-Z banner (originally we had said 'W' for 'winning'). Chad was waiting once I stumbled over there. Ten to fifteen minutes later Ashley and Jessica joined us. They got a later start due to being in a separate start corral. Everyone was in good spirits and uninjured, a true success given the challenge we were up against.
Then, came time for the fun. We stacked the calories back on at Fatheads that afternoon. Sandwiches and wings all around! Afterwards we made the pilgrimage to PNC Park, where the Buccos took one on the chin and lost 2-7 to the Blue Jays. Oh well. We finished half marathon Sunday with a trip to the restaurant Eleven for some delicious dining.

Halibut, Jalapeno Bacon Burger, Primanti Cheesesteak

The next morning brought all the soreness you would expect. We groaned around the hotel room until everyone was ready to check out. Our last meal in Pittsburgh was from the infamous Primanti Bros. After sandwiches with fries and slaw we were ready to wave goodbye to a great weekend in the Steel City. Thanks Pittsburgh, it was one to remember.

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Preview

Assuming I'm healthy enough to endure the 13.1 miles scheduled for Pittsburgh this upcoming weekend, I thought I'd benefit from a detailed course preview. Using the handy map made available on their website and some Google Street View image captures, I can do just that.
Overall the course is relatively flat, which is a relief. It will traverse a bridge five times. We start downtown on Liberty Ave. and then criss-cross the Allegheny River three times. This will provide the best view as we will be able to see PNC Park in the distance. It will also give us motivation to keep digging because going to a Pirates game is our post-race treat. After running west through the North Side of town, we'll cross the Ohio River on Western Ave. Bridge. Then, we have a long straight stretch on W Carson St. This will make or break my race. That is mostly because this street contains miles 7 through 10. Carson Street takes us all through the South Side, and then we hop onto the Birmingham Bridge to cross the Monongahela River. Following this last bridge comes the most difficult section in terms of incline. Forbes Ave. is a nearly constant uphill stretch that will test the weary legs. We will bend left off of it and catch The Boulevard of the Allies. The Boulevard is mercifully downhill. It will guide us home to the finish at Stanwick Street. And we'll all cheer "Let's Go Bucks!"...or something like that.

Course Map - Make it to the purple section!

I really like that the course for we half marathoners still gets to cross all three rivers that connect through the city. Those of us old enough to have made pilgrimages to Three Rivers Stadium for Pirates games in the 1990s can get a little nostalgic while making those crossings and recalling days of Bobby Bonilla, Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke. Some areas look a little rough around the edges, but that's to be expected in a big city when you have to cover 13 miles of it.

 As you can see in the elevation graphic, there is little to nothing significant until mile eleven. Then, the course goes uphill for roughly 1.3 miles. The elevation changes from 750 feet to around 975 feet. That equates to an average of about a 3.3% gradient over 1.3 miles. But once we've crested that hill, it's a steeper decent that takes us one mile to the finish line. Ah, what a release that will be.
Now for some street view pictures. Here is Liberty Ave. where we will begin:

On your marks, get set, Pierogi!

Here is the first bridge crossing, the David McCullough Bridge. It has a slight incline that doesn't show up on the elevation map so much.

Let the bridge hopping begin

Next, we see the Roberto Clemente Bridge, our third bridge crossing. This provides the best view of PNC and will likely be the height of my racing experience.

PNC Park aka McCutchen's playground

Then, we take the West End Bridge to get to, strangely enough, the West End. Here's the beautiful view into the Ohio River.

West Side ya'll

After jogging through the crowded, building-lined South Side on Carson Street, we will cross the Birmingham Bridge. Here is the view from that bridge back towards downtown where we finish.

Still a way to go.

Now for the bad news. I give you the uphill shot of the rough looking Forbes Ave.

I'm gonna need some water and a gel pack

And the good news. A long downhill portion on the Boulevard of the Allies

Mile 13 will be a beauty

We finish on the flat land at Stanwick Street. I'll take some fluids and lie down in all likelihood. Here's hoping to see some smiling friends at the finish. Check out the Pittsburgh Marathon Twitter page for all important race info.

Uphill April

The Stats: 3/24 - 4/19
4/17: 3.11 mi; 24'10"; 7'45" avg. pace
4/19: 6.01 mi; 49'27"; 8'14" avg. pace

This month started slow in terms of running. I optimistically packed some running shorts and socks for my trip to Peru, hoping to log a run in another country. The high altitude coupled with stomach issues made that plan all but impossible. What a missed opportunity! Upon returning state side, I looked to ramp back up the half-marathon training in anticipation of Pittsburgh.
I ran 5k last Thursday to test out the legs. Something seemed a little different. My legs felt really heavy for what is usually a short sprint around town. The beautiful weather made this run more tolerable and gave me a good pace. From there I looked forward to a weekend run.
With the Pittsburgh half marathon three weeks away, I knew I couldn't run 10 or more miles. That would ultimately lead to tired legs and risk injury. So I decided to try jogging an eight miler. I felt uneasy from the start on this run. My head was not prepared for being out on the road a long time. After a 7'41" second mile it must have really hit because I dropped to an 8'20" third mile. My stride was out of whack and I couldn't seem to adjust it to produce the least amount of issues. On Kanawha Boulevard I was fairly sure I would not make it the full eight miles. I stopped at the office and grabbed a water. Regrouping, I thought about making the jog back down MacCorkle Avenue. But I walked it out instead.
Later that day, I started getting knee pain. This time it was the left knee. Then, lower leg and foot pain developed. It was the same pain that sidelined me after the Parkersburg half-marathon in 2012 only in the opposite leg. I'm worried those are the early warning signs preceding a stress fracture. Since that run I have been resting, icing, and stretching. The Pittsburgh half is a big question mark at this point. I will continue to anticipate I am going through with it. I will have to get in at least one or two more training runs. If I can't do that pain free, I'll have a nice trip up north without breaking a sweat. But there's no glory in that. So here is wishing that rest and stretching can combine to get me race ready. I'd say there's a 40% chance I run right now. We'll see how that changes as next week progresses.

I Give It a Ten, a Ten!

The Stats: 3/17 - 3/23
3/21: 10.0 mi; 1:24'34"; 8'27" avg. pace

This half marathon training has called for progressively longer runs every weekend. Last week, I spied the weather patterns and decided that Friday evening presented the best temperatures for a long jaunt. That meant having to get mentally psyched for it after a day of work. It also meant missing an hour of first round NCAA tournament basketball (No!), but I went forward with the idea anyway.
I stretched out and hit the road with a good pace, about 8 minutes, before dialing it back through the fourth mile. I wore out the flat surfaces of Kanawha City, all the way to 57th Street before turning back for the downtown portion of the run. It was a lovely evening with temperatures in the upper 60s. This showed in the number of fellow runners and bikers moving around. And the car traffic had me jumping off road quite a bit. This is why I like to run toward oncoming traffic, I don't trust drivers to give me a lot of room, but I know I can always hop into someone's yard for a second while they pass me. And despite what race organizers would lead you to believe, I can hear my surrounding environment just fine with headphones on and music playing.
The 35th Street Bridge was as windy as ever. I hugged the fence as a girl passed me on her bike, made it across the river, and giggled my way down the loopty-loop descent. The bridge slowed down my sixth mile to nearly 9 minutes, but on the Boulevard I increased the pace back near 8'30" and held it fairly steady. I had a funny encounter between miles seven and eight as a car honked into the void. Instinctively, I raised a hand to wave at the oncoming mini-van. Inside was a nice looking Muslim family, the women having their heads wrapped in Hijabs. I put my hand down and looked onward to see a girl in a similar garment walking towards me. I audibly chuckled and told her, "I think that was for you."
After that moment of levity, I crossed the Boulevard and ran down Hale Street. Then, I ran over the South Side Bridge taking in the river from above one last time. By mile eight I had noticed a pain in my right calf. Nothing seemed pulled or injured, but it was sore every step of the way from there on out. Despite this, I was determined to make my last mile the fastest mile, per my recent trend in long runs. So I must have looked rather awkward, dragging my sore legs down MacCorkle at a quick pace. Nevertheless, mile 10 was my fastest on this day. Huzzah!

Now that I have caught up with Ashley and Jessica in terms of distance, I will increase my long run by 0.5 miles each week until race day. I am a little nervous about what will happen when the Harmon siblings travel to Peru in a couple weeks. But maybe the high altitude will give my lungs an element of training. Wishful thinking? Yeah, probably. All the same, Pittsburgh is shaping up to be a great event.

Nine Times

The Stats: 3/10 - 3/16
3/15: 9.0 mi; 1:15'23"; 8'22" avg. pace

Saturday of this week was a beautiful day, one perfect for a nice long run. I was determined to take advantage of it before what would probably be the last snow of the year in Charleston on Sunday. Mapping out the distances before running is crucial when doing these long runs. Thankfully, Nike+ has a very accurate mapping service that allows you to follow the roads, or take your intended path off-road to estimate distances. When mapping out 9 miles, I found the best way to do the bridge-to-bridge route was to add an extra mile to the Kanawha City portion. A half mile further out and a half mile back would add a mile to last week's eight mile course.

I started out a little uncomfortable but with a good pace. The first mile was slightly over 8 minutes. Each mile thereafter, until mile 6, got slower. I got slower by an average of 9 seconds for every mile with the slowest mile being the fifth at 8'41". 50th Street was my turnaround point in KC. Then, I headed back to the 35th Street Bridge and crossed it during my 5th mile, hence the slowest mile split. I got into a good stride on the Boulevard and reduced my split to 8'30" on the 6th mile.
After that long straight stretch on the Boulevard, I was ready for the change of pace that came from getting on the South Side Bridge. My 7th mile was impressive, 8'29", for having to go uphill on that bridge. The legs felt so sturdy coming back down MacCorkle on the home stretch that I sprinted some on the last mile. It was my fastest mile at 7'55". I can only hope that continues as the distances stretch out in this half marathon training. And spring weather should be a welcome boost!

Eight Is Enough

The Stats: 3/2 - 3/9
3/9: 8.0 mi; 1:10'29"; 8'47" avg. pace

A couple opportunities to run during the week did not pan out. Then, on Saturday the PTR crew opted for skiing instead of running. You gotta burn calories one way or another. The crucial question was: can we do a long run after the return trip on Sunday? The answer for both Ashley and I was: yes.
Moving up my distance by a mile each week led me to run an 8 miler on Sunday. Ashley had already finished half of her run and stopped for a break at my house. She said, "I only have 4 miles to go." To which I replied "That sounds like a lot." She looked at me with shock and said "You're supposed to be trying to encourage me." Oh, right, haha. This goaded me out of a wimpy attitude toward the run and got me out the door.
I started with a nice 8'20" first mile, but then cut back the pace on each of the next three miles, conserving energy. I trotted down to 45th street on Virginia, about 2.5 miles, before coming back towards the 35th Street Bridge. I high-fived Ashley who was all but 2 miles from her total of 9 on the day. Then, I mistakenly started to summit the 36th Street Bridge before realizing there was no sidewalk there (Again? Really?!). I ran down to the bridge I could cross and gave Ashley a two-armed wave. She was almost finished, I had only just begun.
Across the Kanawha and onto the Boulevard I went. The sun was setting to left of the river and I had forgot my sunglasses in Mike's car. That was a mistake. I ran most of the Boulevard with my left eye closed. Occasionally, I would glance towards downtown and then look back down at my feet to make sure I stayed on the sidewalk. By mile 5, I started to increase the pace again. I wanted to get over the South Side Bridge and not be facing the sun anymore. I darted across the Boulevard not long after mile 6 and went over the bridge. I kicked the pace before the bridge's incline to build up some momentum. This felt really good, despite all logic.

Love the bright green sections

From there it was a mile and a half sprint back down MacCorkle to the finish line. As was the case last week, my final mile was my fastest at 8'02". That means I am setting a good pace as the distance grows. Some stretching after the run to prevent soreness and we're well on the way to 13 miles. Jump on the half-marathon bang-wagon 'cause its rolling along smoothly.