Over the weekend, I ran the Dick's Sporting Goods Half Marathon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! We arrived on Saturday, checked into the hotel, and went straight to meet my momma and sisters at the expo. All four of us ladies picked up our packets for the half marathon and did a little shopping. The expo was a lot of fun and had tons of free alcohol samples! Next, we went to Ten Penny for dinner and we all ordered the chicken and waffles... it was DELICIOUS and (spoiler alert) the perfect fuel for a PR! We didn't do much else that night, just headed back to the hotel to play with Emmy and called it an early night so we could be well rested to take on the hills of Pittsburgh! My alarm went off bright and early on race day, to give me plenty of time to get dressed, feed Emerson, and walk to my corral. I was placed in corral C which was for paces 9:30-10:30. I had no clue how I was going to feel on race day and didn't have plans to actually "race" because my training hadn't been anything special and did I mention the HILLS??! I was so incredibly nervous as I stood in my corral and not so patiently waited almost 40 minutes until I finally started my race! Luckily the weather was pretty much as perfect as it gets, mid 40s at the start with a good mix of breeze and sunshine. Miles 1 & 2 - 9:50, 9:21 It was immediately obvious that I should have started at the end of B corral, but I hadn't expected to feel so speedy! I spent a lot of the first two miles weaving through other runners. Mile 3 - 8:52 I saw Emmy and J somewhere around here! Jamie said he spotted me because of my sparkle skirt and big smile :D Miles 4 & 5 - 9:08, 8:53 I crossed the first bridge of the race and zoomed around PNC park. There were a couple decent hills here that were met with an equal downhill, but there were tons of people cheering us on and I was thrilled with my pace so far! I took my first Gu at mile 5. Miles 6 & 7 - 9:06, 9:20 I had a hard time settling into a comfortable pace. I was afraid to push too hard because I didn't want to crash at the end. By this point, I had passed a lot of runners and the course wasn't quite so crowded. It was a little windy and I felt chilly when the sun wasn't out. Miles 8-10 - 9:09, 9:30, 9:45 I crossed the second bridge and there was a big uphill loop followed by an immediate downhill. I tried my hardest to hold on to PR pace, but was beginning to struggle a little. I started my second Gu around 9.75 so I could get some down before the water stop. Mile 11 - 9:46 The course was lined with spectators most of the way! During this mile, I heard someone else's baby yell "Go Mommy!" and pushed a little harder, knowing my girl was waiting for me at the finish. We were running directly into the sun and I was a bit warm on this part of the course. Mile 12 - 10:35 The third and final bridge was so difficult for me. So many others had starting walking and I was ready to be finished. We made a left turn and climbed an enormous hill. I never walked, but my pace slowed a ton this mile. Mile 13 & Finish - 8:43, 7:45 kick pace No one told me the last mile was all downhill?!!! I turned my legs off and used my wings this mile :) I swear I felt like I was flying and when we got to the last quarter of a mile or so though downtown, I heard someone yell "Just a left turn and a right turn until the finish!" and I got caught up in all the excitement and everyone cheering and I proceeded to ugly cry the rest of the way to the finish line. I just felt so proud and happy and all I could think about was my Emmy waiting for me! Official finish time - 2:03:30, a 9:26 pace! My dad, Jamie, and Emerson were all waiting for me in Point State Park. My sisters and mom had also crushed the race!!! I headed back to the hotel for a quick shower and to get packed up, then we had lunch at Southern Tier Brewery before driving back to Columbus.
I can't get over what a great race I had :) I didn't expect to PR so soon after having a baby, and I definitely wouldn't consider myself in race shape right now, so that was the best surprise! I wish I would have started up a corral because I spent a lot of time weaving through runners in the beginning. That, combined with a flat course, I believe I would have been sub two! I'll take care of that in an upcoming race ;) My legs muscles are very tight today, especially my quads, so I'm going to roll and do yoga, then attempt a short run in the morning. I'm planning on taking the next week or two a little easy, then getting back into building my mileage because my next training cycle is MARATHON TRAINING squeeeee!!
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Hello, my name is Alyssa!I'm a momma to Emerson Lilly and two fur babies, a distance runner, and just a girl full of sparkle and quirks. I love traveling to races and exploring new places to run! I started this blog in 2014 as more of a journal to keep track of training for my first marathon, and I've continued to post about training, races, and other things happening in my life. Also, I'd like to be your best friend. :) Categories
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