Race Recap & Review: 2018 Pittsburgh Half Marathon

A few months ago, I ran my fifth Steel Challenge in Pittsburgh, PA. While I've participated in Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend several times before, there's just something about this race that keeps me coming back for more- and 2018 was no different!

Flat runner for a 13.1 mile tour of the steel city.

This year, somehow, I ran a nine minute course PR and my second-fastest half marathon ever crossing in 2:30:01. In 26 half marathons, I've only run two of them in less than 2:31. Only two!

So how did this happen??

I have no idea! Seriously!

You might remember that somehow I also ran a 10 mile PR in March, just a few weeks before Pittsburgh. Can't say it was training- wasn't doing much. Can't say it was speed work- wasn't doing any. Can't say it was strength training or a special diet- definitely wasn't doing this- ha!

So what was it?

The magic of Pittsburgh. 😍

Really- I'm convinced this race and this city are magical.

And this year just had an extra dose of magic.

As per usual, Matthew and I met up with our running ohana early on that Sunday morning and then walked to the corrals together. Matthew and I had already decided to run separately so I dropped him off in C corral and continued walking to D corral with our friend Gloria.

We are pretty cute for 6 am :-)

We had made it into the corral pretty early so we had time to kill. I wandered up to the 2:30 pace group and kinda sorta thought I would hang with them for as long as I could. The pacers told me they would be straight running (I almost always run/walk) so I already had a feeling that this wasn't going to work out. But, when the race finally started and our corral finally got up to the start line, I joined the group and tried to keep up.

While the start of the race was just fine, by mile one I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with the group. And even though I'd gone in the corral, I had to go to the bathroom again; so shortly after the mile one sign I found a short port-o-potty line and spent about four minutes using the bathroom. By the time I rejoined the race, the pace group was long gone.

I put my headphones in, put my head down, and got to work chipping away at the miles. I soaked in all the sights around me, chatted with other runners (including Candi whom I met from instagram- I love the internet!), and slowly became aware of the fact that I was in PR territory.

My half marathon PR is 2:28:22 from the 2014 Shamrock Half Marathon. I know that to finish a half marathon in less than two hours and thirty minutes, each mile needs to be run at an 11:26 (or less) pace. And somehow, I was running the Pittsburgh Half Marathon with splits close to that target pace.

By mile six, I knew that a sub 2:30 half was actually possible. I stopped taking pictures and focused on getting to the finish line as quickly as I could. However, I did make a few very quick pit stops for a small cup of beer, a cupcake, and a jello shot from friends at mile 10. The people of Pittsburgh really know how to make a runner feel welcome!

Can you think of a better combo than cupcakes
and jello shots?

After the boost of seeing friends at mile 10, the next 3.1 miles flew by. I was still thinking I could get a sub-2:30 if I hustled that last mile. I summoned as much energy as I could, rounded the last corner, saw the finish line in the distance and sprinted as fast as one can after 13 miles, and finished in 2:30:01, just two seconds from a 2:29:59.

Check out that 10th anniversary bling.

While there was just a moment of disappointment from missing the sub-2:30, overall, I was absolutely elated that I had executed a race plan that worked and led to my second-fastest half marathon ever. In fact, my last mile was a 9:47! I can barely run a 9:47 on my best day!

After collecting my smiley cookie and other finisher foods at the end of the race, I walked over to the finisher's village to get my Steel Challenge medal and met up with Matthew.

Will run for smiley cookies.

Unfortunately, Matthew and I had to get right on the road so we weren't able to stick around after the race like we usually do. Instead, we celebrated our race victories on the PA turnpike with rest stop pizza on the way home. 😊

Mmmm, turnpike pizza. 

The Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend never disappoints. I am so grateful I've been able to have five years of memories and miles during this race weekend. If you are on the fence about putting this race on your calendar- don't hesitate! It's a phenomenal race weekend: well-organized, great runner swag, and challenging but fun courses.

Will we be back in 2019? Probably. I can't imagine where else we'd like to spend the first weekend of May! Besides on a cruise or in Disney World. 😉

Bridges for breakfast.

Thank you, Pittsburgh! 

Is there a race/race weekend you've done several times? What do you love about it?

Race Recap & Review: Pittsburgh 5k

Earlier this month, I ran the 5k during the Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend as part one of the Steel Challenge: complete the 5k on Saturday and any race on Sunday (half, full, or relay) and earn extra bling for being a runner of steel.

Flat runner for a 3.1 mile journey through Pittsburgh.

Saturday morning in Pittsburgh brought high humidity but cool temperatures- it made for an absolutely gorgeous sky.

Good morning, Yinz!

Before the race, I went to the We Run Social meet-up and chatted with new (and old!) friends. I love pre-race meet-ups because they help keep my mind off any nervousness I have going on. Even though I had no time goals for this race, I was still having a bout of pre-race nerves. Sometimes it just happens. 😩

Running + friends = best day ever.

As the race start time (8 AM) got closer, Matthew and I decided to make a port-o-potty run. We headed towards the bathrooms (and the starting corrals) like we've done for each of the other four years we've run this race and we realized something- the starting line was going in the complete opposite direction as we thought it would be!

This year the marathon was celebrating its 10th year and (I guess?) in celebration of a decade of running, the 5k course was 100% backward from what it's been the last four years we've done it.

So, we were standing in the port-o-potty line that was actually at the very front of the race instead of in the very back of the race. Luckily for us, the line went quickly and we had enough time to pee and then walk all the way to the starting corrals.

Matthew and I decided to run this race separately as he wanted to run for time. I dropped him off in the middle of the pack with the rest of our ohana, grabbed a quick selfie, and then made my way towards the back of the pack to start.

Do we look ready to race? Because we totally are.

Just after 8 AM, I crossed the start line and began my 5k route through the city. Basically, this course was the exact opposite of the course in years past. I actually really liked not quite knowing where I was going- it makes the race more unpredictable and exciting for me!

The course featured the same sweeping views of the city as it always had, just from another angle. There were also fewer bridges this year; I believe we only crossed one due to some construction in the downtown area blocking the other bridges. Regardless, I loved the new course.

Does it get much better than this?

I also quite literally ran into friends Lauren and Chelsea towards the end of the race. I was able to grab a few photos of them before crossing the bridge and heading to the finish line.

Love seeing friendly faces on the course.

Almost there!

I gave one last final push to finish the race and crossed the line in 33:53, average pace of 10:32 minutes per mile. For once, I actually negative split appropriately! 11:08/10:46/10:14 splits. I felt really good after the race and was proud of the fact that I had a race strategy and executed it well. Though I had no specific time goal, I did want to have negative splits and an overall pace under 11:30- done and done.

Will run for bling.

After collecting my medal and bottle of water and meeting up with Matthew and our running ohana, we headed through the Finisher's Festival and down to Point State Park to relax a bit before heading back to Steff and Joe's house- our awesome friends who always host us for Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend.

I'm a sucker for a good fountain.

With the half marathon the next day, we spend the rest of Saturday hanging out and then had a low-key dinner at Steff and Joe's with new and old friends.

I really enjoyed the new 5k course this year and loved having a fun way to shake out my legs before the second part of the Steel Challenge- a 13.1 mile journey through the meanest hills of Pittsburgh. This race is definitely a great addition to Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend- if you're ever in Pittsburgh during the first weekend in May, this is one not to be missed!


What's one of your favorite 5k races?

To Pittsburgh, With Love

Confession time: I was kinda dreading Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend.

I have been struggling.

Hating myself struggling. Stress eating struggling. Not wanting to run struggling.

My weight is the highest it's been in two and a half years; my clothes don't fit the way they normally do. Work has me incredibly stressed which affects my sleep, my mood, and my ability to get out the door for a run. I am disappointed with where I am in this journey. The years of healthy habits I have worked so hard to cement into the foundation of my life are starting to weigh me down.

Tracking my food. Always choosing the healthy option. Planning meals. Running. Strength training. Exercising. Making time for training. I am tired of doing these things.

This healthy lifestyle routine? It sucks. I hate doing it. I hate that I have to do it. Why can't I just be a normal weight, healthy person who doesn't have to ever think about food? Why can't I just be naturally athletic, run fast without trying, and love to work out? Why can't I have endless energy and a flexible schedule so I can cross off my to-do list and finish all the projects I keep meaning to get to?

I don't have the answers to these somewhat dramatic and irrational questions.

But here's what I do know; Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend made the struggle feel a little less crappy.

Starting line of the half marathon. 

I don't know if it was the races, the people, or the city itself- but my spirits were definitely lifted this past weekend.

There's something about the Pittsburgh Marathon races that makes you feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself; like you belong somewhere. Like all these tens of thousands of people have the same, shared goal you have- to finish the race you start.

Home stretch of the 5k.

I can pinpoint the moment that something changed. Around mile six of the half marathon, I suddenly felt a jolt of pure joy- endorphins, maybe- and was overcome with happiness. I felt good... strong... athletic... healthy. I haven't felt much like that in a long time.

Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind.

Beyonce was playing in my headphones, the sun was shining, and I was high-fiving spectators and keeping an eye out for my running ohana- some were running, some were cheering. Throughout the course, I got to see familiar faces and hear encouraging and supportive words from friends. Strangers cheered for me by name- probably because it was on my bib, but still :-) I finished a tough course and then joined my husband and running ohana to cheer for folks still out there racing towards the finish.

I felt like a runner again. I felt like an athlete again. I felt motivated to want to keep trying- to maintain my weight, to get faster, to train more effectively. I felt like me again.

The crew.

Today my muscles are sore, my feet are blistered, and I've still got unpacking and lots of laundry to do. But I feel great. And somehow finding the time to run, and meal prep, and track my food doesn't seem to feel as crappy as it did before.

Like I said, I don't know if it's the races, the city, or the people, but Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend has some kind of magic in it. And I am so, so grateful. ❤

Five Things Friday: 4/7/17

Happy Friday, friends!

I haven't done one of these (or let's be real, even posted anything) in a while, so here's a little catch up on five things rocking my world this week!


1. Work continues to kick my ass. I work on a college campus in a career center and March/April are the absolute busiest times for us- lots of night and weekend hours. Just like the students I work with, I can't wait for finals week and graduation!

My goofball staff at an annual community event we manage that has upwards of 1000+ attendees!

2. I have a new favorite running shirt. 😉

New shirt. Same old 5k. 11:55/11:26/10:49 splits.

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Apr 5, 2017 at 2:16pm PDT

3. Stress + long hours at work + making crap decisions about what to eat =  weight gain for me. *sigh* I'm already getting back on track but the scale has not been kind to me the last few weeks. Let me put it to you this way, I'm wearing lots of dresses and leggings these days because they are the only thing that fits comfortably.

I feel ya, Regina George.

4. It might snow AGAIN in Pennsylvania this weekend. UGH....

5. Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend is only FOUR WEEKS AWAY!  Guess I better start half marathon training! On a serious note, we are super pumped to see all our friends and enjoy our favorite city for the fourth year in a row!

Love these people ❤

What's rocking your world this week?!

Enell Ambassador Race Recap & Review: Pittsburgh Half Marathon

Note: As an ENELL Racing Ambassador, I receive race entry fees and merchandise, but I genuinely love the brand. All opinions here are my own. 

Last month, I ran the Pittsburgh Half Marathon for the third time in a row- well, as long as you count running the full last year as running the half too! My first experience with Pittsburgh Marathon weekend was in 2014; I fell in love with the city, the people, and this race so Matthew and I have been traveling west every year to do it.

As you'll remember, we ran the 5k on Saturday morning. That afternoon, our running Ohana (Coach Jeff, Mandy, Lauren, Gloria, Chelsea, Lauren B., Kelsey, Kathleen, and some others) had dinner at Chelsea's house and talked about our race strategies. It would be Lauren's first full marathon (you can read about it here) so much of our conversation centered around last-minute tips for what was looking like a rainy, stormy race day.

After chatting for a while- and eating tons of food- Gloria, Matthew and I headed back to Steff and Joe's. Luckily for us, while Steff and Joe were out of town at Flying Pig race weekend, they let us stay at their house so we didn't have to get a hotel for the weekend- thanks, friends!

We laid out our clothes, discussed what time we'd be leaving in the morning, and then tried to get some sleep. Matthew and I had talked about what race he was going to run. He'd signed up for the marathon but because life gets in the way (hello, wedding planning), he wasn't trained the way he wanted to be. The great thing about Pittsburgh is that the full and half follow the same course until mile 11. So we planned to run miles 1-11 together and then depending on how he felt, Matthew would turn off to run 16 more miles and I'd head down to the finish. But, like most things, this didn't work out quite like we'd thought.

1. This Enell tank is AWESOME.
2. How perfect was the Dazzling Blue as "something blue" for my last race as a single lady?

Race morning, we drove into the city and parked fairly easily. Thankfully, Gloria is a Pittsburgh expert and helped us navigate the city streets and find a great parking garage. We headed to the hotel that had the VIP area (some of our running Ohana are fancy-pants and got the VIP package :-) ) and hung out in the lobby with some of our friends. The weather forecast was looking horrible- rain and storms off and on all day. As we headed out to the corrals, it was cloudy and humid but wasn't raining yet. Gloria, Matthew and I were all starting in the last corral (D) and though it was a bit of a cluster getting there- the road we were all walking on was somehow STILL OPEN to traffic (YIKES!)- we had no problem checking our bags and then finding a place to stand in the crowd. And then we found Kelsey! I love finding friends in the corral :-)

Race mornings are for friends. 

Don't you know? The party's always in the back of the pack!

As we were waiting to start, it started raining. And it was one of those cold, crappy rains. So Matthew and I huddled together as we shuffled towards the start line. Since my toe was still a little cranky (ingrown toenail issues), we were just going to take the race nice and slow. Our first few miles averaged around 11:30- 12 minute miles.

Around mile 4, we ran into Karen, our friend Brandi's mom. She asked us what intervals we were doing (30:30) and then asked if she could run with us for a while. This was Karen's ninth half marathon but only her second without Brandi by her side- Brandi was running for time at Pittsburgh so they were racing separately. So our running duo became a trio and we kept trucking along, albeit a little slower than we'd thought. Karen was struggling a little bit with the humidity and without having her usual running partner by her side.

A few miles later, Matthew let me know that he'd decided he wasn't going to turn off for the full. He said, "This was meant to be. We were meant to help Karen get to the finish line." So that became our new goal- get Karen to the finish line of her very first Pittsburgh half marathon. Karen is actually originally from Pittsburgh but now resides in Georgia. When we got to the bridge that is opposite "the point" around mile six, Momma K (Karen) says to us, "I've been dreaming of this moment!" I might have cried a little :-)

Check out that scenery.

So. Many. Bridges.

I absolutely LOVED running with my veil and the countdown on my back- "20 days til Mrs.!" Runners and spectators all along the course shouted out words of encouragement and even some marriage advice. My favorite was when another female runner shouted out to me, "You know what the best part of a wedding is?" I said, "What?" She said, "The marriage that comes after." I can't even type it without tearing up! It was so much fun- I'm even more convinced runners (and spectators) are the best people on the planet.

The miles ticked by and we tried to keep each other distracted from the rising heat and humidity. It had stopped raining halfway through the race but was very muggy. Gross! When we got to mile 10, Matthew insisted that we do a dance. It was pretty damn hilarious.

Maybe they're moon-walking?!

If you've ever run this course, then you know that just past the last bridge at mile 11, you begin a grueling, mile-long uphill. It completely sucks the energy out of you at a time when you're already pretty tired and your feet/legs are killing you. Well, this year, some heavenly spectator decided to station herself on the bridge with a huge sign that said "You've come this far! Now get the F up the hill!" Which is pretty funny on it's own but then, just past the sign, there were two more people handing out literal "F's" on small pieces of paper for runners to literally carry up the hill. Hands down, the most creative sign I've ever seen on a race course!

Clever :-)

After conquering the monster hill, we began our descent to the finish line. Just a few miles later, we crossed the finish line in three hours and some change (3:11) and officially earned the title "Runners of Steel." We grabbed some finisher's pictures and then headed through the chute to get our food. However, there was barely anything left. The same thing happened last year after the marathon- somehow this race ALWAYS runs out of food for the back of the pack. In fact, at mile nine, there was supposed to be Gu and some fruit chews but when we got there, there was nothing. Honestly, it is such crap- we finished well within the four-hour time limit and should have been entitled to the same food and course support as the first finishers. It is irritating to say the least. Anyway, we headed towards the finishers festival in Point Park to grab our bags, Steel Challenge medals, free beer, and then went back to the finish line to cheer for our friends running the full marathon.

Chelsea, Lauren, and Coach Jeff rounding the corner to the finish of Lauren's FIRST marathon!

After all our friends had finished and we were able to say our goodbyes, we walked with Coach Jeff back to the finisher's festival so he could pick up his bag. While there, we got to take some other cool pictures with some props that the Pittsburgh Marathon folks provided. This was new this year and I have to say, it was a pretty cool improvement.

How handsome is this finisher?!

Happy to be finished and to have found a cool background for yet another finisher pic ;-)

All in all, it was another successful Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend. Will we be back in 2017? Only time will tell. There are some other races that we are thinking about next spring and we may have to make some tough decisions regarding how often we'll be able to travel for out-of-town races- especially since we are headed back to Walt Disney World for Marathon Weekend 2017; Dopey for Matthew, full Marathon for me. We'll just have to wait and see if a return to Pittsburgh is in our future :-)

Steel Challenge (5k + half or full or relay) Finisher medals.

What's the best sign you've seen on a race course?

Race Recap & Review: Pittsburgh Marathon 5k

For the third year in a row, I ran the Pittsburgh Marathon 5k on April 30th this year. The Pittsburgh Marathon/Half Marathon is always on a Sunday and a few years ago, they started offering a 5k on Saturday morning.

Last year, Gloria and I ran this together as we both wanted to take it easy the day before the half. We had the same plan for this year- with the addition of Matthew! He wasn't able to make it for 2015 so I was super excited to have him join us for 2016. This race is a point to point- we started by PNC Park and finished near Point State Park, just a few miles away.

5k course map. Source.

It was down right cold the morning of the race- probably in the low 40's but because of the high humidity it felt MUCH cooler. I wore a sparkle skirt, short sleeved shirt, and a long sleeved throw-away shirt (that I actually kept on until after mile 1). We met up with all our running ohana and some other Pittsburgh friends, snapped a few pictures, and then Gloria, Matthew and I headed towards the back of the pack to wait for the race start. Our plan was to take the 5k slow and to really just enjoy the run.

Gloria, Matthew and me- freezing but ready to go!

Luckily for us, this course is pretty flat so it was easy to stick to our race plan. We took our time, averaging about 12-13 minute miles. I felt good the entire race- I knew I was under trained going into the weekend so I was grateful to feel great at a slower pace.

We grabbed selfies at each mile marker as we chatted and caught up on each other's lives; the miles flew by. One of the things I love about this course is the amount of spectators that come out for an early morning race- especially on a cold morning! There were tons of folks out holding signs, clapping and cheering, and giving out high fives. There's just an energy in Pittsburgh that's hard to describe but it makes for an awesome race-day atmosphere.

Gloria and Matthew crossing the lone bridge of the course. 

My favorite sign on the course :-)

We finished in 37:18, collected our medals and mini "Eat'n Park" cookies, and headed to the finish line festival to meet our running ohana. This year, as in past years, the 5k medal was a smaller replica of the marathon/half marathon medals. It's always a nice treat to get a medal for a 5k :-) Once everyone finished, we set out to find something to eat and ended up at Cherries Diner- this little hole-in-the-wall that had like 10 tables in it and one waitress. But the food was pretty awesome so I can't complain too much!

Pittsburgh swag is always pretty cool.

After we ate, a friend of mine from the internet (I know that sounds weird, but hear me out) came to meet us at the restaurant! Kelly (aka @curvyfitgirl) and I "met" through twitter and a shared interest of healthy living and Weight Watchers. It was so awesome to meet her in person- she is just as sweet and inspirational in real life as she is online! We got to spend some time together after breakfast, walking around the city and checking out the expo again. She fit right in with our ohana- she is super sweet and supportive; I'm so glad we finally got to meet in person!

Blogger + Friend = Blends

Pros of this race: mostly-flat course, lots of spectators, finisher's medal, finisher's cookies, and lots of runner support (water stops, medical aid, etc.).

Cons of this race: ....I got nothing. Seriously, this is an awesome little race!

Stay tuned for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon recap- coming soon!


Did you run Pittsburgh this year? If so, what'd you think? If not, what's your favorite 5k experience?