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?

WDW Marathon Weekend 2018: Part III

This recap will cover the WDW Half Marathon. Stay tuned for the recap of the WDW Marathon!

Recap Part I

Recap Part II

Saturday morning brought another early wake-up (2:30 am) and another chilly Florida morning. Matthew and I got dressed in the outfits we'd thrown together the night before- since it was going to be in the 40's with a real feel in the 30's during the entire race, we had to slightly adjust what we were going to wear to the race.

Not pictured: tank top, pants, gloves, flipbelt, Altra buff, Mojo compression socks, and a couple of mylar blankets.

I wore a running sweatshirt and the bathrobe to keep warm as we boarded a bus to the start line. Once we arrived at the staring line area (the Epcot parking lot), we met up with our ohana and chatted about race strategy and got our traditional pre-race photo.

How is Jeff wearing SHORTS?!

Around 5 am, we started our three-quarter mile walk back to the corrals. The race would start at 5:30 am and with us in corral F, we guessed that we would start somewhere between 6 and 6:30. 

Before we went back to the start, both Matthew and I dropped off our gear check bags and at the last minute, I decided to check the bathrobe so I could have it for the marathon the next day. I wrapped the mylar blankets around me, opened up my hand and body warmers, and hoped I'd be warm enough standing around in the corrals. 

On our way back to the start, we walked with Jim and his mom, Charlotte as they were starting in F as well. Jim was doing Dopey (he's a "perfect" by the way- meaning he's done all five Dopey Challenges!) and Charlotte was doing the half. 

It was so nice to have friends to hang with in the corral!

Jim works for a company that makes chemotherapy drugs so he and Charlotte had these awesome hazmat looking suits to keep warm while in the corrals.

Before long, the race started with a burst of fireworks for the wheelchair participants- the first folks to start at every runDisney event. With the "mini-wave" system new for this year's races, we weren't sure how quickly we'd get to the front. There were 8 corrals (A-H) and within each corral, there were 3 "mini-waves" with about two minutes in between them. 

Surprisingly, we were up to the start line within about 25 minutes of the first wave. With the mini-waves, once the race started it felt like we were continually moving forward; not starting and stopping like it was before. I really enjoyed this change and feel like runDisney got this one right. 

If you look closely, you can see Donald on stage to the left!

When we reached the start line, the announcers told us to get rid of our mylar blankets as they would interfere with the timing mat we'd run over at the beginning of the race. I ditched my blanket and realized I was still pretty cold. Luckily for me, someone had thrown away a flannel shirt in my size right at the start so I grabbed it and put it on and started the race wearing a stranger's shirt! :-)

Thank you, flannel-wearing stranger!

The thing I love about this course is that at its core, it's a simple out and back: run from the Epcot parking lot to the castle in Magic Kingdom and then back to the big golf ball in Epcot. Boom, done. :-)

In all seriousness, I like this course because I can break it up into two parts. For the first fiveish miles of the course, I just keep saying to myself- and sometimes to Matthew- "Let's just get to the castle."

So that's what we did for the first part of this race. Since we started in F, all the character lines were outrageously long so we skipped all of them. We were disappointed that the DJ that's usually right near mile 4.5, right as you go under the water bridge by Seven Seas lagoon, wasn't there this year. However, there were speakers playing the music from Haunted Mansion as we ran under the bridge and it was a little spooky with all the runners' shadows moving along the walls of the tunnel.

Only three more miles until Cindy's castle!

Matthew and I chugged along, probably at about 13-13:30 minute/mile pace (I don't know because I didn't even look at my watch the entire race), and slowly we rounded the corner by Space Mountain and started towards the side entrance of Magic Kingdom, like we've done several times while doing this race course.

However, we didn't go into the side entrance, we ran right through the front gates! Matthew and I were so shocked at this change heading into the park- we've never entered this way before. We were treated to a beautiful view of Grand Floridian before running through the "guest entrance" gates and into the park.

Florida mornings, amirite?!

So new! So different! So cool!

Well, good morning, Magic Kingdom cast members!

I really, really loved how we entered Magic Kingdom (MK) this year. Another win for runDisney- this was a cool surprise for those of us who've run this race multiple times.

We entered MK and headed straight down Main Street towards the castle. I'll be honest, this moment still gets to me every. single. time. No matter how many times I've run through MK and the castle, it is still special and overwhelming and emotional.

Hello, beautiful.

My real life Prince Charming. 

After making a right-hand turn we were headed towards Tomorrowland and the famous Purple Wall! If you don't know what the Purple Wall is, you're not alone- I didn't know until this trip! If you search for the hashtag #purplewall, you'll find thousands of pictures of people posing against this random purple wall in Tomorrowland. Since we were in Tomorrowland and we had absolutely zero time goals for this race, I grabbed Matthew's hand and we headed to the large purple wall just to the right of the bridge that delivers you to Tomorrowland.

That sky though.

Is this what all the kids are doing these days?

After grabbing an infamous #purplewall selfie, we were surprised again by this course as we traveled all through Fantasyland before running through the castle.

I absolutely LOVED running through more of MK during this race- again, runDisney got this so damn right.

Somewhere in the park I finally ditched my flannel shirt- it had served me well. Fun fact- Matthew kept his throw-away fleece pajama pants and long-sleeved shirt on for the whole race!

Just strollin through MK on a Saturday morning, ya know?

After a quick jaunt through the castle, which was surprisingly not super crowded, we began our trip back to the big golf ball, aka Epcot.

This part of the course can be a bit boring as you're just running along the highways back towards Epcot- I have zero pictures from this part of the course to prove it. But Matthew and I made the best of the uneventful miles with some idle conversation and the miles just ticked on by.

Before too long, we were back in Epcot and running the little out and back to the entrance of World Showcase and then out to the parking lot near where we started.

Multi-tasking during a walk break. :-)

Hey golf ball, see you in just a few!

We ran through the rest of the park, rounded the corner with the gospel choir, literally ran into our friend Patrick, and then crossed the finish line of my 25th half hand-in-hand with my better half.

Finishers of the 2018 WDW Half Marathon.

Matthew and I collected our runner boxes (filled with snacks!) and grabbed our gear check bags and headed back to French Quarter. We were both pretty tired and cold and were anxious to get off our feet for a bit.

That morning, I'd woken up feeling sick again, so I'd taken some cold medicine and had been using a bunch of cough drops on the run. It definitely wasn't my worst half marathon but it didn't feel great either. I could tell I was getting a cold and was getting slightly nervous about the full marathon the next day.

Once we were back in the room, we finally took some finisher pictures with our medals since we'd forgotten to at the finish. That's how you know I'm not feeling 100%- when I neglect to take tons of finsher selfies! 

We ate like kings, showered, and then napped for a bit before I headed back to Disney Springs for the We Run Social meet-up.

Next time you're in Disney World, check out the French toast in French Quarter. You can thank me later. :-)

We run Disney. Photo courtesy of We Run Social.

We walked to Port Orleans Riverside that evening for dinner with our friends Steff and Joe. Joe would be attempting his first marathon the next day so it was fun to chat about the upcoming race over a dinner of pizza and french fries. That's the right way to carb-load, right? ;-)

Just like the previous three nights, we got our gear check bags ready for the next morning, laid out our bibs and race outfits, took another dose of cold medicine, set an alarm for 2:30 am, and were in bed by 7 pm. We had 26.2 miles to conquer in the morning- we were going to need every bit of rest we could get!

Blurry, flat runner.

Part one of my unofficial Goofy Challenge was complete; "just" a marathon left to accomplish my goal. When I went to bed Saturday night, I actually felt pretty good. No real aches or pains and besides my cold, physically I felt strong and ready for the marathon. Mentally, well that's another blog post entirely!


One more recap to go- the 25th anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon! Stay tuned for a story of 26.2 magical- but sometimes challenging- miles!

Gratitude in 2017

For the first time in four years, I missed posting an annual blog for Thanksgiving. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, I put together a list of all the things/people I was grateful for and posted it here on the internet for anyone and everyone to see.

But I missed it this year. Not because I don't have anything to be thankful for, but because I wanted to dedicate a post specifically to folks that I've never thanked in writing before- strangers! Not all strangers, of course, but the kind of strangers you meet through running races.

Kids standing on the sidelines of a race with their expectant hands out, waiting for sweaty high-fives.

Volunteers shouting "water" or "Gatorade" at an aid station until their voices are hoarse.

A coffee-drinking couple sitting on their front porch, sleepily clapping as the runners pass them.

Enthusiastic cow-bell ringers, shouting encouraging words, motivating runners to keep moving forward.

Clever sign makers whose messages always elicit a moment of laughter during a tough section of a race course.

Medical personnel quick to jump in and help in both life-saving and blister-saving situations.

Police and security keeping all runners, spectators, and volunteers safe.

Some of my favorite strangers :-)

As a runner, sometimes I tend to think that races are all about me. My race, my pace, my experience. But that experience wouldn't be anything without all the strangers that come together to make it happen.

I've always been grateful for strangers in the running community but during an experience I had a few weeks ago, I had such a deepened level of respect for all the people who make a race what it is.

My friend Jeff, whom I affectionately call "coach," turned 50 this year and one of his goals was to run a 50 mile race for his 50th year on earth. He chose to run the JFK 50 miler, a race that winds through highly technical trail, tow path, and road in an extremely challenging 50 mile course. He set this goal a year in advance and some of our friend group reserved the date on our calendars with plans to help pace him during the race.

Coach and me after the 2015 Pittsburgh Marathon

Then the race changed its policies and folks were no longer able to run/pace with the race entrants. After exchanging emails with our group, some of us decided that we would come down and crew (meet Jeff at certain parts of the race and basically be his pit crew) and cheer for him- unbeknownst to Jeff.

Through the expert coordination of our friends Lauren and Chelsea, myself and another friend, Steff, successfully surprised Jeff at mile 15.5 of the course and then were able to see him at two other points of the race.

Selfies or it didn't happen.

While you're waiting for someone to run 50 miles, you have a lot of downtime. In addition to exploring the surrounding areas (and finding super cute coffee shops and restaurants), we would get to each checkpoint a little early and cheer for other runners and then after we'd seen and helped Jeff, we'd stick around and keep cheering for folks.

Cheering is serious business that requires a serious wardrobe.

At about the halfway mark, there was an aid station set up and staffed by my local running group, the Chambersburg Road Runners Club. These volunteers were out in the cold rain (it was the WORST weather in the morning), preparing food and serving runners. It was so awe-inspiring to see these people, who didn't have any runners in the race, showing up and working their station to help runners. They were making soup, cutting up fruit, and refilling water bottles. For complete strangers.

Jeff, slurping down some Ramen from the CRRC volunteers.

But these volunteers weren't the only ones standing around in the rain cheering for runners. We kept seeing the same folks at each aid station/checkpoint, each waiting for their runner like we were waiting for Jeff. And each continuing to cheer for other runners once their runner came through.

Towards the end of the race, we headed to the finish line about an hour before we expected Jeff to come through. We were all so inspired by the runners and we wanted to cheer for as many folks as we could.

We got out our clappers and cow bells and screamed until our voices were gone. We danced, chatted back and forth with the DJs, and cheered our hearts out.

Cheer Crew Extraordinaire.

When Jeff came through the finisher chute, I cried as I cheered. I can't articulate the emotions I was feeling- it was one of my most favorite experiences in the running community. He just finished running 50 freaking miles! In one day! I am still so impressed with his tenacity, strength, and grit. Way to go, Coach!

Once we made sure Jeff was ok, Lauren took him inside to so he could get a shower and get changed and Chelsea, Steff, and I made our way back to the finish line to cheer for the very last finishers.

Blurry, happy, finish line selfies are the best kind. CONGRATULATIONS, JEFF!! 

Every time I've run a race, there's been someone- a stranger- that has helped me significantly by doing something small. Every "Looking good, runner!," "You got this!," "Stay strong!" shouted from the sideline has helped me find the strength to keep going when I felt like quitting.

I hope our cowbell-ringing, clapper-clapping, shouting and cheering group of ladies were able to be somebody's stranger at the JFK 50 miler. Cheering is the very least I can do to give back to the community that's given me so much.

So, thank you, to every stranger I have encountered out on the race course. You are appreciated more than you'll ever know.

Have you ever encountered a stranger on a race course that made your day? Tell me about it in the comments!

Accountability Monday: 11/27/2017

Good morning, friends!

I hope you are reading this feeling refreshed and ready to start another week- and month! Can you believe it'll be December by Friday?

It's my absolute favorite time of the year for so many reasons: time with family and friends, time away from work, gifts, colder weather, Christmas lights, peppermint mocha everything- I could keep listing things but that's another post entirely! Basically, I adore the month of December and am looking forward to another fun-filled holiday season.

Training
Tuesday- Treadmill 5k, 38:23, 12:23 overall pace
Thursday- 7.06 miles, 1:30:36, 12:50 overall pace
Friday- 16.01 miles, 3:32:01, 13:15 overall pace. Last four mile splits: 13:03/11:52/11:31/11:42
Sunday- 30 minutes on the stationary bike, light strength workout, foam-rolling, light yoga/stretching

26.17 total miles

Y'all, that 16 miler on Friday was no joke. Matthew and I ran the first 12 together and it felt like a struggle- I was over dressed, dehydrated, hungry, and just grumpy. I ran the last four by myself (after grabbing some Belvita breakfast biscuits and a bottle of water- which was incredibly helpful) and was shocked to see the paces I was able to keep. 11:31?! After running 13 miles?! Who am I?!

Some runs build physical stamina, some build mental stamina. Today's 16 miles were the latter. Now onto thanksgiving dinner number two. 🍁🍗🍷 #optoutside

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Nov 24, 2017 at 10:33am PST

Best Run

Though the first part absolutely sucked, the 16 miles on Friday was my best run of the week. Each run teaches you something- this one reinforced for me the importance of staying hydrated and fueled properly. I'm grateful for the crappy runs; they help me appreciate the great ones. 

Bravo Moment

I hit every single workout I wanted to this week and I feel great! I have very little muscle soreness overall- even though foam-rolling yesterday was rough- and I feel like I'm getting stronger, mentally and physically, during this training cycle. 

Quote of the Week

In a season full of happy distractions, it can be hard to stay focused on what you really want. What I really want is to get to the start lines of the WDW Half Marathon and WDW Marathon healthy, happy, confident, and strong. So I have to keep myself on track, laser-focused, and taking steps each day towards my goal. 

Stay the course, friends.

What keeps you focused on your goals?

Have a fabulous week, folks! 

Official Unofficial Race Plans: 2018

Good morning, friends!

There's so much to fill you in on- I don't even know where to start!

If you follow me on instagram, then you know I ran the Hot Cider Hustle this past Sunday morning (3 miles) and then ran 14 miles that afternoon for a total of 17 miles.

14 solo training miles with the most BEAUTIFUL fall colors and negative-ish splits. November, I have a feeling you are going to be awesome. 🍁🍃🍂

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Nov 5, 2017 at 1:06pm PST

Now, why in the hell would I run 17 miles randomly? I'm not training for a marathon...

...I'm training for the Unofficial Goofy Challenge 😁

Marathon #4.

As you may know, I signed up for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon back in February. I debated for a long time about what to sign up for in 2018- marathon or no marathon? Goofy or Dopey? Just the half marathon or maybe the half and the 10k? Ultimately, I settled for the half and Matthew signed up for his third Dopey Challenge.

However, the full marathon was still open months after we'd registered and I kept feeling like I wanted to sign up for it. So, I used Runner's World Half & Festival as a mini-test; depending on how I felt after the 3 days of racing, I would either sign up for the full (in addition to the half) or just be satisfied with the half marathon. Still high on endorphins from an awesome and unforgettable weekend in Bethlehem, I registered for the full last week.

The Goofy Challenge (half + full) was already sold out by the time I registered for the full, so it looks like I'll be training for the "Unofficial" Goofy Challenge for the next eight weeks! I'm equal parts scared and thrilled but I'm really looking forward to this next training journey. Since I'm already trained up to the halfway point (13.1 miles), I'll be following a modified training plan for advanced runners (having run more than one full marathon). Expect to see more here about training in the weeks to come.

Most definitely.

Speaking of unofficial races, Matthew and I also decided last week that we wouldn't be getting our traditional castle picture with all our medals in 2018 after all...

2014 Dopey Challenge Finisher.

...because we'll be sailing on the Disney Dream right after the WDW Marathon as part of the Castaway Cay Challenge!... well, sort of...

By the time we decided we were going to do the cruise (like last week), the Castaway Cay Challenge was also sold out. So we decided that we'll just run the "regular" Castaway Cay 5k (which happens after the Challenge 5k) and complete our own "Unofficial" Castaway Cay Challenge. Bonuses of this approach: 1. Less money spent on race registrations means more money for beach side Pina Coladas. 2. We get to sleep in as the second "regular" 5k starts quite a bit later than the one associated with the challenge.

Island 5ks are our favorite.

We took this cruise in 2017 and completed the official Castaway Cay Challenge. Again, we'd debated about doing this again for 2018 and decided we weren't going to. But then we both had insanely busy and stressful fall semesters and ultimately decided that we wanted to take some time off and cruise again directly after WDW Marathon Weekend. So we're making it happen, just a little spontaneously 😉

Is it weird to be running the half and full marathon and not be considered part of the Goofy Challenge? Is it totally nuts to sail on the Castaway Cay Challenge cruise after WDW Marathon Weekend but not be part of the official challenge? I don't know. But after years of "extras" - shirts, medals, and race fees- I think Matthew and I will be ok.

2018 is going to be officially awesome, even if I get there in an unofficial way. 😜


What goals/races do you have planned for 2018?

It's Race Weekend!

Y'all! It's finally Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend!

I am driving to Bethelehem, PA this afternoon and the weekend officially kicks off at 5 pm tonight with dinner and tour of RW Headquarters, courtesy of the RW Half Run Crew program- somebody pinch me because this feels like a dream!

There are so many things I'm looking forward to about this race weekend- here are the top five, in no particular order:

Finishing under the steel stacks.

As you know, the last time I signed up for this race, my foot was broken and I wasn't able to run. Having cheered for this race weekend both in 2014 and 2015, I know how amazingly cool the finish line is and I cannot wait to see those steel stacks at the end of each race.

Running Koda's first race!

"Wait, what?!"

Yup- part of the race weekend is a dog walk on Saturday afternoon and I've signed up our little pug for his first one-mile race! Now, we'll have to wait and see if he cooperates enough to make this happen and if my schedule allows me enough time to get back to the hotel and get him before the 2 pm start time (we've got a lot of stuff happening as part of the RW Half Run Crew program). But we're going to try!

Hanging out with Bart Yasso.

Me and Bart, RW Half 2015

Bart is really just the most chill, down-to-earth, coolest runner dude I've probably ever met. I love talking to him at race expos and I'm pumped to be able to hang with him this weekend. And as he is officially retiring from Runner's World this year, I'm grateful for the opportunity to see him one more time at the RW Half & Festival Weekend.

Meeting the rest of the Run Crew.

For the last few months, Run Crew has known each other through social media- I'm looking forward to meeting everyone in person and getting to know them over the weekend! If you can't tell by now, I'm a pretty strong extrovert and sincerely love meeting new friends :-)

Running with this guy all weekend long.

RW Half 2014

I mean, look at how cute this dude is! :-) Seriously though, running with my husband is one of my most favorite parts of any race weekend. And with both of us doing the Grand Slam (trail race, 5k, 10k, half), we've got plenty of opportunity to race together.


There are lots of other reasons I'm excited for this weekend- make sure you're following me on instagram and twitter- I'm sure I'll be sharing a ton over the next three days!


See you in Bethlehem!