2011 Pittsburgh 1/2 Marathon Report

First impressions are hard to overcome; however, when you look inside you realize something special.....
Pittsburgh is not a "sight-to-see" based upon things you hear and the first sights coming into the city. After Ames and I got to exploring the city, we left extremely impressed. First off, we stayed at the Omni William Penn Hotel, the biggest and best (we didn't know at time of booking) hotel in Pittsburgh. The ballroom on the 17th floor is amazing and there was an actual Starbucks in the lobby! The staff was really nice and helpful there.
After settling in at the hotel, we set off to the expo, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. What an excellent design with an amazing fountain down the center, leading to a beautiful river view. Honestly, I did not realize how big and the amount of pride this city put into the Pittsburgh Marathon until we entered the expo. It was huge. I did get alarmed when I went to look for my bib number, 1280, and had to pick it up in the full marathon section. I sweated a little until I scanned the number for the word HALF. Whew!!
We left the expo after getting a ton of cool stuff, we grubbed on pizza, showered at the hotel, and set off for an adventure, on foot. The first destination was the Andy Warhol museum. The walk was short and so was the visit. The outside, the lobby and the gift shop were filled with unique creativity. Next, a cab ride took us to the Carnegie Science Center, which was pretty cool. We took pictures with R2D2 and C3PO from Star Wars, toured the USS Requin Submarine, and watched Tornado Alley in the IMAX! We trekked back to the hotel and thought about a Pitt-esque meal....
No other came to mind than Primanti Bros. Sandwiches - they put french fries and cole slaw on every sandwich. Not the prime pre-race meal, but it was delicious. It was time to return to the hotel for some luxurious rest.
Sunday morning was gloomy and a little warm. The location of our hotel was perfect for the expo and start line - the walk was about ten minutes away. We arrived at the start, I kissed my beautiful wife, and approached Corral A for my readiness ritual. The anthem was beautifully sang, I said a prayer and thanked God for everything in my life, and got focused. Here is how my 2011 Pittsburgh 1/2 went:

Miles 1-3: The temp was warm with a light wind as we headed East on Liberty through downtown and into an industrial area. At about the 2.5 mark runners made a left and headed west toward the 16th street bridge. I was not feeling it. No excuses but I was really pessimistic at this point. Breathing was thick and PF hit me in my left foot. I immediately felt another PR slipping away.

Miles 4-6: After crossing the first bridge, my goal was to maintain a good pace and finish at a satisfactory pace. I was still in a negative funk, although carrying on. I was not really aware of my pace, I put my shoulders back and carried on.

Miles 6-8: The majority of peaks and valleys in this run were mental, and on the bridges, as was so in this stretch. I really liked this area. The uphill approach gave us a view of a little town sunk down in a hidden crevice. After reaching the top, we headed down toward the industrial waterfront. I was feeling a little better. Definitely good enough to relax and maintain toward the finish.

Miles 9-11: The route now led down the waterfront where industrial workers would take incline cars up and down the mountainside to work or home and into suburbs of Pitt. These mile took runners back toward the Smithfield Street Bridge, which led into the city, and and uphill push. I had my thoughts on the finish line and kept plugging away.

Miles 12-13.1: Over the bridge and uphill through the city where supporters awaited. We ran near the hotel, around where I thought the finish was. The approach toward the 6th street bridge was downhill but meant another incline and one last uphill push. Supporters lined the street and the adrenaline kicked in. A left turn took us by PNC Park and a statue of Roberto Clemente and toward the finish, near Heinz Field. I felt runners start to pass me, but I kicked in a high gear, passed them, and finished. Here are my official stats:

Although I felt like I was not into the race for 11 miles, I overcame a little resiliency and pessimism. The run was great, the city was great, the support and the volunteers were great; this just wasn't a PR kind of day. I returned to the hotel, synced my Garmin and reviewed my splits. Maybe this would provide an explanation for my run, and it did. I started fast, too fast and set a bad precedent for the rest of the race. Positive splits will kill a good time quick. Lesson learned.
As I said before, I had no idea the pride and support Pittsburgh put into this race. The organizers did great, sponsors were top notch, the volunteers were knowledgeable and helpful, and the supporters were motivating. The only feedback I have was a clearer plan to shuttle family support from the start line to the finish and the runners from the finish back into the city - three miles is a long distance to walk after a long run when temps are cool and its raining.
After the race, we packed and headed back to Primanti Bros. for some more of there deliciousness! There was one more landmark in Pittsburgh that is a must-see for all, the Duquesne Incline, a what a beautiful view from the top.

 

Our final perspective of Pittsburgh was no doubt excellent. Ames and I get to see so much traveling to races and there are always positives - some more than others. We enjoyed jam-packed weekend in the "City of Bridges."

Next up for me is the 2011 Geist Half Marathon, this Saturday May 21st, in Northeast Indianapolis. I love this run a look forward to the people, the sights and the environment every year.

HAPPY RUNNING!!!!!
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