I DID IT! Pittsburgh Marathon 2009!

I did it! The Pittsburgh Marathon came back to Pittsburgh this year and I ran in it. I’ve never had a runner’s body- nor a runner's will. But, I worked hard for several months and I completed the marathon with a relay team, MetaFitness1. I am very proud of myself. And, I was really exhilarated by the people that came out to cheer us on!

The alarm came way too early this morning, 4:45 AM! But, we had until 5:30 AM to get ourselves out the door to join 10,000 other runners in the Strip District of Pittsburgh. Yesterday I got all of my running preparations completed – down to what meals I would eat before and after (the celebratory meal!).

I walked and ran my leg (7.2 miles) of the marathon. I ran for 1 minute and walked for 2-3 minutes at a time. My body was straining at first, until my shins got warm they were screaming! But soon, I was in a groove. The IPod was loaded with hundreds of songs to keep me going. For the first 2 miles it was really hard to stop running (5.2-5.6 MPH) and keep up a great walking pace (around 3.6-3.8 MPH). My body thought we were taking a break- and really wanted to stop. But, after pushing through a few rounds, the harmony was there.

I used any decline to my advantage. I took all of the water and Gatorade offered to me at the stops. Although I must confess walking and drinking isn’t my strongest skill, so most of it landed on my shirt. I paced myself and realized I was doing far better on time than I had in all of my training and my dry run the week before. I was feeling quite pleased.

I planned (at worst) to walk the whole thing and finish in 2 hours with a 15-minute mile. Runners would laugh at that stat but walkers would most likely find it very admirable. It’s hard to keep up, especially off the treadmill and on surface roads. I did better than I expected. With my running bursts, I made the complete trip in 1.5 hours! Shaving off 30 minutes from my plan!

The coolest parts of the marathon included:
Being on the 16th Street Bridge, closed to traffic of course, and feeling the cool morning air rushing against me. I felt like the whole bridge was mine. The views were spectacular. And, the experience heightened the reality that I was accomplishing a goal I would have never dreamed a year ago. I was running in a marathon. How cool is that!

Seeing the volunteers and especially the youth involved in the marathon. They held water for us, cheered us on, supported their proud city by inviting those not from here to “live in our city neighborhoods” and “come to our city schools”. It was awesome.

Now don’t get me wrong, I needed to rest afterwards (after the high wore off). And, I needed shower. Oh, and that celebratory meal. But, it wasn’t 30 minutes after my finish that I told Rob I’d like to do the ½ marathon next year. He said he’d do it with me. (Big Smile)

Now, go do something wild and extraordinary for yourself today. I’m going to rest. After I post a short clip on my start on you tube.