Running has a way of keeping me curious – curious about the abilities of my body, and the strength of my mind. The beauty of running is that regardless of how you think you are doing in respect to time, distance, and fitness level, you will almost always be surprised with the results. This surprise could come as a disappointment or a celebration. Last Saturday I found myself happily surprised with the results. At the last minute, I signed up for a local 5k race in my neighborhood (the Steelers 5k). The series of events leading up to the race did not go as I would have liked them to. I worked late the night before, ate dinner at a bar, stayed up late talking to new friends about all the great things that the city of Pittsburgh has to offer, and race prepping well past midnight for a 6:30 am alarm. To be subtle, I was feeling pretty rough.

The morning of the race, I was scrambling to wake up, pin my bib on, eat some oatmeal, and not forget my Garmin. The start of the race was only a mile and a half from my apartment, so I planned to use the commute there as a warm up. The closer I got to the race venue, the more my competitive juices started flowing. I love to race, especially on a flat course such as this one. I was also excited to finish in Heinz Field and see many of my successful clients at the race. I did not plan on running very well, and I was okay with that. I was two weeks into training after a brutal summer and I was not expecting my body to perform well. Maybe that was the magic of it, though. I had no expectations, at all. I definitely believe in setting goals and working towards them, but that was not a lesson that I practiced at this particular race. It ended up working out and I ended up being happily surprised with a fifth-place finish and a time in the low 19’s.

Running has a way of keeping me curious – curious about my capability to pull strength out of perceived weakness. Stay curious, friends – not for fast times or high placings, but for personal growth and mental strength…. for the satisfaction that is found through the joy that running brings to life.
The Steelers 5k is well organized and a really fun race in Pittsburgh. It symbolizes the start of football season as well as the start of many racing seasons, as fall is the best time to race in Pennsylvania.
I loved running this race and had a blast. Everyone is in a great mood. People are nice. Food is on point. It’s fast. It’s clean. It’s Steeler Nation, for goodness sake! I had to pee before I caught a bus home and a cleanup volunteer offered to hold my stuff (including the flowers and football I won) while I used the restroom. Seriously, Pittsburghers are the best. Thinking about this day reminds me one of the many reasons why I love this city, it’s athleticism, it’s sports and, its spectators.

Xoxo, A