This race is average. It’s small, community-based and not all that exciting. It is, however, a good course if you are looking for a semi-challenging 5k that will get you a fast time. It is not crowded but it is well sponsored and an easy race to do. Registration is low ($15-$35), the t-shirt is cool, and the course is simple. There are not a lot of spectators and you will easily find parking, etc. They do not do a bag check, that’s how small it is. Honestly, I took an Uber to the race, left my bag behind a planter, was the third female to finish, found my bag, and enjoyed some pancakes and beer. Yes, pancakes and beer. That may have been my favorite part of the race. It’s not that I despise this race. I just think its average. I recommend it to locals, especially those who run in the area, as they will be familiar with the hills and terrain.

Xoxo, A

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

The Run Around The Square is a neighborhood favorite in Pittsburgh. It happens every August in one of Pittsburgh’s most classic neighborhoods/parks: Regent Square and Frick Park. This is a part road race/part trail run. It’s my go to event at the end of every summer, to kick off the start of my fall racing spree. The weather is usually in the 70’s with mild humidity. I always run in a sports bra because it’s August and it is Pittsburgh…end of the story. But seriously, this race is a blast! It’s small but gets a lot of support from locals. The cost ranges from $25 to $40 and the virtual goodie bag is sweet with lots of local deals.

You pick up your bib and shirt race morning. The shirts always have the classic Run Around the Square logo on them but they come out with different colors every year. People like to collect them. Before the race, local Physical Therapy Company (Pivot Physical Therapy) provides stretching and massages. They do a great job! The race starts mid-morning and you run down a cobblestone street with picturesque houses and tree-lined sidewalks. It quickly transitions onto the well packed and well-marked dirt trails of Frick Park. You will encounter some hills here before you leave the trail and embark on the longest hill of the course, up a sidewalk. After that, you will run through the trails for one more mile before you come downhill into a wide hollow sort of opening. There is a great opening of grass and the finish line is just around the corner. The finish at this race is one of my favorites in Pittsburgh because it is downhill and very exciting. The crowd is awesome here!

After the race, this hollow area becomes the after-party. This race seriously knows how to provide food…and beer. Yum! A stage is set up for awards and most people end up spending a few hours in the part with their families. It really makes you appreciate the strong community of Pittsburgh! I ran this race in 2015 and 2016 (every year that I have been in Pittsburgh so far). Last year, I finished with a time of 19:20 and was pleased as it was a minute faster than last time and closer to the level I was competing at in college.

There is no expo, no crazy vendors, no crowds…just a bunch of people who love their neighborhood and want to support it. It’s a fun race with plenty of parking, fun views, and very family friendly!

xoxo, A

I love Austin. I really do. But this post is not going to be about how much I love the city of Austin. This post is going to be about how much the Austin Half Marathon challenged and humbled me.

I ran Austin because I was looking for a destination race in a rad city. What I really got was a rad destination with a race that had a 200 feet elevation gain within the first three miles and 70-degree weather with 50% humidity starting at seven in the morning. It was the kind of race that smacks you in the face and says, “watch yourself, young lady….you still have work to do.” Running 13.1 miles in Austin was a battle between staying hydrated, not overhydrating, pounding pavement uphill, and pavement pounding on my quads downhill. I always thought I was a decent hill runner…maybe not.

It all started very quickly on 2nd and Congress Street. I was easily able to find standing room among the first runners lined up to race, without being seeded. My skin was sticky with the heat before the gun even went off. I knew about the elevation gains within the first three miles but they went so fast that I hardly noticed. Around mile five I started getting into a good rhythm, averaging sub-7 at each mile mark. And then mile eight came and with it came an influx of rolling hills that seemed to suck the life out of me. I was grabbing Nuun and water at almost every hydration stop. There were plenty of them and the volunteers were phenomenal. I would drink all my Nuun and half my water, dumping the other half on my head and down my back. I was so happy that I had made the last minute decided to run in my sports bra. There were moments when I questioned my choice to wear compression socks but in the end, I think they helped save my calves from some serious post-race soreness.

Mile twelve finally came and with it came the most challenging hill of the course. As much as I had prepared for this hill mentally and physically, getting up it was rough. At this point, I knew that my top goal was unattainable. 1:25 was out of sight and out of mind. So was 1:30. This is why you create several goals, people. I wanted 1:35 or under, so bad. This was the time to go for it. I let the downhill of mile 12 carry me along and from there I started picking up the pace regardless of how much it hurt. My quads were on fire and my lungs felt like over-filled balloons. I had not felt this bad in a race in a long time.

The only thing I could think of during the last mile of the race was how much this course was preparing me for Boston. Only half a mile left and I could put Austin behind me. With a quick turn off of 11th and onto Congress Avenue, the cheers from the finish line were a delight. I can only imagine what they will sound like in April on Boylston Street. I crossed the finish line in 1:35:02 and later learned that I was the fifteenth female to finish and third in my age group. There were a lot of factors that I looked at while analyzing this race in my mind…my place among my gender, my overall pace in the race (7:10), my time at the 15k mark (1:05) etc. Could I have run faster on a flatter course? Sure. Could I have run better uphill? Maybe….but I do not play the “what if” game. It is a dangerous one that leaves you heartbroken. I had run most of this race with my heart and I wanted to celebrate that. Sometimes running is not about winning….

…more often than not, running is about the community that you surround yourself with and the common spirit that is found when thousands of people gather to do the same thing. Sunday in Austin was about celebrating the common line which is called “the finish”.

I left Austin knowing that I had done everything possible to prepare for this race. The course did not pull me down but it did pull me closer to my long-term goal.

The most important lesson that running has taught me is how to be competitive and gracious at the same time, with myself and with those around me.

Competitive and gracious is a delicate balance but, I am a better person because of it and Austin reminded me of that. From the exuberant streets of Austin to the historic roads of Boston, I am more motivated than ever to put in some hard work the next five weeks and show up at Hopkinton with 100% heart. Austin to Boston…here we go. #BoundForBoston17 #BeBoston

Happy Running!
xoxo, A

The real reason that I signed up for the Lemieux Run and Walk was because I heard that Mario Lemieux himself stands at the finish line and high-fives the every finisher. If you know anything about Pittsburgh or hockey, you know that Mr. Mario Lemieux is a big deal around here. I was stoked! The Pens had just won the Stanley Cup (2016) and I heard that Mario was bringing it to the race, too! Two goodies in one plus, a local race….game on! I was pretty stoked about this one. Hopefully, it would not disappoint.

Packet pick up was simple and easy. No fancy expo, no fancy swag…just a t-shirt and a bib that you picked up from a table at PPG Paints Arena. All funds for this race were going to the Lemieux foundation, which is really cool. The sign-up cost was $40.00 and the race distance was a 6.6k. A what? Yep. A 6.6K… that is 4.1 miles. Why? Because the number 66 is a big deal in hockey (it is Mario’s number and it is well respected in Pittsburgh and in the NHL). I had never raced this distance before and was excited to test it out! I had a 10-miler coming up in a few weeks and was excited to race a distance that was longer than a 5k but less than a 10k.

Race morning came and I slipped on my race outfit: A Penguins blue sports bra, black racing shorts, and my new Penguin’s high socks. I ate my usual pre-race breakfast and coffee and started my warm up. I only live 1.5 miles from the start, so it was the perfect warm up distance! The start line was lively but not crowded. I easily got my desired spot (toes on the line) and was excited to get this race started. The national anthem was sung and runners were getting high-strung (at least the ones on the line were). Right when I thought they were going to announce the start, Mario Lemieux stepped up to the microphone and gave his thanks to everyone who had donated to the Lemieux Foundation and supported the Penguins. People were going crazy. Then, out of nowhere, he hoisted the Stanley Cup over his head and the crowd went wild (including myself). After all, this is Pittsburgh. We are a proud bunch.

The race finally took off and I was cruising at a 6:25 pace. Speedy for me! I had studied the course and ran segments of it in my training but I didn’t realize quite how picturesque it would be. This course is pretty challenging. There are hills and bridges and tunnels and turns, etc. I knew what to expect but, I didn’t quite realize how much of a visual experience it would be. What I mean is that I did not realize how the course would all come together. Pittsburgh is a beautiful city with great architecture, amazing bridges, water, etc. Being sent off by Mario, running over one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic bridges (the Smithfield Bridge), flying through a fun part of town (the South Side), and coming back over the Mon River over the 10th street bridge is an experience on its own. Then, the best part: you get to run through a tunnel! Every Pittsburghers dream…. or, just mine. ;) The Armstrong tunnel was really fun to run through. It was also a bit exhausting. This is the part in the race where you would be done if you were running a 5k but, you aren’t running a 5k. One more mile to go! I got through the tunnel and to my surprise, my boyfriend was cheering me on… in the tunnel! From that point on, all I could think about was Mario Lemieux waiting at the finish line. When you come out of the tunnel you weave up a hill and through downtown until you end up at the Hockey Stadium, close to where you started. I could see the finish line and sure enough, I could see Mr. Lemieux with a huge smile on his face, high-fiving runners. I kicked up my pace like no other. I certainly was not the top female but, I did end up winning my age group. Cool! Leaving over that finish line and high-fiving Mario is a memory that still makes me smile! Every challenge in that course was worth it for that finishing moment. The medals were pretty cool and I won a Hockey puck for placing first in my age group. There were plenty of snacks (chips, fruit, granola bars, Gatorade, water, etc.) at the finish line. I think the volunteers did a great job!

This race really made me appreciate training in Pittsburgh. It’s not an easy city and you have to be okay with that to excel and have fun here. The sights are very much worth it. My finishing time turned out to be 27:12 (6:38 pace). I was hoping to run a bit faster, more like 6:25 pace but I was very happy regardless! This was a really fun and simple race. Nothing fancy, just the pride of a bunch of true Pittsburghers. In 2016, it felt more like a celebration run to commemorate the win of the Stanley Cup. We will see what 2017 brings. :)

xoxo, A