Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training: Week 12

Race week is here - woohoo!  The past 3+ months of training, both with its ups and downs, all build up to one race on one day.  Going into this week I could feel myself getting more anxious, especially with a weather forecast that wasn't very pleasant.  In addition, with a hectic schedule outside of just the final days of running, the week flew by.

Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: 3 Miles - If you remember a few weeks ago, I had gone to a park to try on my new shoes, which turned into a disaster.  Well, the trail and I had a rematch and I conquered....and by conquered, I mean I took things slowly since this week was suppose to be about recovery.  It turned out to be a very pleasant day for a few easy miles.

Wednesday: 3 Miles - For this workout, I only had 30 minutes to complete the distance due to heading out to dinner with coworkers prior to an event.  Besides amusing several students as I flew around to campus, I made perfect time.  And for the record, the grilled chicken salad was delicious!

Thursday: 2 Miles - In the case you can take a workout too easily during a taper, I probably accomplished that during this run.  In figuring the warm-up would take just as long as the distance itself, I took things nice and slow as I ran around the neighborhood.  I was out and back before dinner was even done.

Friday: Rest Day - Since I had the time and figured I was going to later on benefit from the kindness of others, I volunteered at the Pittsburgh Marathon Expo for a couple of hours passing out the program and swag bag.  While the task was fairly simple (I specifically chose something that I couldn't mess up!), it really got me in the mood for the race.  I'm already planning to help next year!

Saturday: 3.1 Miles - As a part of race weekend, one of my friends recommended that I join him in the 5K race, sponsored by the marathon, as a shake-out run.  I am so glad I did!  I took the workout fairly easy and spent the remainder of the day at the post-race party, expo and an amazing lunch.  I also found a shirt that spoke to my Pittsburgh Polish side!

Sunday: 13.1 - The race finally arrived!  Though nervous as all get-out, I survived and PR'ed by 10 minutes securing a 1:38:10.  I'll be making another post with all the juicy details about the race.  Needless today, it was a very successful day!

I signed up for this race as my second marathon almost 8 months ago.  At the time, I hadn't even completed my first, but I was really excited to run my hometown.  While some parts of training could have gone better, these past 12 weeks were overall a character-building experience.  For those of you who have been following along in this journey, I really appreciate it.  In looking at my calendar for the second half of the year, some big plans are in mind and I hope you will continue to come along for the ride.

Happy Running!
Sean