2019 Pittsburgh Pre-Marathon Post!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  Here are all my goals for Pittsburgh race weekend.

Expo

I love that PGH doesn't show you the medal until you cross a finish line and earn it, however sometimes a medal is floating around at the expo - AVOID!  I am giving myself permission to buy some 'things'.  Dick's Sporting Goods usually does some great T shirts.

All the speed repeats = done

Saturday 5k

I usually have a 5k the day before a marathon (something about extra medals) and I use it to see where I'm at.  If I'm close to or under 30 mins I typically have an excellent marathon.  This year I think I'll need all my energy for the marathon because survival, so this will actually be a shakeout/easy run.  No goals.

Sunday Marathon

I'm taking on the PGH 26.2 for the fourth time so there's no pretending this is an easy course.  Note: run brand new marathon course somewhere sometime.  I made some hopeful goals up and I am going to believe in myself on race day.

A   5:30
B   5:45
C   under 6 hours

Remember that time one of my goals was to run under 5 hours?  That was nice.  I liked that.  I didn't manage it, but I admire my optimism.  My best time on this course is 5:15 (my current marathon PR is 5:14).

Iceburgh

....is excited to run his 4th marathon.  He is sad we can't go to a hockey game but has happy memories of our back to back marathons and Stanley Cups in 16/17.  Running is helping him work through his anger, pain and feelings of betrayal. 

Game plan

Walk through aid stations from the start to ensure calories and hydration are going in.
Run the mile I'm in.  Pick a highlight for each mile and hold onto it in my head (ie. greyhounds, signs.....beer).
Relentless forward progress.
Run with my heart.
Visualize the Smiley Cookie.  Be the Smiley Cookie.

See yinz in corral D!