Pittsburgh Marathon November 13, 2020

2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019.  Now, 2020.  I’ve always said Pittsburgh is marathon-worthy so when virtual registration opened I registered for 26.2.  Then I started training.  Because I had to.  Training took a really long time all year but the longer my training was, the more weight I lost so that was a good deal in the end.  I had lost 22 lbs as of race day.  I can’t tell you how much better that feels.  

Because I took so long getting my act together by the time I was ready to run this it was snowy, icy and cold.  I'm not a fan.  I'm so much not a fan that I chose the 'mill.  Being on a treadmill for five and a half hours is a special and specific type of hell. 

Iceburgh has run every PGH Marathon with me so he had to come along again. 

This is Jack.  My running area shares the basement with the litterboxes.  Can you guess what Jack did during my run?  Good thing he's fuzzy and adorable.

It’s hard to write a race report when you haven’t actually gone anywhere or seen anyone.  I thought about the streets of Pittsburgh, the people, the beer, the cupcakes, getting the F up the hill, greyhounds, friends and the city that will always have my heart. I just kept going no matter how damn awful it felt and eventually the miles clicked up. 

Where’s Marathon Foto when you need them?  Please enjoy this crappy iPhone picture from my dimly lit basement. 

I ran the first part of the Steel Challenge in May over 6 months ago.  Every other year I ran them on back to back days in PGH.  Does this year still count.  Yes it does.  I have SUFFERED.  Show me the medals.

There’s nothing like running a marathon through the streets of a large vibrant city like Pittsburgh, I can’t wait to get back to that.  It’s actual magic. 

**At no point did I attempt to replicate Forbes Hill on the TM.