I was also excited to have my husband along with me for the race. He was running the 8.1 mile course, as he prepares for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. We would get to run his entire race together and then I would only have an additional five miles to run by myself to complete the half marathon.

The weather was actually ideal for this race.  With a start time at 8:30 AM the temperatures were in the high thirties. Normally I would consider this cold, but considering the weather we've had this winter, it felt like a mild heat wave. I was happy to be able to shed a layer, and wear only two shirts and one pair of pants for this race! My only hope was that the rain would hold off for the race.

Here is the race break down mile by mile:

Mile 1: The race begins and there's nervous excitement in the air. I love this feeling at the beginning of the race. We start out at a slow cautious pace as the first mile includes a large hill. Right after the descend from the hill we hit Mile 1. It's nice to get that hill out of the way and not see it again.  (11:15 min/mile)

Miles 2-3: We settle into a nice slow pace. It's important that our pace feels "easy" at this point and we don't go out too fast. At mile 3.1 we get to see the finsh line for the 5k and get a boost from the crowd. As we pass the boat house we begin the large loop around the lake.  (10:35 min/mile)

Mile 4: We cross the bridge over the lake.

Mile 5: There is a slow gradual uphill climb. It's adding a little difficulty to keeping our pace. (10:40 min/mile)

Mile 6: I decide to take my energy gel at the water stop. In the past I've taken my gels at specific miles. I've recently changed my strategy and now take them based on time instead of miles. For instance, I took this gel one hour into my run. I think this strategy has been working better for me. After taking my chocolate outrage energy gel, Bobby tells me that it's all over my face. I quickly wipe it off with my sleeve. It sure is nice to have him as my running partner!

Mile 7: It's starting to feel tough. We are pushing our pace a bit more and my energy gel is taking it's good old time to settle in my stomach. (10:05 min/mile)

Mile 8: I encourage Bobby as he goes in for the finish. He tells me to keep it up and I'll do fine. It's great to hear encouraging words like that in the middle of a race. I get to watch him cross the finish and then I continue on for one more loop around the lake. After passing the boat house again, I grab a cup of Gatorade (by accident) at the next hydration stop. I hope that it doesn't mess with my stomach too much.

Mile 9: I actually feel pretty good. I decide to pick up my pace and see how it feels. (9:49 min/mile)

Mile 10: I'm still feeling strong. I'm actually surprised at how strong I feel. I pass the 2:20 pacer. Now I just want to see how far under 2:20 I can get. (9:41 min/mile)

Mile 11: I'm starting to hurt and wear down. I'm tired, but I just want to hold on to my pace and finish strong. (9:51 min/mile)

Mile 12: Just one more mile. I keep telling myself that because I hurt and I want to stop. I look at my watch and realize that I can get a personal best for this course, but I have to hurry. (9:11 min/mile)

Mile 13:  I make a final push towards the finish and cross at 2:16:49; a personal best for this race.

Overall, I'm really pleased with how I ran this race. I met my goal of beating my time from last year's race. I also did a good job of running this race based on how I felt, rather than some preset plan I had for myself. As I continue to run longer distance races, I'm learning to run the race as it comes to me, rather than try to dictate the race. Racing can be unpredictable at times and it's ok to make adjustments based on how you feel. On this day I felt good and pushed myself to go faster. This is a bit of a departure from previous races where I felt like I had to stick with a certain pace.

I was also successful in running negative splits. This means I ran my second half of the race faster than my first half of the race.  It's such a nice feeling to speed up at the end of a race and finish strong.  My overall pace was 10:30 min/mile.  I'm hoping for the marathon I can run 11:00 min/mile or just under that pace.

After receiving my finishers medal, I felt the first drop of rain and we started to walk back to the car.  We celebrated by eating a large meal at Kelly O's Diner and drinking large amounts of coffee.  It's always a great feeling to be eating a large meal at 11:30 AM and knowing you already have 13.1 miles in for the day. It was a great way to start Saturday!

After two years of doing this race, I think it's becoming one of my favorites.  It's always nice to be able to sleep in your own bed before a race, and not have to drive too far afterwards. And although the race is small compared to the big city races, it offers a lot of the amenities of larger races including running shorts, finishers medals (for half marathon and 30K) , post race snacks (bagels, bananas, oranges, pretzels and chips) a disc-jockey, bag check, plenty of water stops, pacing groups and shuttles to and from the surrounding parking lots. It also doesn't have the hassle of larger races like parking issues/public transit, start corrals, and shoulder to shoulder running. Just A Short Run strikes a good balance. It has a lot to offer runners, but it won't overwhelm them either. 

Our run included South Side, North Shore, Lawrenceville, The Strip District, Downtown and Uptown. In other words, you can visit a lot of neighborhoods when you run 18 miles! Around mile 14, I started having a mental battle with myself. My feet hurt, my body ached but I still had 4 miles to go. One of the hardest parts about long distance running is telling that voice inside your head, "No, I'm not going to stop." Sometimes it only asks you once, but sometimes, like today, it lingers with you for a mile or two.

"I'm not stopping. I'm not stopping."

18 miles is a long. In fact, I think I forgot just how long it was. During these long runs, I have to remind myself why I am doing the marathon. The simple answer is that it's for me. It's to stay healthy, keep my weight down, keep my knees working and accomplish my goals. But something interesting happens when you take on such a large challenge: you start to impact others. It was apparent as our group ran through the city.

"I should join them. I want to lose weight," was said by someone watching us as we ran up 5th Avenue.

"You all look beautiful," said a woman who admired our green attire in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

"There's a benefit walk we should do," was heard as we passed by on Carson Street.

Comments like this keep me going.  You can't help but feel good when you hear these encouraging words.

When Week 3 of the Crossfit Open was announced, I felt happy and confident. Finally! Two simple movements that humans have been doing for years: picking something up and stepping up on something. Finally, a workout that I could do with little to no thought: deadlifts and box jumps. My excitement was squandered though when I read the format of the workout. The weight and reps of the deadlifts would increase with each round. You would have eight minutes to complete as many reps as possible. It went something like this:

10 deadlifts at 95 pounds

15 box jumps

15 deadlifts at 135 pounds

15 box jumps

20 deadlifts at 155 pounds

15 box jumps

And that's basically when I stopped examining the workout because, well, I had never lifted anything over 110 pounds in my life. Doubt started to set in. Could I actually lift 155 pounds, or even 135 pounds? I wasn't sure, but I thought it was possible.

I also knew that I needed a strategy. This wasn't a workout that you could rush through. It was going to get harder and heavier the further you went. This meant you had to hold back in the beginning and manage your energy. Also, the box jumps could be completed as step ups. This seemed like a good option. The deadlifts would require maximum effort and I didn't want to waste that effort on box jumps. We also had to load the barbell with weights on our own. I was a little worried about this too, because I usually loose the ability to do simple math during a workout.

The nerves started on Friday night, March 14, as I waited to start my workout. My barbell was loaded with ninety five pounds and I was ready to go. I quickly went through the ten reps with ease. Next, I moved on to the box jumps. I went with the step up option and used these reps to ease my breathing.

Once I completed the box jumps, I loaded the bar for 135 pounds. This was a little heavier. After three reps, I decided to break the reps into 3 sets of five. Breaking the set into smaller sets worked. I quickly went through the 15 reps and back to the box jumps. Now came the true test.

I lifted the 155 pounds and pumped out three deadlifts. Wow, this was heavy. I had to drop the weight and regroup. I picked it up again, and hoped to get three in a row. I only got two. I was hitting the wall.

"There's not way I'm going to complete these reps."

I looked at the clock. There was nearly four minutes left.

"Crap. I can't just stand here. I have to try."

So that's what I did. I could only manage one at a time. It was ugly. It was painful. It was brutal. I cringed, grimaced and even screamed my way through each rep. After 14 reps I glanced again at the clock. There was enough time.

"I can finish this."

I finished 20 reps and I made it back to the box jumps. With seconds to go, I pushed out as many step ups as I could, hoping to complete the round. When the clock hit eight minutes I had completed thirteen box jumps. It was just two shy of completing three rounds.

I went to the floor and laid on my back. I stared at the ceiling, and tried to catch my breath. 155 pounds. I had never lifted anything that heavy in my life. I don't weigh 155 pounds. But somehow, I had just managed to lift that exact weight twenty times.

When I stood up, I couldn't help but smile. There were a lot of smiles surrounding me too. Quite a few of us had just completed our heaviest deadlift ever. Before tonight we had questioned ourselves, and doubted if we could complete such a feat. Now we had our answer. We just never knew that we had the strength within us, until now.

After passing through Mt. Lebanon we passed through Dormont, Brookline and Beechview, then back to Dormont. Once I reached the Trolley Station in Dormont I realized we were in a full fledged snow storm. It was so quiet and deserted.

Finally, I could focus on my running and not direct all my concentration on each step that might be into snow or ice. My thoughts could wander. My mind was free.

"I can't believe there will be a baseball game at PNC Park this month."

"Why are there so many seagulls in Pittsburgh?"

"This might be the best Sunday we've had all year."

One of the highlights of the run was reaching the West End Bridge. It's part of the marathon course and offers a stunning view.

And when I'm here I can't help but feel blessed. I'm blessed to run and to enjoy this beautiful scene on a Sunday morning. To me, this is what running is all about: that moment in time when we are at peace with ourselves and our surroundings.

After taking the stairs from West End Bridge to Carson Street we made our way back to Shadyside via a long, hilly Liberty Avenue. The hill was never ending, but I kept telling myself that I would get to run down it in the marathon. Just think how much easier that would be?

When we returned to Shadyside we had ran 16 miles. It has been a year since I've ran that far and I could feel every step of it. My body ached and my feet begged to be propped up. Still, I felt satisfied after completing the run. I'm more than halfway to being a marathoner, again.


Note: I am training for my second marathon.  My first was the 2013 Pittsburgh Marathon.

On Thursday, March 6th, I anxiously awaited to hear the format of the second open workout. When the workout was released I saw two moves I have struggled immensely with: overhead squats and chest to bar pull ups. Each movement must be completed ten times for two rounds. If you completed two rounds in three minutes you could move on to the next round.

The overhead squat just might be one of the most awkward movements I've ever done in my life. The movement requires you to press weight overhead while going into a squat position. I felt like I had finally got the hang of this movement. My maximum weight for this movement was 35 pounds, but the workout requirement was 65 pounds. I wasn't sure I could do it.

Chest to bar pull-ups were another story. I'm still working on my first pull-up, so I knew one would be hard to come by; if I even made it that far.

On Friday night we arrived at the gym and I did a warm up and stretched. I also decided to practice a few overhead squats at 65 pounds. I was wobbly, shaky, nervous and scared, but I managed one, maybe two reps. I was in the next to last group to go and my nerves had been growing by the minute.

Don't think. Just do it.

I snatched up the bar, and immediately went into an overhead squat. I did three in a row. It actually stunned me a bit.

"Where did that come from?" I wondered to myself.

The bar got heavy. I had to set it down, step away and pick it up again.

That's ok.

I got no reps a couple times because I wasn't low enough.

That's ok.

I kept going and I did get all ten reps of the overhead squat and moved on to the bars to attempt a chest to bar pull-up. I knew it would be a long shot and used the remaining time to attempt the movement. I didn't get a chest to bar pull-up.

That's ok.

I breathed a sigh of relief for the first time all day. I had just hit a personal best for overhead squats at 65 pounds and I was proud. The pull-ups will come in time.

Afterwards, I started to realize that I had set limits on myself. Week after week when we practiced the overhead squat I would only grab the bar (35 pounds) and would never add weight. "It will be too heavy," I thought to myself.

Why didn't I add weight to that bar? What was I afraid of? Was I afraid of failing? It's true, I don't like to fail. And nothing says "fail" like having to throw down a loaded barbell and admit defeat.

But I had just completed 10 reps at 65 pounds. That was no where near failure. What else could I do? Where else am I limiting myself? By now I had realized failure is not the worst that could happen. The worst would be holding myself back. And in order to improve, I have to allow myself to fail.

Perhaps you've seen the Crossfit Games on EPSN.  It's an intense, challenging competition showcasing the world's best athletes completing grueling workouts.  What you don't see is the lead up to the games, which is called the OPEN.  As it states in the name, it's an open competition to everyone in the world. It lasts five weeks, with a new workout released each week. And even though I had only been doing crossfit for two months, I decided to sign up. It would be a good measuring tool for years to come.

On Thursday night, February 27th, the first workout was released. My heart sank.  It included 30 double unders and 15 snatches. We would have ten minutes to complete as many rounds as possible. I wasn't worried about the snatches. I knew I could do them. But I was worried I may never get to do them, because of the double unders.  Double unders are done using a jump rope and are completed when the rope passes under your feet twice before landing.  I had never done one before.  I felt defeated. I had attempted to do them a few weeks earlier, but only accomplished hitting myself in the shins with the jump rope.

Then I got mad.  We had a jump rope in the basement.  I thought to myself, "I'm going downstairs and I'm getting a double under before I go to bed tonight!" I did get one.  In fact I got a couple.  Things were looking up.

Friday morning, I started to get nervous.  I was nervous all day.  I couldn't believe how nervous I was, considering I didn't have high expectations for myself.  I felt like I was back in high school.  Like I had to give a speech, or act in a school play.  I felt like I was going to fail and everyone would laugh at me.  

When we drove up to the gym, there was a long line of parked cars on the street and I got even more nervous.  "Why am I doing this? I don't belong here and everyone is going to think I'm terrible and laugh at me."  Except, none of that happened. 

When we stepped inside it was quite a scene. People of all abilities were completing the workout. The cheering was loud and increased as the seconds ticked down the allotted ten minutes. The pace picked up as athletes attempted to squeeze in more reps. When the clock hit ten minutes almost everyone went to their knees in exhaustion. Loud clapping echoed throughout the gym. It didn't seem to matter if you were logging a top score or a bottom score; someone was cheering for you.

I was still nervous but feeling better. After warming up, I watched Bobby complete his workout. About three minutes into the workout I knew he was going to exceed his expectations. I was so happy for him. Since I was in the group after Bobby's, he was able to be my judge. This subdued a lot of my anxiety.

I stood nervously, with my back to the clock. I didn't want the ticking clock to add to my panic level. My hands were shaking while holding the jump rope.

3,2,1...GO!

My first attempt at the double unders and my feet got tangled in the rope. Second attempt: same thing. I took a deep breath and looked at Bobby. "It's ok," he said. He was right.

Single, single, double, single, single, double.

I couldn't get the double unders in succession, but I could get a few singles and then a double. It was slow and tedious, but I used this approach to get my 30 double unders. Next, I moved on to the 55 pound snatches. I knew during those 15 snatches I was going to exceed my original goal of one completed round.

During the course of my workout, I heard some of the loudest cheers I had heard all night. I turned my head to see my friend, Christina, completing her first snatch, with the bar overhead. At 55 pounds it was a personal best for her. It was the only time I smiled during the workout.

At the end of ten minutes, I dropped to my knees, trying to catch my breath. Bobby leaned over and showed me my score sheet.

107

"I got a hundred?" I asked in disbelief.

I couldn't believe it. My goal was 45 reps and I had more than doubled that. Fellow crossfitters started telling me "good job" and that I looked strong during my snatches.

"Who? Me?" I thought to myself.

Yes; it was me. And I slowly started to realize that the person that completed this workout was a lot different than the person who started Crossfit two months ago.

But it wasn't just me. It was happening in every corner of the gym. Athletes were completing their first double under or their heaviest snatch. We were doing much more than our expectations and it was contagious. It was also inspiring. Many of us had come here believing we couldn't do something and we had just proven ourselves wrong. And maybe, just maybe, we are all capable of so much more than we ever thought.

When I moved back to Pittsburgh in 2012, I decided to register for the half marathon. I was just coming off a stint in physical therapy for my knee and wasn't sure how it would hold up in a long distance race. Fortunately, I was reacquainted with Christina who I had met years earlier through a mutual friend. We were reunited as bridesmaids in our friend's wedding. We found out that we were both running the half marathon and only lived a little over a mile away from each other. We quickly became running buddies to train for the half marathon.

Running with Christina pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. When I ran on my own I tended to run loops around my house so I could bail out if I wanted to. The first time I ran with Christina we ran so far from home we had no choice but to run back. And forget about those hills! While she bounded up them with endless energy I slowly dragged myself wondering if I would ever make it to the top. I did eventually make it to the top. In fact, when we were finished we had ran through three suburbs of Pittsburgh and covered eight miles. I had no idea I could run such challenging terrain. It changed my outlook on running.

Last year after much coaxing, Christina convinced me to try Crossfit. Once again I was thrust out of my comfort zone. Now I'm doing Olympic lifts, handstands and so many other things I never knew I was capable of. We attend the same gym so we get to work out together and encourage each other.

Christina has always encouraged me, especially when I've doubted myself. In addition, she has always pushed me, even when I didn't want to be pushed. I'll forever be grateful for that push, because she's convinced me to do things I would have never done on my own. I know for a fact that without Christina's influence I wouldn't be nearly the athlete I am today.

Since Christina has had such a big impact on me over the past two years, I asked her a few questions about running and Crossfit.

When I moved to Pittsburgh in 2012 I hadn’t run hills in five years.  What’s your approach to running up a hill?  I personally love hills! It's a great place to pass people during a race while they are walking.  My approach to running up hills is to keep on running, never walk and continuing running even if its snail pace.
 
What was your first race?  My first race not related to competing in school would be Race for the Cure.

I know you love your shoes.  What is your favorite pair of running shoes?  I love pretty, bright, flashy shoes, but they have not always been my best friend for my flat feet. For fashion, my favorite pretty shoes are Brooks Pure Cadence. For function, my favorite pair of running shoes now are Mizuno Wave Inspires. They fit my feet perfectly but are not so pretty.

What is your favorite race? My favorite race was probably my first Pittsburgh Half Marathon. There was so much energy in the crowd. Cheering that I had never experienced before. The race sucked though, because it was so freaking hot!

What’s your favorite post-race meal?  Anything and everything and the greasier the better. But I have to have a banana. The Casino Buffet - they have a variety of food and drinks!

You’ve encouraged me to run half marathons and marathons, but you’ve also encouraged me to try crossfit for the first time.  What do you enjoy the most about crossfit?  I enjoy crossfit because I am always surprising myself of what I am capable of doing and it constantly challenges me. I love the feeling I get when I am done with a WOD (workout of the day), especially one that I do not think I am capable of finishing. Also in that ten minutes, or however long the WOD is,  you get to clear you head with your only focus being you and your workout.

What is your favorite skill in crossfit?  My favorite skill would be deadlifts.

How do you think the group atmosphere of Crossfit compares to group running? I think they are both very similar. Runners and Crossfitters are very enthusiastic about their sport. Both are individual sports so how you perform depends on you. What I love most in both is always having someone encouraging and pushing me to finish strong and work harder.  Especially when I am physically exhausted and think I have nothing left in me but I manage to finish strong and find energy from within to get the last few reps in, or kicking in the last few strides to finish a run/race.

What Crossfit move do you wish you were better at?  I wish I could be better in everything! The snatch movement!  Skills that I do not have are kipping, hand stands, double unders and rope climb. Hopefully one day, I can do one of the above skills.              

 What advice would you give to someone who wants to try Crossfit?  I believe anyone can do Crossfit. I  think I am a great example.  I am petite size and a baby about everything! If I can handle crossfit, I think anyone can.   It doesn't matter what size or age you are. It's all about scaling down to something that fits you at your level and size. Also, you can't compare yourself to other people at the box since everyone is at a different level. If you finish a WOD, you should be proud of yourself for even attempting.