General Discussion Race Reports! » Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply

Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure - Run5k


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
United States
Susan G. Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure
50F / 10C
Sunny
Total Time = 29m 3s
Overall Rank = 1098/2472
Age Group = 19-29 F
Age Group Rank = 145/361
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at about 5 AM, ate small bowl of cereal, drank water and coffee. Arrived at course around 7 AM to switch husband's registration to timed/chip runner. Put a foam bandage with some neosporin on top of where I had a blister last week. Got a free bagel from Panera and a free cup of coffee about 1 hour before race. Warmed up with some fast walking and light stretching, chatted with other runners.
Event warmup:

Fast walking - didn't want to jog for warmup because the park and course is hilly and I had a fear of tiring myself out. Stretched out my left IT band because it felt very tight.
Run
  • 29m 3s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 09m 20s  min/mile
Comments:

Great run for me -- finished MOP when I thought I would be more like BOP and set a new PR for pace on a 5k run, which is impressive considering that the course, while flat for Pittsburgh, is a little hillier than the neighborhood where I normally train. This was a really nice, friendly race -- very crowded, so a lot of jostling for position and accidental elbowing, but everyone was in a good mood and cheerful, which I enjoy. The giant band and cheerleaders at the end of the race were nice, too :)
What would you do differently?:

Bring some warmer clothes for layering purposes -- what I was wearing was perfect for the run itself, but I was very chilly before warm-up and after cool-down, since there was nowhere to go inside. It was a breezy day, which I didn't really take into account at 5 AM.

Next time I will also do a better job of scoping out the course beforehand. I feel like I could have broken 29 minutes on this run, but I didn't push hard enough at the end because I wasn't sure how much longer I had to run.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked up and down the hills until I felt like my HR was down low enough, then stretched out very thoroughly. Ate a banana and drank some water.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of understanding about where the course ended meant I still had a little left in the tank -- I only really kicked it up about 100 yards before the finish line (I was like 'Hey, wait, we're almost done!') Other than that, I did about as well as my current (low) level of training allowed me to do. I'm proud of the job I did pacing myself -- I resisted the temptation to burn really fast through the downhill portions, which meant that I passed and beat a lot of the people who had passed me.

Event comments:

This is a great first 5k, also a great 5k for kids or for people who aren't looking to set record times. The race is HUGE -- 2400 time-chip runners, but the total number of runners/walkers is more like 35,000. The huge mob of people means that virtually all runners will be slowed at the outset by fighting through the crowds of people. The organizers do try to ensure that the walkers place themselves towards the back of the pack, but this is difficult to do. I ended up closer to the start line than I had really wished to be given my speed, and couldn't get any further back due to the big crush of people. There are a lot of activities before and after the race, including a Zumba (weird Jazzercise thing) warmup, and a lot of free food, some healthier than others.




Last updated: 2009-05-06 12:00 AM
Running
00:29:03 | 03.11 miles | 09m 20s  min/mile
Age Group: 145/361
Overall: 1098/2472
Performance: Good
Course: First mile: uphill on Schenley Drive approx. .15 mi to Forbes Ave. Downhill less than 1 block to Albemarle St. Uphill on Albermarle 2 blocks to Squirrel Hill Ave -- flattens out for approx. 1 block. Turn left on Northumberland and begin a 3-block uphill climb to Wightman Street. Turn right on Wightman and go 2 blocks downhill followed by one block uphill to Darlington Road. Turn left and continue along Darlington (flat to downhill), then continue on Circuit Drive. At about 2 miles, there is a steep hill with a switchback on it, then it is flats or downhill along the remainder of West Circuit Drive. The course turns right on Schenley Drive and ends almost immediately, in front of the Phipps conservatory.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

{postbutton}
2009-05-11 9:41 AM

User image

Extreme Veteran
418
100100100100
Pittsburgh
Subject: Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure
General Discussion-> Race Reports!
{postbutton}
General Discussion Race Reports! » Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure Rss Feed