Guys, The Pittsburgh Marathon half and full is tomorrow. Here's a few things to keep in mind before the big race.
Get your outfit ready tonight! My alarm will be going off at 4am. I will not be thinking clearly. Make sure everything is prepared and ready to go for tomorrow. If you need to KT tape, then do it before you go to bed if you can. Anything that will not be worn in the morning needs to be by the door to go into the car.
Have a change of clothes & baby wipes in bag check. When you're finished running, you'll be sticky and gross. I always take a different pair of shoes and clothes to change into. Also, I take baby wipes to wipe my body off with. They also come in handy because by the time you're finished running there is no more toilet paper in the Downtown Pittsburgh area.
Have breakfast and snacks ready. Last year I failed miserably. I was a VIP in the marathon so they had breakfast ready for us. I assumed I would get there in time to have breakfast but the bathroom was my first priority and the line was too long. Once I came out of the bathroom I had to find my corral. I starved through the race and was miserable.
After you run you will probably be a little bit hungry. When you go through the finish line they have a line for you to get snacks and put them in your bag. I still pack my own so I have something to eat afterwards because this year I will be waiting for a friend to finish the full marathon after I complete the half.
The city will be packed. Okay people, the race was a total sell out. So, roughly 40,000 runners. Say each runner has just one person coming to see them, so now the city will have 80,000+ people in it. On top of that, there's a Pittsburgh Pirates game! Leave early. Carpool. Be polite. You signed up for this knowing it was one of the biggest races in the country. If someone bumps into you, get over it. The coral situation is very frustrating because you really have to touch the people around you. It's gross but it happens. Try to hold your farts in while you're in the corral.
Please stop taking selfies during the National Anthem. Really? I get that you're excited but have respect. Take your hat off and get off of your phone.
And most importantly...
Thank your volunteers! I don't know if you know this but the people with the fluorescent shirts on that say "volunteer" on the back VOLUNTEERED their time for you. They don't even know you. Thank your Volunteers, Police Officers, Firefighters, and any Armed Forces that you see working or running that day.
Just run, and enjoy yourself. Don't worry about your time just worry about finishing. Have a great race!
Thank you, Pittsburgh for another year!
