My Personal Pittsburgh Marathon 2009 Training Blog by cs15217

The Goal: Run 12 miles @ 8:41/mile pace.

The Result: Ran 12.0 miles in 1:46:26 at 8:52 mins/ mile.

The Splits: 8:26, 8:29, 8:28, 8:48, 8:30, 8:43, 8:45, 8:51, 8:50, 8:59, 9:45, 9:59.

The Route: http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/pa/pittsburgh/326123990372641118

So this was my final double-digit run until the Marathon!  I used this opportunity to run part of the Marathon course I hadn't previously seen - out Penn Avenue in the East End, and north into Homewood, west in to East Liberty, north into Highland Park, then back down into Bloomfield.  I really wanted to see the elevation of this part of the course, and was pleasantly surprised that it's mostly downhill.  I'm going to need it - Miles 13 through 15, basically from the Birmingham Bridge to Aiken Ave., are just going to KILL me.  I've run that stretch 3 times now and I know what to expect, but until today I didn't know how I'd rebound from it.  At least now I know that 17 through 22 are pretty much a net downhill (or flat at worst) before dropping off that cliff known as Liberty and Penn in the final 4 miles. 

It was hot and sunny today, however.  God I hope it's not hot and sunny on race day.  Please give me 45 and cloudy....