I’ve run 13.1 miles countless times. I’ve done it in fun runs, training runs and as part of longer races like marathons and ultras. But as I get older, I’m growing to love the half marathon distance as race in and of itself. The training is (usually) manageable. The distance lends itself well to both building speed and mental strength. And there is definitely still some risk of things going south on you if you don’t prepare and execute well.

Thankfully, my race today at the Pittsburgh Half Marathon is evidence of preparing and executing well:

• I PR’d with a time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, 23 seconds
• My average pace was 07:31 minutes per mile
• I placed 698th overall in a field of 14,011 runners
• In my 45-47 year old age group, I placed 26th out of 949 runners

I’m really pleased with this result. My only goal going into this race was to beat 1 hour, 45 minutes – the time I clocked at the last half marathon I ran back in December. Shaving 6 minutes off that time is more than I was expecting, but I guess all those interval workouts and tempo runs payed off!

The weather might have helped. It was a crisp 34º at the start. Once the sun came out it warmed up a bit, but for the most part the cool temps prevented me from running hot.

The vibes of the race may have also played a part. Each neighborhood - from the Strip District to the North Side to the West End to the South Side – brought the energy and cheering. There was rarely a point during the 13 miles that didn’t have a group of people ringing cowbells, shouting encouragement, and sending positivity. When I started to feel the fatigue around mile 11, those vibes definitely helped me bring it home.

So, in a nutshell, I’m now hooked on the half marathon and looking forward to finding another one to train up for. If there’s a race on the eastern seaboard you absolutely love, hit me up.