Tag Archives: pittsburgh marathon

Two Hundred Miles

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Two hundred miles. That’s how many miles I’ve run to get to the start line of tomorrow’s marathon. Two hundred.

At mile six, when I’m thinking, “Oh God, I’ve still got three and a half hours to go!” I’m going to think of those two hundred. At mile 17, when I wonder if I can make it the last nine, I’m going to remind myself of the those two hundred. At mile, 25, when 1.2 seems like it will never come, I have to think of those two hundred. Because 26.2 is nothing compared to all the work I’ve done to get here.

14 hours to go, guys! Keep me in your thoughts at 7am tomorrow!

p.s. I’m loving my race day outfit for marathon #2. Showing off some aerie pride!

Keepin' it real for race day! #aerie #aeriereal #marathon #26.2 miaprimcasa.com#aeriereal tank, Moving Comfort sports bra, Under Armour compression shorts, VSX fanny pack, Brooks Ghost running shoes, Balega compression socks, Nike visor, Stinger energy gels

Pittsburgh Marathon Playlist

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Five hours of the best music I could find. Starting with, of course, the most epic song ever created.

Best Song Ever Created


Cheers!

Sarah

Taper Time (& What I’m Eating)

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It’s finally taper week for my marathon training! Woohoo! I love tapering (contrary to many endurance athletes who find it hard to cut back the miles) because I get to spend time really focusing on preparing mentally with yoga, meditation, and all around relaxation. Yesterday, I practiced yoga for an hour coupled with a half hour of mindfulness meditation, and I wen to bed feeling relaxed and in the present.

Vegan Fried Tofu, Broccoli, Kale Stir Fry miaprimcasa.com

Food is also really important for this final week. Per my coach’s suggestion, I’m sticking to higher protein dishes earlier in the week and adding on carbs, but not lots of calories, as the week goes on. Being vegan, I have to take extra care in ensuring my meals are high in protein. Yesterday, I created a delicious fried tofu, broccoli, and kale stir fry served over brown rice. This was my first time frying tofu, and I was thrilled with the outcome of the dish! Just perfect with a crispy outside and soft, flavorful middle. Learn some good techniques here.

Then, of course, I had to make vegan, sugar-free brownies for dessert. My own recipe! So, I’ll be sharing soon. 🙂

What’s your favorite high protein meal?

Cheers!

Sarah

 

Pirates, Sparkle, & 16 Miles

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Easter in Pittsburgh miaprimcasa.com

Being away from family can be hard enough, but when holidays roll around it becomes that much harder. Thankfully, for Easter this year, my little sister was able to take a break from being a genius med student at RIT to spend the weekend with me here in Pittsburgh. The weather was perfect! And compared to Rochester, NY, it probably felt like heaven.

Pittsburgh- Oakland

Before Michelle made it down here on Saturday afternoon, I snuck in a 16 mile marathon taper run. Why am I tell you this? Because sometimes, when you’ve run over 20 miles in one go, you start to forget that even 16 miles is impressive. This is my attempt at reminding myself that running 16 miles (or any amount for that matter!) is an accomplishment–one of which I should always be proud!

Stay Classy (lots of sparkle included)

Sparkle was a key component of our Easter weekend attire.

Pirates Baseball Pittsburgh, PA

I took Michelle to her first professional baseball game. The Pirates lost, but it was an exciting game no less, complete with the classic Pittsburgh Pirates fireworks show. (By the way, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a professional baseball game that didn’t involve the Brewers. Seriously. I saw the Cubs play them in Chicago…then again in Milwaukee…and now they played the Pirates in my new city. It’s like my Wisconsin ancestors are trying to speak to me…)

Homemade Vegan Squash & Kale Pizzas miaprimacasa.com

Instead of the traditional Easter ham dinner, we opted for homemade squash pizzas, complete with kale, Brussels sprouts, and vegan cheese. Recipe (Michelle’s original) soon to follow!

Madewell fruit dress + Merino sweater + lots of sparkle miaprimacasa.com Springtime outfit miaprimcasa.com

My Easter outfit of choice: Madewell fruit dress, Lands’ End Canvas Merino sweater, vintage Salvatore Ferragamo heels, statement necklace (a great find from a Chicago second hand shop), and a gorgeous sparkly clutch (a gift from an old roommate). Michelle looked gorgeous in an Loft eyelet tee, J.crew cardigan, Ann Taylor pencil skirt, and sparkly J.crew flats.

Easer outfits

Hope you all had a fabulous Easter weekend as well! Here’s to more sunny days filled with Pirates, sparkle, and lots and lots of miles.

Cheers!

Sarah

One Does Not Simply (Run) Into Mordor

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19 days and counting.

That’s a mere nineteen days until the Pittsburgh Marathon, when I will run (and admittedly, thanks to a persisting leg injury, walk) 26.2 miles. This will be my second full marathon, but the journey has been no less challenging and no less exhilarating. I completed a 20 mile run (!) this past weekend and will (THANK GOD) begin to taper starting this week. But don’t let that fool you, my taper includes a 16 mile run this weekend. 🙂

Well said, Boromir

But what’s running for four hours straight anyway? To those who have never experienced it, I like to describe it as no different that doing any one thing for hours on end. At a certain point you just keep going and going. You stop thinking about the action.

To me, it’s not unlike trying to read the complete Lord of the Rings trilogy in one sitting. At some point, eating and going to the bathroom become second priorities to finding out what happens to your beloved characters. Usually, you enjoy the ride, but at some point the battle scenes start to feel too long and your eyes begin to glaze over the lyrics to another one of Tolkein’s songs. But you just keep reading.

After all, Frodo throwing the ring into the firry pit is obviously the objective, but becoming a spectator to the battle of Helm’s Deep or a sighing over a smoldering love affair between Arwen and Aragorn or witnessing Frodo and Sam hiding among the rocks in Mordor FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME was part of the journey. You can’t really get to Mordor without it.

Running to Mordor

Did I really just describe the marathon finish line as Mordor?!

Well, hell, it basically is. There’s just a lot more cheering and a lot less fire. But in the end, you sure do feel like you just saved the Shire.

Cheers!

Sarah

“It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing.” 

Pittsburgh Marathon, Here I Come!

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AZ Marathon

I’m ready to take on my second full (that’s 26.2 miles!) marathon…or at least I will be ready by May 4th. This time I’m sticking local (for my first marathon, I made the haul up to to Duluth, Minnesota) and running in the Pittsburgh Marathon. Probably the most exciting thing is that my little sister will be joining me as well as some awesome coworkers. Only one thing is better than running alone. And that’s running with friends. Here we go!

“Every single one of us possesses the strength to attempt something [s]he isn’t sure [s]he can accomplish.” -Scott Jurek in Eat & Run