First up, the numbers:
- 5 months into the #Sub3ForPtR campaign and we're less than $900 away from original goal for the year of $3000! Looks like I'll have to change the goal to $6000! Your support is amazing and doing a lot of good for people in need!
- One person guessed my finishing time of 2:58:16 EXACTLY, three people guessed within 10 seconds, and 1 person guessed within 20 seconds! That totaled up to an additional donation of $120.
- 5 marathons complete, cumulative time of 15:02:55, average time of 3:00:35. Less than 3 minutes left to make up from Birmingham!
So after Boston the forecast for Pittsburgh just made me chuckle and shake my head. Pouring rain was supposed to accompany our trip around the Steel City but at least it was going to be in the upper 50s instead of low 40s. Fortunately that forecast didn't materialize and the rain was very minimal.
To be honest, I was a little concerned that hitting sub 3 for the third time in 6 weeks wasn't going to happen. But this one was in front of the home crowd and I didn't want to blemish my perfect pacing record! Things got a little sketchy around mile 18 but one of the guys in my pace group snapped me out of my daze by simply asking me how I was feeling. I answered "I'm fine" because I didn't want to let the group with me know I was having questions about whether I was going to make it. But that snapped me out of my funk and I was back in the groove.
By 20 miles the group was down to 5 but they were all running strong. We even hit some quick miles going down Negley Ave. As we made our way onto Liberty Ave into Bloomfield one guy in the group confessed he was starting to struggle and was going to need some help. I assured him that's what I was there for and all he needed to do was get to the last peak in Bloomfield where it would be downhill and flat all the way to the finish.
Once we started down the hill the other four guys took off so all I had to do was help this last guy push through the last few miles. He cruised down the hill and I made sure he kept the momentum going was we bottomed out and hit the long straight stretch down Liberty into downtown. We passed the SCRR cheer zone at mile 25 and I knew this last guy was going to make it under 3. Which, by the way, was his first marathon ever!
It was especially great to cross the line under 3 yet again (dry and warm this time) and feel good. Having so many out of my original pace group make it all the way with me plus seeing someone put it all out there and reach his goal was that much better.
I've been enjoying this longer gap before marathon number 6 and now I'm really looking forward to heading to Banff in two weeks! Keep your eyes out for the next time prediction post and thanks again for all your support!
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