What was the race or running event?

Steel Rail Race Half Marathon in Pittsfield, MA on May 19, 2024. We picked this race because the trail looked flat, the weather was supposed to be good, and we liked the small size (~200 ppl) and easy logistics (plentiful parking 50 ft from the race start). 

There were also an 8K and a marathon as part of the event.

The course on the gorgeous and highly rated Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is indeed very flat, with a total ascent of 62 ft, according to the watch; the race website claimed it was 218 ft, or a 2% grade 🤷. The trail is fully paved and goes through marshes, woods, and near a lake. There are plenty of birds. Olga particularly enjoyed Canada geese with their ducklings. The lake is beautiful and comes with the bonus of a nice breeze. The trail is extremely well-maintained, incl. one spot with permanent restrooms. There were water/Gatorade stations every ~2 miles. The course is certified and apparently popular for Boston qualification. The drive from the Upper Valley is a scenic 2.5 hours. We both loved the course and highly recommend it.

Protip: they ran out of spots a few days before the race but miraculously, a web inquiry Misha submitted got us special permission to join from the race director. Your mileage may vary, of course.

How did the day go in general?

Olga: As this was my first half-marathon and the longest-ever run, my goal was to finish. I thought I might end up with a 12:30-13:30 pace. I finished in 2:43:27 with a 12:28 average pace, the fastest I’d done on a long run. 

Misha: It was a great race. I finished in 1:52, which was a minute faster than my previous fastest time, but slower than my goal of 1:50.

What went well?

Olga: I accomplished my goals and had a great time. I struck up a conversation with a cool fellow runner, whose company and program helped me greatly through the first half of the run. I was well prepared through training to run injury-free and I’m happy with my effort level (especially the consistent and controlled heart rate) and results. Nutrition, hydration, gear, and other prep were well executed and worked well on this run.

Misha: The weather was great - not too hot and cloudy, and the humidity was manageable. The race is super flat and there was a lot of shade. 

What did not go so well?

Olga: While following another runner for a while worked well for me on this run, I tend to do that a bit too much vs. sticking with my program. I got company / moral support in return, but this is something to watch in the future.

Misha: There were fewer than 200 runners and in the second half of the race I was mostly running by myself. It was a bit sad and probably one of the reasons why I slowed down quite a bit.

How did you prepare for the event? Anything you would do differently in training?

Olga: I didn’t know I was going to run a half-marathon until about 3 weeks before the event. 😅So the training sort of just happened. It wasn’t completely random though: I appropriately did 3 longer runs, a couple of 20+ mile weeks, and a taper, so I knew I should be able to finish. At Misha’s suggestion, we walked the first ~1.5 miles of the course the night before the race to familiarize ourselves with the parking situation and the trail. This was a great help in getting me mentally in the race from mile 1.

Misha: UVRC Tuesday and Saturday runs helped sooo-o-o much!

Any notable moments?

Olga: I did a fist pump at the 12-mile marker to mark surpassing my farthest run. There was the sweetest trio of dudes in head-to-toe biker gear, with motorcycles, supporting a woman runner. They moved through multiple spots on the course taking pictures of her running and waving handmade posters.

Misha: Local beer and a pretzel after the race cheered me up.

Any changes you would make to how you ran?

Olga: Looking at a short video Misha took of me at the finish line, my posture sucks, and I need to fix it! Separately, going forward, I want to work on running faster.

Misha: Per usual - slow down in the beginning to avoid slowing down too much during the second half.