Join Me for the Pittsburgh Adventure (Race)

Saturday, August 13th I will be participating in my third Pittsburgh Adventure Race along (and in) the Allegheny River.  This year the Pittsburgh Marathon Organizers (P3R) are producing the weekend which consists of the Pittsburgh Triathalon and Adventure Race and benefits Friends of the Riverfront.  The Adventure Race is a 2-mile kayak paddle, a 20K bike ride, and a 5K run.  It’s a little bit like triathlon-light, and kudos to those river swimmers but I will stick in my boat thank-you-very-much.

Due to new management under P3R the course is still being updated, but in the past the paddle has gone from the Mr. Rogers Statue on the North Shore up to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and back, the bike is up the 279 HOV lane to the Perrysville exit and back and the run has been on the North Shore Riverfront Trail.  This year it looks like the run portion of the course is changing but the rest will likely be the same.

I say ‘participating’ because my goal is always just to finish, and keep running (er, jogging–i.e. not walking) during the 5K.  In 2012, about 4 months after the birth of my first son I signed up for the Adventure Race a little bit on a whim, thinking that having that goal would miraculously whip me into shape and shave off most of the 40+ pound weight gain during my pregnancy.

The fact is, the race itself does neither of those things of course, but having a big goal can certainly provide some motivation.  Completing the race itself you feel a huge, fun, full feeling of accomplishment, but the things that really make the difference are all the little things you do to get ready.

In my case, in 2012 that meant completing the Couch-to-5K running plan – meeting up weekly before work with a running buddy until we were averaging 2.5-miles.  I continued my short 3-mile bike commute to work (which included biking up 44th Street in Lawrenceville), and going out on the river a few times for a Women on the Water paddle through Venture Outdoors.

In 2014, 40 pounds lighter, I was now doing a 5.5-mile bike commute from East Liberty to Downtown and back, running 2 miles twice a week, and doing an occasional family paddle.

This year I am seven months postpartum and it has definitely taken me longer to integrate exercise back into my life both from a physical standpoint and from a practical, scheduling standpoint.  Oh right, and being so exhausted from the baby not sleeping that I haven’t been ready to get up for an early morning run.

Luckily I have been fitting in twice-weekly Tabata classes, which I love, at Pittsburgh Fitness Project in Lawrenceville.  Tabata has totally helped with my biking and running, my legs are so much stronger I was able to get back on my bike and go right back to 10-20 mile rides.  The bonus with Tabata is that all the kettlebell action is a lot like hefting a 20-pound baby up and down!  I’ve started calling my seven-month-old “my little kettlebell!”

Here are my top tips for participating in this year’s Pittsburgh Adventure Race:

1. Don’t do it if you are not ready.  It’s great to challenge yourself, but set realistic goals.  Getting injured only lengthens the time it will take to reach your goals.  Start smaller with just a 5K and remember to consult your doctor, particularly if you are postpartum.
2. Do it if you are not ready.  At the same time, if you think you are physically able, don’t let it intimidate you.  The great thing about the Adventure Race is that there are all sorts of people of many levels of athletic ability.
3. You don’t need fancy gear.  Yes, you need a kayak, but that is totally rentable.  You don’t need fancy gear to be a runner, paddler or biker.  Your bike does need to be in good working order and have multiple gears.  You do need a good pair of running shoes, and you should have done at least a few runs in them to make sure they are a good fit.
   Here are some highlights of what I wore in 2014: free Pirates baseball cap, old t-shirt and sports bra from Target, and I brought along gardening gloves (for kayaking).  When I was packing up for my 2014 race I couldn’t find my paddling gloves anywhere and ended up wearing a pair of gardening gloves to prevent blisters.

You can register for the Friends of the Riverfront Adventure Race here.  Have questions or want to let me know you’re registered?  Drop me a line!

We have about five weeks left til this year’s race, and I’d love to look for you out on the water at the start line and give you a high-five at the finish line!