2010 Cincinnati Flying Pig

Well, I did it. I braved the torrential downpour of the Cincinnati Flying Pig, along with 6,500 other runners, and muscled through with wet shoes for 26.2 miles. There’s really nothing like an intense lightening and thunder storm, along with a power outage to get your adrenaline pumping before the start of a race.  But the Cincinnati Flying Pig, like each race I’ve run in its own special way, reminded me why I love this sport and the people who partake in it. Amidst the heavy downpour, lightening and thunder of the early morning hour, the atmosphere of the Flying Pig crowd was excited and uplifting. People joked about needing flippers instead of  running shoes, and how we should get credit for a dualathalon because we’d be swimming through puddles. Nervous laughs mingled with reassuring words of advice as we waited for the start, and despite my completely drenched shoes, hair, and soon to be clothes (as soon a I ditched the garbage bag poncho), I was able to feed off the energy of other participants and stay excited for the challenge that lay ahead.

My Uncle Dennis, an experienced Pig and seasoned runner, drove me along the course the night before so I thought I was mentally prepared for the hills I’d be facing.  Somehow they still managed to be steeper and longer and more frequent than I anticipated, but in the end, I think the challenge of running hills actually helped my time. I took an extremely conservative pace for the first portion and all through “The Climb” which was about a 3 mile stretch with over 300 feet of vertical climb. Dennis had also pointed out a bridge that would signal the end of the climb, and it was an incredible relief to see the overpass in the distance. After the stretch of hills, I felt surprisingly great, and as I continued to count off miles, my pace continued to quicken. I’d never thought to attempt negative splits. The only technique I’ve ever had in mind was to hold onto a respectable pace for as long as possible and then just hope to finish. But this time I was actually speeding up!

The rain continued to come down throughout the entire race, which looking back, was ideal. Had it stopped I would have become more aware of the heat and humidity, as well as the chaffing going at the neck of my shirt which I never actually noticed until taking it off. Thank you Body Glide for sparing the rest of my skin that ugly experience!

The last two miles were incredible. The race had gone by so much faster than the  Chicago Marathon had. I had yet to walk other than the occasional water break, and I knew I was going to beat my Chicago time. I also knew that I had the energy in me to not only finish, but to blow through that finish line- so I did. It felt like a dead sprint to my exhausted legs, but looking back at the footage, I was probably doing that last stretch at a modest 8:30 pace. Still, I felt like I was flying, right through the “finish swine”. The clock read about 4:23 so without considering the difference in clock time and chip time, I had already beat my previous marathon by thirteen minutes.

The whole Purcell family was there moments after I finished. (Being well-versed in the experience of marathons, I’m guessing they knew to give me those first few moments to steady my swaying body and not throw up.) But then there they were, and there is nothing like seeing family after a race to make you want to cry. The combination of exhaustion and elation was overwhelming and I could barely believe I was actually done.

After receiving my official results, I was even happier- having beat my Chicago time by 18 minutes. My pipe dream of qualifying for Boston doesn’t seem all that impossible with the reassurance that I can improve, and I am now more determined to do so.

Sub-4:00 Chicago Marathon 2010? Why the Hell not.

***Thank you SOOO much to my Uncle Dennis, Aunt Holly, and my cousins Hillary, Stacy, Erin, and Tim. Uncle Dennis (a previous Boston qualifier) has been a huge source of inspiration and motivation, and the entire family helped make the experience in Cincinnati a delight! I’m so happy to have shared in that with all of you!!