Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon - RunMarathon

The "plan" was to start with the 3:50 pace group through the hill and then try to gain a minute or two on them before the half. This would set Natalie up for a shot at 3:45. I'd hang on as long as possible (hopefully somewhere between 13-20 miles) before fading. I figured I could probably hold on for <4 even with the hills. It was raining and people were dancing around the puddles on the road. I kept thinking "you need to run an ultra...you're gonna have wet feet sometime during those..." We stayed with the pace group for the first 3 miles when I lost Natalie at a water station. The pace group got ahead of me in mile 4 and I knew I was working way too hard at that point. I held on for 2 more miles, at which time they were probably 45 seconds ahead of me at the start of the climb. I'd already lost Natalie, so I switched gears a little and continued up the hill trying to keep my HR between 170 and 180 (so I'd run until it hit 180 and then walk until it was down around 170 before I started running again). This gave me 20-30 seconds of fast walking every 3-4 minutes. I made it to the top without seeing Natalie. I had to pee, and when someone exited a porta-pot and nobody was between me and the empty loo, I stopped. Hit mile 7 at 1:03 (1-2 minutes behind "the plan"). Felt the start of a hot spot under the ball of my left foot around mile 10, but otherwise cruised through miles 9--16 without much drama. Same strategy as the hill, walk if my HR hit 180 and run again when it dropped. Drank some gatorade about miles 7, 12, and 15 and walked during those breaks too. About mile 16-17, Natalie comes up behind me while I'm walking up a hill and asks if my plan included walking. I told her "yup" and ran some more. She dropped back. Somewhere around mile 18 or 19, the 4:00 pace group passed me and I thought "I'll hang with them." That thought lasted a whole 10 seconds, but I did manage to stay with them up through mile 20. My legs were starting to tighten up and the walk breaks started to occur outside the hills and water stations. Around mile 18 or 19, I start to get cold during a walk break and the rain has almost stopped. I hit mile 20 at 3:03 or so and knew I'd need a 56-minute 10K to hit 4 hours. The pace group was ahead of me and slowly pulling away and I just couldn't move my legs fast enough to catch or keep up with them. I let them go and a mile or so later, as I'm walking, I hear "Mike...Mike???" and I look back and see Natalie, Bob, and Derek behind me. I start to jog again and they start laughing (I know...they're going to catch me...) They catch up to me and we run together. They say they're walking the water stations which sounds like a plan to me. I walk through the next aid station and when they catch up to me, they explain that "walk" is "walk slowly..." We walk and run the last 4 miles. I want to run the last mile, but meet gravity on a small but horribly placed hill, so we walk a bit more before running in the last quarter mile or so. I see Natalie's family a couple hundred yards from the finish and Derek and Natalie take off ahead of Bob and I. I see Beth about 100 yards from the finish. Bob and I manage a feeble jog across the finish line, but I'll take it!

I knew going in that 3:45 was going to be a real stretch given our lack of long runs and the weather. Would I have been able to hang with the 4:00 pace group for the whole race? Maybe. That (and a cool-weather venue) will be part of my next marathon strategy.

Stood around in the recovery area with Natalie, Bob, and Derek until I was completely stiff. Got finisher pictures taken, hobbled back to the hotel for an ice bath and shower.


Lack of long runs (I missed 2 weeks of running in March with a trip to India and my long run 3-weeks out). Race-day weather (the rain helped keep me from overheating, but made for heavy feet). The extra 10 pounds of "winter weight." Race strategy to support Natalie's quest for <3:45.

I wouldn't trade the trip for more long runs. I still set a PR (since it's my first marathon) in spite of the race strategy designed for Natalie. I can't control the weather, so the only thing I'd really change is the 10 pounds.


Lots of volunteers and spectators in spite of the wet weather. I don't know what else they had post-race as most people weren't hanging around very long.