I'll run a half marathon...when pigs fly!

So I did it! It's over.

13.1 miles. 2 hours and 11 minutes.

Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon.

The race went really well. I finished at a 10 minute mile pace. That's pretty much exactly where I wanted to finish. The hardest part was the mental game that one plays as they are running for 13 miles. Physically, the toughest part of the race was around mile 8/9. Knowing that I was more than halfway was reassuring, but thinking that I still had 5 miles left was tricky!

So here's what I did...
Throughout the race there was A LOT to take in. I made a mental list of all the cool things that I saw. I tried to remember things that I wanted to share with everyone. I kept going over the list, forward and backward, in my head. When the going got tough...I repeated my list to make sure that I remembered EVERYTHING!

So here's the list, remembered especially so that I can share with all of you. In order of appearance:

1. The back of a shirt read: the day that swine flu 2. I was running underneath an overpass where a sign read "CONGRATS [to someone] for 11 consecutive years running the Pig." 3. Calf muscles. I've never seen so many people with such huge calves! 4. Pigs In Tutus. There were a few people who ran in tutus with wings, and wands...one of them was male! 5. Umbrella Hat. It was raining and dark at 5:30a.m. when Nathan and I left his apartment. About mile 34 I saw a guy running with an umbrella hat. Amusing. 6. Giant Budweiser Bottle. There was a man carrying one of those enlarged piggy banks. Inspiration for some. 7. The back of another shirt read: 26.2 miles without a beer... 8. Big Daddy's Cafe. In honor of Ken Whitfield (MUC connection). 9. Sexy. Around mile 4 some guy next to me yelled at the top of his lungs, "All you sexy people yell Ohhh!" He didn't get many "Ohhh's". 10. Welcome to Ohio. Who can really say they've run to Kentucky and back? The course went across the river into Kentucy. It was pretty amusing running across the state border and reading the Welcome to Ohio sign. 11. Pigtails. People wore pigtails in their hair and pig tails pinned to their bottoms. 12. You Love Hills. So miles 5-8 are the toughest part of the race because of the huge hills involved. One spectator was holding up a small sign that read: YOU LOVE HILLS. Funny. 13. The back of 4 shirts read: "Run a-day bride." They were wearing veils. 14. Elvis. There was an Elvis impersonator. Enough said. 15. The back of 3 shirts read: PIG 1, PIG 2, PIG 3. Running a half marathon is NOTHING like a fairytale. 16. A Clap. Fun music was playing, some guy started a clap. Good Vibes! 17. Free High 5's. A big sign! Worth a Smile (even at mile 10ish). 18. Traffic Sign. Steep grade, use low gear. Mile 10 and on is mostly downhill.The sign up top was probably my favorite one along the course!

Thanks to everyone who offered support through the process. This was a fun goal to set. It was even more fun to accomplish. Another thing to check off my list! :)