What A Difference A Year Makes

On a daily basis these last few weeks, I have been reminded that its just xx amount of days away from the Flying Pig Marathon.

About this time last year, I was counting those days down in anxious anticipation of the Flying Pig. You see I was just a few short weeks away from flying to Cinncinati, OH to run the Flying Pig Half Marathon. It was also going to be the biggest meetup to date with my fellow 30 Somethings from CoolRunning. I was nervous, anxious and hopeful. I had only met two of the 30s prior so this would be a whole new experience for me. Sure I talked to these folks over the internet everyday for over a year, but now Id be face to face with them. Id get the voices, mannerisms, accents and the opportunity to have real conversations with them.

My training for the actual race had gone fairly well ( but it couldve been better ) I knew that if nothing flared up on me that my previous HM time of 2:35 in San Jose should get eclipsed. I was nervous in that the course in Cinci was hilly and me being from the bottom of a valley, hills just arent something I can easily prepare for. I just had it in my mind that I would do the best I could, get through the hills and see what happens.

Race day started out nice and cool. Original plan was to run with Kris, Beth, Joe and Nick. Those plans kinda got screwed up as Beth and I went out a bit fast and got separated for a while from the three of them. It was too long before Joe and Kris caught up with us. It was a great time running and shooting the breeze with them. We all pretty much stayed together until about the top of Eden Park. The hilly section of the course. I flat out ran out of gas just before the top of the hills and that was about the last time I saw any of them until near the finish line. I continued on. I wound up making up some time on the large down hill portion and wound up finishing pretty strong with a PR of 2:28. Sadly that my remain my pr for a long time. I wound up hurting my hip on that run and I havent been the same since. Some back issues have also crept up on me too. I managed to run a few more races after the Flying Pig and even completed another HM in Philly late last year. But since then I have taken some time off indefinately from running to try to heal up. Im hoping for a return to running after the summer lets up. I guess we shall see how it goes.

Ill always have fond memories of the Flying Pig 07. I definately had "my feet revvin on 5-6-7"

I dont know of anybody thats running the Flying Pig this year. I know I wont be. Theres a Gnormous meet up of 30's in Madison, WI on Memorial Day weekend for the full and half marathon, maybe Ill go crash the party :)