I'd totally run Cincinnati again....when pigs fly!

(I had to edit this post, once the back of the medal was brought to my attention...love it!)

Oh my! This was one hog of a course. Who new Cincinnati and parts of Northern Kentucky were so hilly? Certainly not me. I expected one big climb for a mile or so, but I was not prepared for the rolling hills. Uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill...over and over and over. I longed for a stretch that would be flat like a slice of bacon. Hell, I longed for a slice of bacon.

Speaking of pork, I had my pre-race meal at a gastropub in the downtown area, Nicholson's. I ordered a 9-hour braised pork shank that just fell off the bone. Need I say more? They had a really great looking menu and was sad that I didn't get a chance to try the fried pickles. They also have a serious selection of scotch and beers if that stuff fits your fancy. I did try this delicious Breckenridge Vanilla Porter. Apparently they make this thing called an Oreo Cookie that is a mix of the vanilla porter and Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Sadly, two pints of beer might have been too much before a race, so I didn't get to try it. But if an Oreo Cookie and some scotch isn't enough of a reason to get you in there next time you're in Cinci, the waiters also wear kilts.

I arrived Saturday in Cincinnati and the weather was perfect. Sunny, warm. The downtown area was busier than I had anticipated, probably because of the race and I think there was a Reds game that evening. At night, in Fountain Square outside my hotel, there were big screens on the side of business that were broadcasting the game. Lots of fans there in Cincinnati just hanging around the glowing fountain watching the game.

Sunday, the weather was a different story. The race started in darkness at 6:30 a.m. in front of the Paul Brown Stadium. It was raining, although the temperature was warm. Warm rain isn't so bad...until your shoes get soaked and you can feel your feet getting pruny and blistery. The rain did let up, but not before my feet were wet!

Aside from the rolling hills, the course was pretty nice. It was well organized with plenty of aid stations. Early in the course, we ran into Kentucky, through Newport and Covington. When I saw the sign that said "Welcome to Kentucky" my first thought was, hmmm....can I count this as Kentucky and Ohio? But considering only a few miles were spent there, I figured it wouldn't be fair to count Kentucky. We headed back into Cincinnati and through some of the surrounding 'burbs, like Fairfax and Mariemont. The big climb I anticipted was mostly through Eden Park. It was a pretty scenic part of the race, and I was disappointed that I didn't have time to stop and enjoy the Butterflies of Brazil exhibit at the conservatory. I was also disappointed we didn't run past the zoo so I could steal my new little penguin pet, already named Pip by my roommate. We ran through all parts of the city, from nice areas to not-so-nice areas. But there were spectators , aka "Squealers," along almost every part of the course, even despite the rain. Unfortunately, the last stretch of the race was on a not-so-scenic part of the course. And by this time, I was in a whole heck of a lot of pain. Those downhills sure do a number on the ol' knees! I don't really remember being in that much pain since my first marathon. I was squealing like a pig those last couple of miles. But somehow, once I saw that Finish Swine (yes, that is what they call the finish line), and was running through the lane with all the Squealers cheering, I was able to pick up some speed and fly like a pig that last mile to finish with a respectable 4:11:05. Not my best, but certainly not my worst. And considering it was so porking difficult, I'm more than happy with my finish. Plus, I love my awesome piggy medal. Check out the back of this medal!

So if you fellow runners are looking for a challenging marathon, the Flying Pig Marathon is for you. Oddly, this one was listed by Runner's World as one of the 10 best marathons for first-timers. www.active.com/running/Articles/10-Best-Marathons-for-First-Timers.htm. To be quite frank, if this were my first marathon, I don't know if I would run another ever again! Yesterday, I was almost ready to say eight is enough!

My co-runner (who barely beat me) and I celebrated with a post race beer at the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, Kentucky. This is apparently an offical Munich Hofbrauhaus sanctioned establishment, not to be confused with those other imposter Hofbrauhauses around the world. Pretzels with bier cheese, brauts, kraut and mashed pototaes did a good job of replenshing all those nutrients lost during the race. Again, fried pickles on the menu that I did not get to try. Note to self, dine with people in the future that like fried pickles.