Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Flying Pig Wrap Up and Bullshit Runners

Don't worry, Sarah, this is going to be a nice post!  I know you didn't think so with the title as you probably thought "Oh Jeez, what is she going to say and who is she going to piss off... again... now let me go get some coffee and watch the spectacle unfold...."  On the contrary.  This is going to be a lighthearted recap of Sunday's "long run" (yeah, sure) with a few thoughts about the competitive runner mindset.

The Flying Pig Marathon was my most favorite to date.  Before Sunday, I would have to say it was New York (which I forgot about in my previous post when I said Indy... so now that is in third place).  New York, being my first, will always have a special place in my heart.  I suppose I should mention that I also loved last year's Air Force since I ran it with John, his first (don't want to get myself in hot water here).  The Pig is special for many reasons.  First of all, for the past 6 years (7 Pigs), it has been run as part of Team Mitch.  So Mitch being the focus of the race made it special to begin with.  I have participated each year.  The first year was as a cheerleader since I was 4 months pregnant and in no shape to run a marathon.  I've been a relay team member, a half marathoner, a full marathoner and a DNF.  So I've had the well rounded Pig experience.

This year my plan was to run the race as a Boston Qualifier.  It's weird to say I'm glad it didn't work out that way, but I'm glad it didn't work out that way.  I am not glad I got hurt to begin with.  But I am glad that it provided me the opportunity to run it relaxed and with two terrific friends of mine, Sarah and Suttan.  Now, let's define "relaxed".  Relaxed does not mean it was easy.  It wasn't easy.  And anyone that tells you that a marathon is easy is either lying or just has the most ridiculously hard life that a marathon IS actually easy to them... or they are an ultra runner or an elite who logs over 100 miles a week, but not the normal population I am referring to.  Are there times when one marathon experience was easier or more pleasant than others?  Sure there are.  But no matter what pace you are running 26.2 miles, even if it is snail pace for you, there are moments during that distance that are tough.  Calling a marathon "tough" does not mean that you had to have hit the wall hard.  I ran three "easy" marathons last fall.  They were definitely enjoyable and pleasant experiences, but there were tough moments.  I was always happy to cross that finish mat, I always disliked mile 19 and I always limped back to my car.  Here is the magic that the experienced marathoner holds that the first timer doesn't though... the experienced marathoner knows you  almost always can push past a tough point, a rookie does not.  The experienced marathoner knows that blistered toes, an aching back and hips do not mean you are empty and can't go on.  The rookie does not.  The experienced marathoner has done enough long runs to know that you can start a run thinking "Oh hell no...not today..." only to continue trudging along and finding yourself in a place where it actually feels pretty effortless.  The rookie does not.  On Sunday, I experienced all these things, yet still loved the marathon because I have enough experience with running long (not just races, but training runs too) to know that the discomforts were par for the course.  It was also a gorgeous day, I was running with the gals, we had great crowd support and there were moments it was effortless (the downhill moments, of course).  So I was completely relaxed and in a marathon setting, as I've stated before, that is huge for me.

But what I love about the rookie distance runner is their lack of need to prove anything to anyone.  They are usually pretty honest about their experience..."Oh God that was the most horrible thing I have ever done and I felt like hell and my time is embarrassing, but I am so happy to be alive I could cry.  And crossing the finish line was life changing so I just signed up for 3 more...."  Ahhhh, refreshing!  The experienced marathoner or half marathoner (please note I am including myself in this lot... I have a huge ego when it comes to running) has quite different recall.  Take for example my wonderful brother Jack..."You know what?  That was soooo easy.  I could have done it twice.  I think I'll go downtown right now and run it again.  What?  My time?  Oh well I just thought "what the heck, I'm having such a great time I actually want to prolong this experience.  Yeah, that's it..."  Yep... that is the experienced marathoner for ya!  And to prove I'm not picking on anyone without picking on myself, I will admit I was mortified that anyone would have thought that my Pig time was a PR.  I mean, what an insult!!  So I just HAD to post on Facebook that is wasn't.  The funny thing is my PR is only 12 minutes faster but by my post you'd think I was in the olympics or something.

So here is my new outlook on my own marathoning:  I am going to try hard to be real about my experiences.  By inflating the joy of the experience (even though in a different way it really is joyful, hence the record numbers to distance races each year), we make others feel bad or less than.  No Jack, I didn't feel less than when you recapped... because all I know is I clocked a better time :)  Nor is Jack's intention to EVER make anyone feel "less than".  Jack is a genuinely kind runner who loves to help others and loves to see others do well (with a BIG ego also).  And I suppose than having run 2 100 mile races and several 50 milers and 50k's, maybe it was perspective and recall of some terrible feeling ultras that made him really perceive the Flying Pig as "AWESOME FEELING!"  But dude, you just can't say that stuff to the normal population... particularly the aching, exhausted runner who just ran one leg of the relay in the marathon you just ran.  See what I'm saying?

I'll tell you right now I had some rough moments on Sunday.  Beginning with mile 3 when I thought..."Please warm up soon... we are actually running an easy pace".  Onward to mile 14..."Wow, this is the best day ever..." and mile 15..."This Sucks.  Where is the finish?" and mile 16 "Oh HEY, there's my friend Chrissy manning the water stop HI CHRISSSYYYY"... and mile 19... I've never liked you, mile 19"... and mile 20.5...."Shit!  Right shin please PLEASE go away...Mitch, quit laughing!"... and mile 24... "I HATE marathoning... hey Sarah, remind me that Calvary was harder on Jesus than this, would ya?"... and mile 26.2..."That was so awesome... BEST MARATHON EVER!"  There is actually a youtube video that mimics those exact sentiments and it is spot on.  Now how that could ever translate to "I felt great the whole way and had no discomfort whatsoever", I'm not sure.  But somehow it does for many of us.  The beauty of that race was that through all of it, I could hold a decent and steady pace despite what my brain was saying to me.  The magic is in shutting the brain up for a bit.  That is the "IT WAS AWESOME!" part of that race.  We need to let that be known a little more.


The overall experience of Sunday's run was memorable and awesome.  And I'll go on record as saying that I intend to run it relaxed and fun every year and not as a race.  I will save the racing for the flat PRish looking courses.  Call me a sissy... don't care.  What counts is the chip time.  The BAA isn't going to sit around and be impressed at the elevation chart I send them to make them more impressed that I qualified on a "hard course" (I think I once actually let myself think they would be... stupid!)  No matter who tells you the Pig is flat after Eden Park, do not believe them.  It has sneaky hills than creep up everywhere along the way.  The elevation chart is a big fat lie!  So save yourself the heartache and race yourself to death on an "easy" course.  I promise it will still be very hard.  And without question, WILL.BE.AWESOME!!!