March of the Flying War Pigs

Less than a week left until the Flying Pig Half Marathon!  It's time to get my running mix on. This year I decided to go 100% kick ass rock and roll. "You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention." That's exactly what I did Rob. Thunderstruck blows it up and makes me want to kick somebody in the teeth every time. "Then you got to take it up a notch..." Listen Rob this is my mix, my rules. I decided to cool it off a bit with a mid-tempo bar brawling rocker. Then I bumped it up 3 notches with my fist in your face, and your face on the floor.  You get the point.

I took the mix for a 6 mile test run this morning and it does indeed totally kick ass. I found myself having to slow it down a bit to meet my goal pace. That is a very good sign. Then I punched a squirrel in the face.  I knew the mix was ready. That squirrel should have never stepped to me. Welcome to the jungle squirrel. You're gonna diiiiiiiieeee.

B-EE-RR-UN

This blog post and Flying Pig Run is brought to you in technicolor by the refreshing taste of MGD Light 64

Look for me on race day drinkin' a beer and wearing this shirt

I am a master practitioner procrastinator and occasionally it really pays off. I've been getting regular email newsletters from The Flying Pig Marathon for years. Every year they countdown to race weekend with an email of updates and information everyday.  

22 days to go: Pig Out Saturday Night! Hell yeah I will.
21 days to go: Mail in entries are closed! Oh crap I haven't signed up for the half marathon yet.  
20 days to go: It's Miller Time at the Pig! Time out. Flying pig says what?


The first 64 to show up and sign up at O'Bryon's in O'Bryonville on Tuesday night, April 13th from 6-8 p.m. can be part of the MGD 64 running team!


I am so there...and I was. After a quick stop at the Running Spot to pick up some shoes....

 I love you Cumulus

 

I rolled across the street at about 4:45 to be sure that I was early enough to get a spot. Turns out I wasn't the only one that was determined. I was the second person to show up. One determined runner had been waiting since 3 pm. Dedicated procrastinator. My kind of person.  


All I had to do was hang out drink a few free Miller MGD 64s and sign up for the race...also free. All I have to do is wear the team shirt (up above) on race day. Done and done. Hell, they can hand me an MGD 64 during the race and I'll drink it down with a smile on my face and a big thumbs up. Aaaahhh refreshing.   

"Sometimes you eat the bear...."

"...and sometimes, well, he eats you."

Were there any truer words spoken than these by The Stranger? I think not. In the Heart Mini-Marathon the bear is Torrence Parkway. You are, well, you, the runner. A lot of people get eaten by the bear. New comers are surprised to find the bear between mile 5 and 6. Actually, the bear finds them...and eats them. If you run the 15k be warned. Torrence the bear awaits, and he is hungry.

I take great pains to not get eaten by Torrence. That means eating a weekly dose of bears for approximately 6 weeks leading up to the race. Bears are tough, chewy, salty and tiresome to eat, but it's all worth it race day. What am I talking about? I think I've beaten the metaphor into the ground.

The 33rd running of the Heart Mini-Marathon has come and gone once again. I went into this year's race with not much in the way of expectations. I wanted to run well, but didn't expect to set any personal records. This was a test race leading up to the Flying Pig Half Marathon in a few weeks. I wanted to try to maintain around a 7 minute/mile pace with something left in the tank at the end. It all went very well. I finished up at 1:06:04, which is a 7:07 pace. Perfect. It's a hilly course just like the pig at a faster pace than my last half marathon.

What's more perfect was the delicious Mokka french toast which was devoured after the race. Fast times are nice, but brunch with friends is what it's all about.