2009 Flying Pig Race Report from Kate Bentfield

Flying Pig 2009- my second marathon. Had high hopes for this one since Cleveland last year was coming off a sprained ankle and I didn't really run the race I would have liked.But now I was injury free, training was going great. I ran some ass kicking hills in preparation for this hilly race, and my nutrition was almost perfect! Not only was I running this race with my best friend, but also to raise money for families dealing with autism- a struggle I know about first hand. So I couldn't have been more excited or prepared for this race!! It was going to be THE race for me.

And then I woke up Thurs. morning sick. I spent the next 3 days loading up on vitamins etc.. and sleep! I'm now feeling a little anxious about racing, but I would have to be on my death bed to not do it. Just kept going over my race plan and intention statement.

It's race morning, and I'm still not feeling great, which has me a little worried. And, everything that could have gone wrong did, starting the night before. It was a rough start, which kicked stress levels into high gear!! My HR was sky high, and my negative thoughts were trying to push into overdrive! Feeling like everything was falling apart after months and months of hard work.
We got to the first set of bathrooms, and the line was CRAZY long, and not stopping wasn't an option at this point, and there was no place to duck and cover. It was a blessing in disguise! I decided at that point that instead of standing there bitching about the line being so long and worrying about how it would affect my race even further, I was going to use this time to regroup and refocus. I made the decision at that point that these events were not going to ruin my race. I told myself that it was time to STOP! Get over yourself. I've trained hard enough physically and mentally and I knew I could overcome it. I changed my race strategy, and decided to REALLY hold back at the beginning so I'd have enough left to finish strong. We started running again, and I just kept repeating my mantras, and stayed present. All of a sudden, everything else started to slip away. I was present and focused and feeling good!!
We got to the top of the first hill, and I actually said out loud, that was it?? It was so much easier than expected! My momentum was really swinging in a positive direction now, and my HR was spot on! I knew all my training, especially the mental preparation was paying off. The second hill came and went with just as much ease.

Before I knew it we were at mile 20. my HR was way low, and other than a few minor aches, I was actually feeling really good! What a change from last year. I was so in the zone and focused. I knew that now was the time to really turn it up and kick into high gear to make up for my slow start. At this point, however, Lisa was really struggling and hurting. I remember being where she was last year at my first race. I remembered how much it meant to me that Angela was there last year to help me get through those last six miles. So I stayed there with Lisa and talked her through. We crossed the finish line together! I looked up to see that I had still PR'd last years time despite running a slower race than what I was planning. It wasn't the time I'd hoped for, but it didn't really matter. I had overcome so much, and finished so strong and feeling good. Just knowing that I could have run faster and finished sooner was enough for me.

I accomplished so much more than a better finish time. This race became about so much more than just the race itself, and I learned so much about myself. Things that I will carry with me going forward. All this makes me even more thankful for my family support and for Angela and all her great coaching. They make this possible for me.