First, congratulations to Halbert Walston on his 200th marathon. After years of conflicts I finally got the chance to try the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati. The much ballyhooed “hills” were little to write home about. It is a moderately hilly marathon (less than Mad, Atlanta, San Francisco, but more than Pittsburgh and New York) through Cincinnati, Covington and Newport Kentucky, and associated neighborhoods. Lots of community support with seemingly endless food being handed out. With a relentless series of swine puns from the “hog wash” cooling showers, “pork and beans” station for jelly beans, to the “grunt” volunteer shirts. In my opinion the pig is not a marathon to be run for time, but enjoyment. Fun fact: Cincinnati is home to the first paid professional municipal fire department in the US. Previously fire brigades competed to be the first to respond to be paid by insurance companies. The poor, who had no insurance would lose their homes and the middle class might find the fire brigade had taken an advance on their payment by looting while extinguishing the blaze.
The Roebling Bridge pre-race. When built in 1866 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.
Let’s burn this mother down!
Not sure what kind of message they were trying to send with the giant inflatable toilet paper bear. Our expo is full of shit?
Ah the soft pigotry of low expectations…
That’s our data center in the distance. Can I write this off as a business trip now?
View from Eden Park about mile 7
The Hyde Park Mushroom House
Jackie Dryden takes it all in stride
A couple observations: don’t run a marathon with a prosthetic nose. It’s quite airflow limiting, and you’ll wind up with a lot of condensation and sweat up your nose. Also it freaks out dogs (minus) and some children (plus). Took a gamble on the shirt and jacket. Shirt fit perfectly. Jacket was enormux (new word, and we’re going to roll with it). Lastly, that was some good banana.
How they taunt me.
Celebratory raspberry cone from Graeter’s
There wasn’t much of a botanic garden in the zoo and botanic garden, but this orchid stood out.
Had to check out the flamingos, because where will I ever see a flamingo?
Last giraffe feeding time of the day.
Fiona, Cincy’s star juvenile hippo and her mom mugging for the camera.
This dude wasn’t allowed in the race because he’s a cheetah. *rimshot*
Hot day for a polar bear.
Even hotter day for the black bear.
Not usually a “show my hotel room off” kind of guy, but I don’t usually see a queen size bed and a queen size bunk bed either.
Tasteful front with sleeve decoration. The back has more sponsors than the Busch brothers (yes, that was a NASCAR reference.)
Bib is kind of dull.
The medal, pig butt on the obverse.
Angie and Larry crossing the Taylor Southgate bridge into Kentucky. “No pictures,” says Larry “I have warrants in Kentucky.”
Ed Childress, one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.
