If Yogi Berra had been a marathon runner and not a baseball player, he might have said: “Eighty percent of the marathon is half mental.”

        Or something like that.

        It's hard to quantify in numbers, but running a 26.2-mile marathon wears on the mind almost as much as the body.

HOW TO REGISTER

You can register for the Flying Pig or the Papa John's Flying Pig 5 Mile at flyingpigmarathon.com or by calling 513-721-PIGS.

        “Every person I train, I tell them it's more mental than physical,” Karen Cosgrove said.

        Sunday's Flying Pig Marathon will be Cosgrove's 68th marathon. She coaches another 290 runners who will participate Sunday as part of the Team in Training program. So Cosgrove knows the marathon from both sides.

        Cosgrove said the vast majority of runners should not worry about speed.

        “The first goal should be to finish,” she said. “Don't put that extra stress on yourself by setting a time goal. If you shoot for a time, you can get in trouble.”

        T.J. Lentz has run 30 marathons. He has run as fast as a 2:17. But he has had his share of rough runs.

        “Out of 30, I'd say I've run four well,” he said. “You have to do the training physically, but the mental approach is important, too.”

        John Sence, Lentz's training partner and Cincinnati's top marathoner, said there is one certainty during a marathon: “At some point, you're going to hurt a lot.”

        That's when it's decision time.

        “You've got to back off your pace and try to work through it,” Sence said. “When you're out for a two- to four-hour span, you're going to have peaks and valleys. A lot of handling that is mental.”

        Top marathoners such as Lentz and Sence can find the same troubles as middle- and back-of-the-packers can. Both struggled to finish at the Olympic Trials last year when a combination of a fast pace and hot weather sapped them.

        Weather plays a huge role in a marathon. The warmer it is, the harder it is to run a fast time. Last year's Flying Pig was in almost perfect running weather as the high never hit 50 degrees. Two years ago, the high was almost 80. The difference was hundreds of runners ended up in the medical tents two years ago. Last year, only 20 to 30 needed medical attention.

        “You've got to be smart,” Cosgrove said.

        And the hardest time to be smart is at the start.

        “Adrenaline plays a tremendous part on marathon day,” Cosgrove said. “If you go to the starting line knowing you did your homework, you can use that. Don't expect too much. Do the best you can. Run smartly and at your pace.”

        Cosgrove's first marathon 24 years ago was a memorable one. She wouldn't recommend her preparation, but her attitude was perfect.

        “The most I had ever run at one time was 6 miles,” she said. “It was the Terre Haute Marathon. It was like 85 degrees and sunny. I had no idea of what I was getting into. But I started and I was going to finish.

        “It was a great marathon experience.”

Cities to face off in Flying Pig Challenge

Sports Stories

Magic lingers around Cauthen Baffert basks in Derby's glare Kentucky Derby notebook Marathoners preach patience, pace OSU football recruit dies College sports notebook Cincinnati high school highlights Cincinnati baseball results Cincinnati softball results Cincinnati tennis results Cincinnati track results Other Cincinnati results Ohio baseball poll N.Ky. high school highlights Ohio softball poll N.Ky. baseball results N.Ky. softball results N.Ky. tennis results N.Ky. track results

Reds 7, Dodgers 6
Will Deion stay past kickoff?
Will OF crunch prompt trade?
Casey should return quickly
Newcomer Clark already turning heads
Boone drills outfielders on throws
Reds box, runs
XU brings search back home
Point guard to visit UC
Satterfield struggled with decision
Logan wins UC MVP
Bengals, Ross agree on 1-year deal
Spikes will miss minicamp