I finished the Indy Mini Marathon on Saturday! Woohoo! All things considered*, I don't think I did that bad. [All things considered includes: the longest run I had was 8 miles - 3 or 4 weeks before the race, I only ran a total of an hour in the 2 weeks leading up to the race, my finals are this week and I've had no time to dedicate to training, my pre-race dinner the night before was 2 pieces of bread, a salad and some fried German food, and the morning of the race I forgot any and all energy boosters (powergel and these cool new electrolyte strips, similar to Listerine strips). I set out only with the intention to finish, regardless of time, but again, all things considered, for my first race, my 2:45:27 (12:38 pace) was good enough for me!
About the race:
What a spectacle - the largest mini-marathon in the nation! Between the mini-marathon, the 5K, and the wheelchair race, there were over 50,000 participants. People, people everywhere! I can't imagine everything that goes into making such an event (For a glimpse: http://www.500festival.com/marathon/FunFacts.asp). Actually running it was amazing. I was proud of myself for the accomplishment, but even within the first 3 miles (and definitely through all 13.1) I was truly inspired. Mile 2 of the race was along the same street as Mile 10/11 to finish the race - so not only did we get to see the Kenyan's who had started about an hour before and were finishing (literally...the 1st place male finished in 1:03. Less than 5:00 pace, no big deal), but I also saw one of the wheelchair participants. From what I could tell, the man had no legs but was racing with his all. Amazing. I saw an apparent father-son pair, with the father leading his blind son along the route. An old man (70+), nearly completely hunched over, being held on either side by family, helping him walk the distance. There was a group of firemen, dressed in full gear, masks and all, but running shoes instead of boots, walking their way. Plenty of cute old men and women, couples, young kids with their parents, groups of friends. What an amazing thing to see. People were racing for a variety of reasons. People living along the route literally came out and sat on their porch with their cowbells to cheer. There was entertainment all the way - singers, bands, preachers, posters, families, friends. There was also entertainment among the runners - one shirt: "Heavily medicated for your protection", funny hats (Dog ears: "We run for rescued dogs", candle sticks like a birthday cake, tiaras) - the whole 9 yards. It was truly incredible. Additionally, it was very patriotic, with soldiers overseas providing the countdown to start.
It was a great experience, regardless of the fact I was literally waddling back to the hotel afterward. I am so grateful Brad was able to be there to support and to spend the weekend. We had a fun time seeing Indianapolis, relaxing, shopping and eating at local restaurants (lots of good food!). All in all I would say the weekend was a success!
About the race:
What a spectacle - the largest mini-marathon in the nation! Between the mini-marathon, the 5K, and the wheelchair race, there were over 50,000 participants. People, people everywhere! I can't imagine everything that goes into making such an event (For a glimpse: http://www.500festival.com/marathon/FunFacts.asp). Actually running it was amazing. I was proud of myself for the accomplishment, but even within the first 3 miles (and definitely through all 13.1) I was truly inspired. Mile 2 of the race was along the same street as Mile 10/11 to finish the race - so not only did we get to see the Kenyan's who had started about an hour before and were finishing (literally...the 1st place male finished in 1:03. Less than 5:00 pace, no big deal), but I also saw one of the wheelchair participants. From what I could tell, the man had no legs but was racing with his all. Amazing. I saw an apparent father-son pair, with the father leading his blind son along the route. An old man (70+), nearly completely hunched over, being held on either side by family, helping him walk the distance. There was a group of firemen, dressed in full gear, masks and all, but running shoes instead of boots, walking their way. Plenty of cute old men and women, couples, young kids with their parents, groups of friends. What an amazing thing to see. People were racing for a variety of reasons. People living along the route literally came out and sat on their porch with their cowbells to cheer. There was entertainment all the way - singers, bands, preachers, posters, families, friends. There was also entertainment among the runners - one shirt: "Heavily medicated for your protection", funny hats (Dog ears: "We run for rescued dogs", candle sticks like a birthday cake, tiaras) - the whole 9 yards. It was truly incredible. Additionally, it was very patriotic, with soldiers overseas providing the countdown to start.
It was a great experience, regardless of the fact I was literally waddling back to the hotel afterward. I am so grateful Brad was able to be there to support and to spend the weekend. We had a fun time seeing Indianapolis, relaxing, shopping and eating at local restaurants (lots of good food!). All in all I would say the weekend was a success!
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