500 Festival Mini Marathon, Take 2...

Well, adrenal fatigue or not, I had registered months ago for the 500 Festival Mini Marathon! This would be my second year running, and another chance to run alongside my running buddy. Since we usually have to be supportive from afar, and because this race is just plain FUN, I wasn't going to back out.

I entered the weekend with no expectations. After all, I'd run my marathon 3 weeks ago, I am currently dealing with adrenal fatigue, and I'd basically only run 5Ks since the marathon.

We hopped in the car for a 5 hour jaunt South to Indianapolis. After a stop at Eric's house to unload the car, and introduce our 60 pound dog to his two 12 pound dogs (ours was terrified of his, go figure), we headed to the Expo.

Indy gets the Expo right. It is BIG, there are lots of shopping options, some fun samples, and it all flows smoothly. Walk up, get bib, take fun photo, convince friend to run full marathon...

Oh, yeah. I made sure to walk Eric right up to the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon booth and have a little chat with their representatives.   I've already registered for the November 1 marathon, and am trying to fundraise for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research again. I'd really appreciate your support! Eric has been talking for a while about wanting to do a marathon, so I figured a hometown race we could run together, that has received GREAT reviews, would be a great opportunity. And I convinced him.   I also convinced him to buy some calf compression sleeves from CEP finally. But that's just because I am wise and all-knowing...

Obligatory Expo photo...

Race morning dawned bright-ish, and not so early...  They tested a wave start at the Mini Marathon this year, and our Wave wouldn't step off until 8:15. Add to that the fact that Eric lives very close and has guaranteed downtown parking, and we "slept in" until about 6!  We needed a brief stop at CVS, because I forgot deodorant, but compared to forgetting my shorts AND sports bra last year, I still came out ahead!

The wave start was a great idea for a race so packed (usually 35,000 runners). There seemed to be much less of a crowd outside the corrals, the lines for the port-a-pottys were shorter, etc.  I did jump out of our corral for a last second pee. Security threatened to make me go way back to the back, but thankfully, other runners weren't going for that and popped the fence open.

The day started chilly, but by the time we took off, the clouds were gone, and it was warming up fast with all the sun. A LOT of people are either inexperienced or just silly because they were wearing tights, jackets, etc. I saw a girl pull her fleece top off exactly one minute after we crossed the start. I can't imagine carrying that for 13.1 miles.  I had stuck with my marathon outfit... shorts, Team Fox singlet, and arm warmers, which worked very well as the sun continued to rule the day. 

The wave start worked very well. There was the usual jostling at the front. Somehow, it never dawns on people to move back a few (or several) corrals if they haven't trained, and you always run into walkers almost immediately, but within a mile, we had spread out nicely. This year, I only felt crowded at a few choke points, so I hope they keep the wave. 

Eric started strong, and I had a few early moments of panic where I thought he would PR, and I would fall out! But, I think it served me well to have no expectations. When I felt a little panic at Mile 4, I reminded myself that I have a well-known mental Wall between mile 4 and 5, and if I could just get past that, it'd be easy through Mile 9. (I was totally right). 

The course is fun. After weaving through some neighborhood streets, you go through a very short boring section and then enter the town of Speedway. The first sign is always the Allison Transmission "Pit Stop". Their building is right outside Main Street in Speedway and they man a fun water stop, full of energy. Main Street is always full of people cheering and giving high-fives, and then you turn into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Entering the track is the only real hill on the entire course, but the Indiana University cheerleaders were at the top, which made things easier!

Some people hate this part of the race because it's "boring", but I actually enjoy it. There's just enough novelty to keep your mind off things, they bring high school cheer teams, and you get to dodge people at the Yard of Bricks.  This is also where I realized I was feeling very, very good, and Eric was fading. At Mile 8, I asked him if he had any fuel, since I had just taken my second (I like an every-4-mile policy) and he hadn't. Nope, he forgot to bring any!   Luckily, I'd brought an extra Island Boost, just in case I needed it.  Despite his reluctance to try it at the Martian Marathon, here, he found himself very grateful for it, and it worked! Fast fuel, no upset tummy, happy running buddy. 

You run through a couple 'rougher' neighborhoods as you get to the end. Not bad at all, and actually the crowd support is great. Almost every house had someone cheering on the porch, most louder than other neighborhoods!

As we passed Mile 10, Eric was definitely fading. The sun was hot, he admittedly hadn't trained as well as before. We were walking each water stop, and he was trying to walk earlier and longer. I found myself full of energy, and being "that girl".  At Mile 10, I yelled, "Woo-hoo!! Nothing left but a 5K!!!" and after no response, "Why aren't people smiling anymore??"  Luckily, that got a few laughs. 

I kept encouraging Eric to bring it in strong, run hard for the water, and then I'd let him walk a bit longer after. I promised him beer if he kept going, and found myself cheering, clapping, yelling, and pushing for the last 3.1 miles. There were several times he slowed to a walk and I cheering him into continuing. I surprised myself, and I couldn't be happier for it. After the last few weeks, I had honestly expected to fall out and have to walk myself, not be the one with energy leftover. 

We finished 1 minute short of a PR, which neither of us expected. The medals this year were awesome, the post-race party rocking, and the beers we had at lunch were perfect. What can I say? I love the Mini. The shirt this year is tech without being 'tech'... it doesn't look tech, and I can wear it around town. Finally!!!!   I wish every race would go back to a cotton shirt. I will never run in your race shirt. Ever. But I *would* wear it around town, doing yardwork, to sleep in, etc. The water stops are perfect. More than enough. Other races could definitely learn from Indy. And the crowd support just can't be beat. 

Only disappointment?  MarathonFoto once again has no pictures of me. Meanwhile, they have like 20 pictures of each person who walked. I know there are 35,000 of us, but c'mon man!

Another successful 500 Festival Mini Marathon in the books...

Looking forward, I don't have any more races until October, and will probably keep it that way. Marathon training begins June 15, and until then, I'm letting my husband program my workouts with a weight-lifting/strength focus. I'll be looking to PR my squat, bench press, shoulder press and deadlift, as well as run 3 times per week, with two 5Ks and a 4-6 mile "long" run to keep my running abilities up. 

Have you run the Mini? What are your summer workout plans? Any races coming up?

Race Recap: 500 Festival Mini Marathon

16 weeks ago, I decided to run a half marathon. Saturday, I ran it. I'm happy to report that I accomplished my goal, which was to run without stopping. I finished in a time of 2:21:11, with a pace of 10:47. I placed 14,940 out of 30,096 finishers. Yup, I'm average. And totally OK with it. 

Here's my recap of raceday...

We started bright and early Friday morning, loading packed bags, puppy, puppy supplies, and ourselves into the Jeep for the 5-ish hour drive to Indianapolis. I'd made lists, I had checked them twice (more on that later...), and off we went. 

We stopped off to pick up my mom, who had decided less than a week earlier to fly in and cheer for me! After a stop for lunch, we dropped pup and mom at the hotel and headed off to the packet pickup and race expo.  Pickup was insanely smooth. And by smooth, I mean, no line, no wait, easy!  The expo? Sucked. I've never been to an expo where the only option was to buy stuff. Isn't the whole idea of an expo to wander around and collect kitsch freebies?

13 hours until race time!

We left packet pickup and headed out to dinner (where I consumed at least 3 glasses of water... hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!), and then back to the hotel for an early night's sleep. Or so I thought.

I went to lay out all my gear, and suddenly realized my shorts were nowhere to be found! Dumped the entire content of my suitcase, checked every item (which proved to be a good thing), no shorts. Off to Dick's Sporting Goods I went...

New shorts? Check.

Standing at the register and suddenly realizing I also forgot my sports bra?  Check.

New sports bra? Check.

So...  after that little debacle, I was finally ready. 

Gear ready to go. Shorts and shirt: Nike. Sports bra: Under Armour. Socks: New Balance. Shoes: New Balance Minimus Zero. Compression: CEP Calf Compression Sleeves. And added to my Bib: Isaiah 40:31 and <3 Boston.

Race morning, the alarm went off at 4:30. Let's be honest, I didn't sleep that well anyway. Strange bed, excited energy... I was ready! We stayed at a Residence Inn, which has a full kitchen, so I tried to make scrambled eggs with ham, which I've had fairly often before a long run. We burnt them, so I opted for a banana, some dried fruit, and a Stoneyfield Smoothie. And coffee. Always coffee.  I also drank about 24 oz. of water with a nuun hydration tab dropped in. They are pretty awesome. They come in good flavors, add electrolytes to your water, but don't add sugar. 

Now, normally, I have to pee 800 times before I run. Really. My body just keeps saying, "You have to pee." I tell it 799 times that I don't. It doesn't work.  Race morning, my body said, "You're anxious!!!!" Yes, I actually puked. Just a little. And laughed at myself. Clearly, I was just too full of anxious energy about how competitive I would be... ha. 

We loaded up puppy and puppy supplies (again), and headed downtown. I said bye to the family and headed off to meet my friend Eric, my long-distance training buddy (he lives in Indianapolis).   On the way, I ate two PowerBar Performance Blends. They are delicious, didn't upset my anxious tummy, and gave me energy to go. Highly recommend! The apple, strawberry, mango flavor is great.   I also had two PowerBar Gels in my back pocket. I like the ones with caffeine, but they are available without.

The corral experience was surprisingly easy. I've done a 5k with 10,000 people in it, and the corrals were jammed like sardines with people pressed against each other and shoving along.  The Mini-Marathon has 35,000 participants, and yet I had room to breathe, stretch, tie my shoes, etc.  AND, everyone else understood that we should walk, not run, to the start line!

Fun side story..  we both had to pee, but saw port-a-pots with no line before we'd crossed start, so we jumped out, peed, and jumped back in, no official time lost!

In the corral. I call this our "we're happy because we underestimate what we're in for" face. 

Off we went!!  The Mini Marathon is obviously jam-packed. We told ourselves to start slow for two reasons.. 1. we didn't want to waste our adrenaline and be burnt out at the end, and 2. you have to pass a TON of people.   Like any race, people seed themselves too high, don't pay attention, or see themselves because they thought they would train, don't, and start walking after two miles. Whatever the reason, you spend about 12 miles weaving through the crowd. 

The weather was fantastic! Couldn't have been better. 50s, very light wind, cloudy. The water stations are beautifully laid out. There are 11 water and 5 Gatorade stations on the course. I made a point to stop at each one, and felt perfect. They also have a Clif Energy Shot station, but since I had my PowerBar Gels, which I know work, I avoided that one. Why risk it?

The course heads out past the Indianapolis Zoo (mmmm.... poop smell..) and then off into the town of Speedway. The majority of the course is tree-lined or winds through neighborhoods, and people love to come out and cheer. There are actual groups of cheer squads, bands, volunteers, etc. plus people who just come out of their house to watch. These groups were awesome!! Some would read your name off your bib and yell just for you, "C'mon Stacey, you got this!!" It definitely keeps you moving. 

Right before mile 6, you enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Down under the track, up into the infield, and out onto the famed oval you go. As we entered the track, a video screen was showing the live race coverage and I pointed out to Eric, "Hey look, those people are already done!" 

I worried this part would be boring, but they had several cheer squads, and as you approach the famed Yard of Bricks, the music is blaring, the infield screens are showing highlights, and you get a nice adrenaline burst to get you through.

Mile 7.5-ish. Feeling good on that famous oval.

Exiting the Speedway, you definitely feel good that you're done, you've completed 8 miles, you're in the homestretch. The feeling didn't last long..  it took that 9 Mile marker forever to show up. It took the 10 Mile marker forever and a day. I was pretty sure the 11 Mile marker was lost, and we were doomed to run forever.  I've seen a shirt many times that says, "There will come a day when I can't do this. Today is not that day."  I can't lie, "Today is not that day." became my mantra. It worked.   Well that, and telling Eric to "Just keep swimming" while making swim motions with my arms. 

12 Mile. Crossing that one, I knew I was good. I knew I would make it. Heck, I was hyped. For the first part of mile 13, you actually backtrack the early part of the course. People were *still* there to cheer! Then you round a corner and go up over a bridge. 

As I reached the crest of the bridge, I wasn't just relieved, I was amped. You look down, and you can't quite see the finish line, but you know it's there. The final half mile is lined with checkered flags, and people. Other finishers, families, people cheering and yelling. Music blaring. And you can see the Mile 13 marker. The one that says you've got one tenth of a mile to go. I descended into the last leg, feeling new life in my legs.  About two or three tenths of the way to go, we could see the finish arch and both started sprinted.  I was smiling while running! Weird, right?

Crossing the finish line was awesome! Just knowing I finished a half marathon, I made my goal of running without stopping, and I had a friend along for the ride was great. I'm already thinking about which half to do next!

After. We survived!

Apparently, taking a puppy to a half marathon is a fantastic way to ensure she sleeps for the next 12 hours. I heard she had quite the stimulating morning, sniffing people and things. So much so that when my family climbed into the bleachers to watch us cross the finish line, my husband had to actually carry her!

 You'd think SHE just ran 13.1 miles!

 Overall, it was a great experience. I loved my training plan, and most of my gear. Nike shorts are awesome, I'm obsessed with anything Nike Dri-Fit.

I HIGHLY recommend calf compression sleeves for both running and recovery. I had some serious knots in my calf toward the end of training due to my "pawing"form. Those in turn pulled on my shin, and my left leg was miserable the week leading up to the race. The calf sleeves made everything total bearable and are now a staple of my running gear. I used CEP and loved them.

For energy/nutrition, I definitely recommend PowerBar Performance Blends before and Gels during. They are gluten-free, woot! And give you the energy you need. I had a Gel at about Mile 4.5 and Mile 9, and it was perfect. The Green Apple flavor is pretty darn good too.

nom, nom, nom... PowerBar goodies to keep me moving!

My only disappointment was my shoes. I ran in New Balance Minimus Zeros. They are a minimal, zero drop shoe. The minimal part I love. The zero drop I love. The seam that they for some reason decided to place under my foot, right at the ball of my foot? I did not love. Over a shorter distance, it wasn't so bad. Once you crack 10 miles, it was miserable. Awful. Horrendous. I could barely walk to the car. And I could barely walk the rest of the day. I ended up walking on the outsides of my feet just to avoid the pain from that seam, which of course made the rest of my feet hurt! I wanted to love my Minimus. I did love them for about 13 of 16 weeks. But my first post-race goal will be to get new shoes and break them in so I can go find and run another Half.

Finishers medal. Who's joining me in 2014??

Update: I contacted New Balance and received a very polite response telling me that it was most likely my shoes were defective. Despite the heavy use, they offered to replace my shoes. I ordered a new pair of Minimus Zero, and ran the Ann Arbor Half Marathon in them. The seam is still in the same spot, but has not caused any pain or problems. I am still currently running in Minimus Zeroes (as of July 31).