November 1, 2014 - Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon
Be Monumental! That was the goal for Indiana (state number 10)!
I was afraid of the weather starting about 10 days out. High 20s with 18 mph winds. I kept checking my weather channel app but the forecast did not change. Finally I prepared myself for a cold windy run and lowered my expectations.
My wife and I flew into Indianapolis on Friday and it was cold, windy and raining. We had planned to check into our hotel "The Alexander" and walk to the expo. The walk would have been a little less than a mile. The problem: once we arrived to check in to the hotel they wanted $27 for us to park our car there. "What a ripoff" we thought as we refused their offer and consulted with one of the locals who told us we could park one block away on the street for free after 6pm. We checked in then drove to the expo and parked across from the convention center for $1. The expo was in the convention center and was decent size, very organized, and had plenty of vendors. I ended up buying a long sleeve orange pullover that I wore in the race. They also gave out a poster that had all the runners names on it. Once I found my name in the tiny print, I acknowledged it was a nice touch for sure.
After the expo we tried to drive the course but just couldn't find all the correct turns and kept getting lost. After getting frustrated, I finally decided the course was flat and we headed back to the hotel to rest for an hour before dinner. Dinner was at Olive Garden (of course) and I had my traditional spaghetti with olive oil and chicken, salad, and breadsticks. After dinner we headed back to the yuppie modern hotel and settled in for the night. I tease the hotel but other than the parking cost, we were really happy with it. I think we hit the sack and turned the lights off around 9pm.
Race morning we were up and at em about 6am. The forecasters had the forecast correct as it was freezing cold (high 20's) with 18 mph winds. We bundled up and left the room about 630am. I decided comfort was important so poured my legs into my running tights and put shorts over them. I needed the shorts with pockets to carry my gels. On top I wore a long sleeve running shirt, a short sleeve running shirt, and my new orange pullover. I also wore gloves and a beanie cap. The race beanie was a freebie from Fargo and it kept my noggin warm! We walked about a mile to get to the race start. It was so cold we ended up sitting inside a hotel lobby close to the race until about 730am. I don't remember the hotel name but was impressed as they were very friendly to runners. This race was pretty large as there were about 15,000 total runners there. There were a decent number of porta potties but they were dark inside. Luckily when I needed it most, we were inside the hotel and the bathrooms there were lighted and warm!
The race start was very crowded and there were only 4 corrals. The half and full marathoners started together. People not assigned to a corral lined up behind the last corral. I was assigned to LEVEL SPEEDING 4 (the last corral) which put me near the 3:50 marathon pace group. Actually that was kinda convenient as I used them until we split off at around mile 7. I felt good in the first half of the race and held myself back a bit so I could finish strong. I really didn't see much scenery on the run. There was a decent amount of fan support and plenty of water stops. I tried my best to go out slow the first mile and then settle into around 8:45 per mile pace for the first 6 miles. My goal was to try and run 8:20 per mile in the back half of the race. I also wanted to be able to go gang busters the last 2 miles.
Around mile 10 I felt a PR was possible. I focused on short strides and running form up until mile 12. At that point I knew the PR was likely and pushed myself hard. Mile 12 was around an 8:15 minute mile and the last mile was around 7:50. About one mile from the finish, the Rocky theme song "Eye of the Tiger" was blaring. It pumped me up and helped push me towards the finish! I finished strong and cut almost 2 minutes off my previous PR. My official finish time was 1:51:08! I was ecstatic and almost in tears from being so happy. The cold really didn't bother me once we started running. I passed so many people and just had a blast out on the course.
I remember a few people whining about hills on the course. To be honest there were a few mini hills but nothing challenging. The mini hills were a refreshing break from the flatness! After crossing the finish line they handed out our medals (wrapped in plastic), a paper jacket, and a beanie. I saw Julie and she gave me my recoverite. The finish line had chocolate milk, bananas, bottled water and other goodies. It was cold and there was really nothing to do so we walked back to the hotel. It was a cold walk and I put the paper jacket to good use.
Along the course, I thanked all the cops and volunteers and chatted with a few runners. I remember a group banging trash can lids, a guy sitting on his front porch with his dog barking like crazy, a drum band, and a spectator with a sign encouraging all the "complete strangers". I really had a good time and enjoyed this race. I would recommend the race to anyone looking for a flat course in a big city. The race shirt was cool and the medal was one of the larger ones I've earned.
Can you believe it? I am 1/5 finished with my goal to run at least a half marathon in every state! 10 states down and 40 to go. I'm also getting a crazy notion in my head that another marathon is possible. Is Boston possible?
I must also mention that the second highlight of the trip was going to Ohio and spending time with my family there. I also took the opportunity to visit Skyline Chili twice. Nothing as good as a 3-way and cheese coneys on a chilly Ohio day!
My results:
Finish time: 1:51:08 (8:29 per mile pace)
10K split: 53:43 (8:40 per mile pace)
822nd out of 2619 Male runners (top 31%)
36th out of 180 55-59 year old Men (top 20%)
1192nd out of 6279 Total runners (top 19%)
What's next for me:
Mississippi Blues Half Marathon on January 20th in Jackson Mississippi
Here is the Strava data for my run.
I was afraid of the weather starting about 10 days out. High 20s with 18 mph winds. I kept checking my weather channel app but the forecast did not change. Finally I prepared myself for a cold windy run and lowered my expectations.
My wife and I flew into Indianapolis on Friday and it was cold, windy and raining. We had planned to check into our hotel "The Alexander" and walk to the expo. The walk would have been a little less than a mile. The problem: once we arrived to check in to the hotel they wanted $27 for us to park our car there. "What a ripoff" we thought as we refused their offer and consulted with one of the locals who told us we could park one block away on the street for free after 6pm. We checked in then drove to the expo and parked across from the convention center for $1. The expo was in the convention center and was decent size, very organized, and had plenty of vendors. I ended up buying a long sleeve orange pullover that I wore in the race. They also gave out a poster that had all the runners names on it. Once I found my name in the tiny print, I acknowledged it was a nice touch for sure.
After the expo we tried to drive the course but just couldn't find all the correct turns and kept getting lost. After getting frustrated, I finally decided the course was flat and we headed back to the hotel to rest for an hour before dinner. Dinner was at Olive Garden (of course) and I had my traditional spaghetti with olive oil and chicken, salad, and breadsticks. After dinner we headed back to the yuppie modern hotel and settled in for the night. I tease the hotel but other than the parking cost, we were really happy with it. I think we hit the sack and turned the lights off around 9pm.
Race morning we were up and at em about 6am. The forecasters had the forecast correct as it was freezing cold (high 20's) with 18 mph winds. We bundled up and left the room about 630am. I decided comfort was important so poured my legs into my running tights and put shorts over them. I needed the shorts with pockets to carry my gels. On top I wore a long sleeve running shirt, a short sleeve running shirt, and my new orange pullover. I also wore gloves and a beanie cap. The race beanie was a freebie from Fargo and it kept my noggin warm! We walked about a mile to get to the race start. It was so cold we ended up sitting inside a hotel lobby close to the race until about 730am. I don't remember the hotel name but was impressed as they were very friendly to runners. This race was pretty large as there were about 15,000 total runners there. There were a decent number of porta potties but they were dark inside. Luckily when I needed it most, we were inside the hotel and the bathrooms there were lighted and warm!
The race start was very crowded and there were only 4 corrals. The half and full marathoners started together. People not assigned to a corral lined up behind the last corral. I was assigned to LEVEL SPEEDING 4 (the last corral) which put me near the 3:50 marathon pace group. Actually that was kinda convenient as I used them until we split off at around mile 7. I felt good in the first half of the race and held myself back a bit so I could finish strong. I really didn't see much scenery on the run. There was a decent amount of fan support and plenty of water stops. I tried my best to go out slow the first mile and then settle into around 8:45 per mile pace for the first 6 miles. My goal was to try and run 8:20 per mile in the back half of the race. I also wanted to be able to go gang busters the last 2 miles.
Around mile 10 I felt a PR was possible. I focused on short strides and running form up until mile 12. At that point I knew the PR was likely and pushed myself hard. Mile 12 was around an 8:15 minute mile and the last mile was around 7:50. About one mile from the finish, the Rocky theme song "Eye of the Tiger" was blaring. It pumped me up and helped push me towards the finish! I finished strong and cut almost 2 minutes off my previous PR. My official finish time was 1:51:08! I was ecstatic and almost in tears from being so happy. The cold really didn't bother me once we started running. I passed so many people and just had a blast out on the course.
I remember a few people whining about hills on the course. To be honest there were a few mini hills but nothing challenging. The mini hills were a refreshing break from the flatness! After crossing the finish line they handed out our medals (wrapped in plastic), a paper jacket, and a beanie. I saw Julie and she gave me my recoverite. The finish line had chocolate milk, bananas, bottled water and other goodies. It was cold and there was really nothing to do so we walked back to the hotel. It was a cold walk and I put the paper jacket to good use.
Along the course, I thanked all the cops and volunteers and chatted with a few runners. I remember a group banging trash can lids, a guy sitting on his front porch with his dog barking like crazy, a drum band, and a spectator with a sign encouraging all the "complete strangers". I really had a good time and enjoyed this race. I would recommend the race to anyone looking for a flat course in a big city. The race shirt was cool and the medal was one of the larger ones I've earned.
Can you believe it? I am 1/5 finished with my goal to run at least a half marathon in every state! 10 states down and 40 to go. I'm also getting a crazy notion in my head that another marathon is possible. Is Boston possible?
I must also mention that the second highlight of the trip was going to Ohio and spending time with my family there. I also took the opportunity to visit Skyline Chili twice. Nothing as good as a 3-way and cheese coneys on a chilly Ohio day!
My results:
Finish time: 1:51:08 (8:29 per mile pace)
10K split: 53:43 (8:40 per mile pace)
822nd out of 2619 Male runners (top 31%)
36th out of 180 55-59 year old Men (top 20%)
1192nd out of 6279 Total runners (top 19%)
What's next for me:
Mississippi Blues Half Marathon on January 20th in Jackson Mississippi
Here is the Strava data for my run.
Nice race report. I am surprised there was a lot of fan support on such a chilly morning.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your PR!! That's lightning fast! And great race report!
ReplyDelete