Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Alaska....I mean Indiana

Sorry, I got confused on where I ran my latest marathon. For a couple of reasons, the first being the chilly temperatures and snow I got to enjoy and the second being the very politically conservative signs and billboards I saw in that area. I now know that "Hell is Real" thanks to a very welcoming billboard along I-65.

The Indianapolis Monumental Marathon started bright (and by bright I mean it was still dark) and early at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning. It was a chilly 27 degrees when the start gun went off. You know what that means, right? Lots of men in tights. Yikes! I tried to bundle up as much as I could, but the chill remained through most of the race, although it did get up to the 40s and was sunny once the sun decided to come up. Despite that, the course was great and surprisingly scenic, starting near the Indianapolis capital building, running past the stadium where the Colts play, through some historic district that had some very quaint houses, and through Butler University's campus. It was family weekend at Butler where my colleague's daughter attends, so right around mile 17, she, her sister and her daughter were waiting to cheer me on. It's always nice to see an unexpected friendly face when you're tired and cold! Thanks Linda! And another friendly face was waiting for me at the finish. My friend Chris was there with his buddy Titus (a rambunctious German Shepard puppy who I saw video proof of running on a treadmill) to cheer me on those last few blocks. Thanks to Chris and Titus!

Of course, after finishing, I was sweaty and accordingly twice as cold. It took me a good 20 minutes sitting in the car with the heat on full blast to recover feeling in my hands. Not my favorite part of this race. No personal bests for me this race, although I had hoped for that since it was a flat and fast course. It was my second fastest though, and I'm not going to beat myself up too much since I just ran in Maine 3 weeks prior. Plus, I was apparently well hydrated since I stopped 3 times to use the port-o-potties in the first half. Darn you bladder! I will say that the race was very well organized, with LOTS of water stations and bathroom areas. And the people of Indianapolis were very supportive and cheering the runners on for most of the course. This race also has a 1/2 marathon option and a 5K if you don't want to take on a full marathon. I would give this race two frozen thumbs up!

Next up, Arizona on January 16th. It better not snow.....

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