Indy Mini Marathon RR (Read 676 times)

I ran the Indy Mini Marathon (half marathon for those unfamiliar) Saturday morning for the first time in 9 years. I took many years off running , but started running again last September. 40 pounds lighter, and some decent training, I was ready for a new PR, as my previous was 2:18:32 in 1998. As I trained, I was hoping for <2 hours, and knew a better time was possible. the week before the race, i caught a chest cold :p, and didn't run much. was feeling pretty good saturday, with just some minor coughing, and the weather was perfect, 53 degrees and overcast. so i head downtown, and line up with 30,000 of my closest friends. music jamming through the loudspeakers, the gun goes off, and all is great! i had planned a couple miles at 8:45 to see how i felt, and the go from there. first mile 8:26, and feeling great. mile 2 7:55, race hype, but feeling good, chest is clear so i decide to run 8:00 to 8:15 and trust those early morning winter runs will pay off. some of my best miles were high fiving the kids along the way :), the crowd was absolutely great. cheerleaders, bands, even some clogging groups! the best were the kids out chearing us on! race was going great through mile 10, when my chest started to feel a little heavy. didn't slow me down to much, and went on to a pr of 1:46:42! :d pace of 8:09, couldn't have hoped for anything better :) after race party in military park was fantastic. overall, a great race for anyone considering it. so glad to be back off the couch, thanks for reading, kevin hours,="" and="" knew="" a="" better="" time="" was="" possible.="" the="" week="" before="" the="" race,="" i="" caught="" a="" chest="" cold="" :p,="" and="" didn't="" run="" much.="" was="" feeling="" pretty="" good="" saturday,="" with="" just="" some="" minor="" coughing,="" and="" the="" weather="" was="" perfect,="" 53="" degrees="" and="" overcast.="" so="" i="" head="" downtown,="" and="" line="" up="" with="" 30,000="" of="" my="" closest="" friends.="" music="" jamming="" through="" the="" loudspeakers,="" the="" gun="" goes="" off,="" and="" all="" is="" great!="" i="" had="" planned="" a="" couple="" miles="" at="" 8:45="" to="" see="" how="" i="" felt,="" and="" the="" go="" from="" there.="" first="" mile="" 8:26,="" and="" feeling="" great.="" mile="" 2="" 7:55,="" race="" hype,="" but="" feeling="" good,="" chest="" is="" clear="" so="" i="" decide="" to="" run="" 8:00="" to="" 8:15="" and="" trust="" those="" early="" morning="" winter="" runs="" will="" pay="" off.="" some="" of="" my="" best="" miles="" were="" high="" fiving="" the="" kids="" along="" the="" way="" :),="" the="" crowd="" was="" absolutely="" great.="" cheerleaders,="" bands,="" even="" some="" clogging="" groups!="" the="" best="" were="" the="" kids="" out="" chearing="" us="" on!="" race="" was="" going="" great="" through="" mile="" 10,="" when="" my="" chest="" started="" to="" feel="" a="" little="" heavy.="" didn't="" slow="" me="" down="" to="" much,="" and="" went="" on="" to="" a="" pr="" of="" 1:46:42!="" :d="" pace="" of="" 8:09,="" couldn't="" have="" hoped="" for="" anything="" better="" :)="" after="" race="" party="" in="" military="" park="" was="" fantastic.="" overall,="" a="" great="" race="" for="" anyone="" considering="" it.="" so="" glad="" to="" be="" back="" off="" the="" couch,="" thanks="" for="" reading,=""></2 hours, and knew a better time was possible. the week before the race, i caught a chest cold :p, and didn't run much. was feeling pretty good saturday, with just some minor coughing, and the weather was perfect, 53 degrees and overcast. so i head downtown, and line up with 30,000 of my closest friends. music jamming through the loudspeakers, the gun goes off, and all is great! i had planned a couple miles at 8:45 to see how i felt, and the go from there. first mile 8:26, and feeling great. mile 2 7:55, race hype, but feeling good, chest is clear so i decide to run 8:00 to 8:15 and trust those early morning winter runs will pay off. some of my best miles were high fiving the kids along the way :), the crowd was absolutely great. cheerleaders, bands, even some clogging groups! the best were the kids out chearing us on! race was going great through mile 10, when my chest started to feel a little heavy. didn't slow me down to much, and went on to a pr of 1:46:42! :d pace of 8:09, couldn't have hoped for anything better :) after race party in military park was fantastic. overall, a great race for anyone considering it. so glad to be back off the couch, thanks for reading, kevin>

Congrats Kevin on your race. I also ran the "mini" in Indy this weekend. It being my first HM, when I signed up, I signed up for a starting corral that was way slower than I could run the event, which really bottled me up for the first two miles or so. At the end of the day, I ended up running in under 2 hours, which was my goal based on my training. 1:54 was my final time. Even after a first mile of near 10 Min, and a second mile that was near 9, I still came in with a chip time of 8:45 minute miles. Some of my best and fastest miles came after mile 8, which is a testament to my training. The race overall went quickly given that there was entertainment, ample water and gatorade stations, and a multitude of residents with cow-bells cheering you on throughout the entire course. I echo previous accolades of this race. The entertainment is great, the atmosphere is great, the course is fun and flat, and running around the brickyard track is pretty cool as well. On Saturday, even the weather was spectacular. The race is very well run and organized, and the multitude of volunteers are helpful and encouraging at every turn. This one is a "must do" for anybody who enjoys racing, and running.

30,000 friends is damned impressive. Way to go Dawg!

Nice phots Q. I think I actually saw me around the red ballon I was on the track as well when they finished. Its interesting to have 6/7 left and the winners are getting a Gatorade and a cool down run. Well done everyone. It's a neat HM if you haven't run it. Good course ie - flat) with great support. Next week is the inaugral Geist HM in the north Indy burbs. See you around the lake if you're going.

I also ran the mini this past saturday. First time ever to run a race longer than 5 miles. I was doing good till about the 10 mile mark then my legs started cramping, BAD. Finally had to start walking and jogging (more walking than jogging) the final 2 miles. Didnt think I was gonna make it, but had a friend that stayed with me the whole way. Did I dehydrate? How could I keep that from happening in next years race? Thanks all

Q~ I didn't know you were black! Or, that fast! Wow!

NICE Rick! Sheesh! Seriously, that finish was crazy to see. Those two were DEAD SPRINTING the last half mile or so and elbowing/slapping at each other the entire way. It was nutso. They ended up calling it a tie. My wife saw it from the stands and refused to believe that anyone could run THAT FAST having just run 13 miles. Pretty saWEET.