500 FESTIVAL MINI MARATHON: RACE RECAP

Start line (that's over 26k!).

This race didn't get off to the best foot because of the time zone challenges. Whenever I travel east for an event it is always a challenge to get enough sleep before the race. At home I usually don't go to bed until after midnight, which translates to 3am back east. When you are waking up at 5 or 6am to make your event that doesn't leave much room for sleep.

Saturday was race day after flying in Thursday night. Friday was pretty low key but I still drank a little too much to be at peak performance. You can read about the rest of the trip on my earlier post. Anyways, I went to bed at 11pm Friday night but rolled around in bed until after 3am. I woke up at 6:45am with three and half hours of sleep at most. Better than the 90 minutes and three hours in Miami the last two years I guess, but still not optimal.

I felt alright though. Once I woke up and got some breakfast in me I was ready to go. Can't really blame much on the sleep. Maybe I could have done a little better with more, but it was mostly a non-factor. I joined my teammates for breakfast downstairs, having two mini muffins with peanut butter and some fruit. It was a perfect breakfast for before the race... got some fuel in me but not too much. I left the hotel, which was blocks away from the start line, around 7:45am knowing the race started at 8.

This was mid-course somewhere.

Good thing I left when I did! By the time I made it to my corral there were only a few minutes before the race started. After the national anthem and an Indy car leading us to the line the race was off! I crossed the starting line a mere 14 seconds after 8:00am. Despite being toward the front of the corral the course was very crowded, which would be a theme in this race. I went out of the gate a little hot too... I remember thinking I wasn't running fast enough so I looked at my watch and saw I was going 6:40/mile. Oops.

That first mile was much quicker than it should have been at 7:19 due to the race start adrenaline. I knew that pace was unsustainable but it just felt so easy. N00b mistake and I'm not a n00b. I expected to run around 7:45/mile, so while I knew 7:20 wasn't realistic (my PR was 7:27), I thought just maybe I could hit 7:35 or so. However, no, I did not magically get faster. This pace would catch up with me later, but not until after I settled into a nice long stretch of pretty steady running.

The course for the Mini Marathon isn't much to write home about. The route to and from the racetrack is pretty ugly and bland, as I was expecting. You run by the zoo but I couldn't see anything (I was on the lookout for elephants). Other than that it is just a lot of nothing and is in a more industrial/working class part of the city. Actually was kind of good to get some actual Indianapolis other than the shiny downtown area, which was very nice I might add.

The highlight for sure! So cool!

Anyways, I settled into a 7:45/mile pace after my second mile (which was 7:29 and still too fast). I'd be able to maintain this pace until mile ten. It felt hard but not exhausting. It was the correct half marathon pace. Running around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was definitely the highlight of the race. It was SO COOL! I loved every moment of it and didn't find it boring at all. Then again, I am a sports nut, so I knew this was hallowed ground for racing fans and the site of great triumph for many of the best drivers in racing history.

When I was running around the track they played "Bailando" by Enrique Iglesias, which put a pep to my step. It was on the radio a bunch when I was in Miami earlier this year and I now associate it with having a good time. Plus, it is just catchy and good running music. I forget what else they played over the PA (no bands on the racetrack) but the music was fun and upbeat, which helped. The racetrack portion of the race was just over two miles long and I was sad to see it end, knowing I'd be back to running through the boring streets.

The way back downtown to the finish was even more boring than the way there. Oh well, it was better than another lap around Greenway Park at the Stars and Stripes Half Marathon. There were a lot of bands along the course so that helped to break up the monotony. I was still weaving through runners at this point of the race, which was starting to get annoying. I expected to have to do some weaving and maneuvering, but it took until mile eleven before the race really sorted itself out. I added a bunch of distance to my run going around people and not being able to run great tangents.

Perking up for the finish line yards away.

Crowding was a lot worse than I expected because they allowed thousands of people to start in Wave 1 at 7:48am, which was the elites but also celebrities, VIPs, etc. I think you could pay extra to start there or something. Whatever it was, it meant that the normies back in Wave 2 (me) had to weave around a TON of people walking or running the race very slow. Couple that with the already packed field and it was pretty annoying to get around. That was just about the only thing about the race I could complain about as it was pretty frustrating. However, in a large event like this, you just have to accept it.

Everything else about the race was great. The weather was absolutely perfect (sunny and mid 50s at the start, low 60s at the finish). That sun would pose a challenge as my race drew to an end. Around mile ten I really started to feel the effects of the faster pace earlier and just the race dragging on me in general. Even if I hadn't started out like a bat out of hell I'm sure I would have slowed toward the end, just as I have in about every half marathon ever, but this slowing was definitely painful. I wanted to be done.

Luckily I was able to run the final three miles in 7:55, 7:58, and 8:01, so I didn't fall off too bad. Couple those with the 7:19 and 7:29 at the beginning and you have an average right around the entire race average of 7:45/mile. So I'm not convinced trying to maintain a 7:45 the whole way or starting even slower and trying to negative split would have resulted in a faster time. I think I pretty much got the best time I could given my fitness and running extra due to the size and course. Overall I was very happy with my time.

Hurts so good. Felt much better after stretching.

I thought maybe I could gather some strength and fly that last mile but it was not to be done. I was just in "hang on" mode and hang on I did. Did average 7:20/mile over the final quarter mile, so that's good at least. Gotta perk up for the finish line cameras. When I crossed the finish line I was definitely tired.  I stumbled around the finishers' chute, drained and wanting to sit down. I took a bunch of food but didn't feel like eating until my body recovered a little bit. Rik's wife Cynthia helped me stretch out after the race and that helped a lot. I felt much better after that as my legs were feeling pretty trashed.

Overall a very fun and very successful race! I would do it again, but would like to travel to some other races first before I go back to Indy. The trip was a blast though so the run was really just secondary. Despite not getting great sleep or preparing my body really well for the race I am pretty happy with my time. Hopefully I am able to beat it on May 17th at Rock N' Roll Portland!

Official Chip Time: 1:42:26, 7:48/mile. 1296/26053 overall. 1098/10391 male, 159/1130 M25-29.
Watch mile splits: 7:19, 7:29, 7:41, 7:37, 7:48, 7:50, 7:53, 7:50, 7:51, 7:48, 7:55, 7:58, 8:01. Overall pace of 7:45 on a course of 13.20 miles.