(11-07-2015) Monumental Half Marathon

This was the second year of a four year series that the Monumental Marathon / Half Marathon is doing. If you complete all four years (2014-2017), you will receive the red and white Star Medallion. Here is the release they sent out out last year:

 So, they've got me for the next few years!

Registration for this races opens up just after midnight on New Year's Eve. So after the big countdown, a kiss and then a toast with my husband, I scurry into the computer room and register.  With taxes and fees, I paid $55.24.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6th: 

This race has a pretty good Expo which runs both Thursday and Friday. I went on Friday but there wasn't anything that I really needed so I didn't stay too long. I need to try to check it out on Thursday next year though because they do sell out of some stuff.  Like I need more shirts but....

I saw my friend C.V. at the Back on my Feet booth and chatted with her for awhile and then I stopped by the Indy Mini booth as well.  Bart Yasso was one of the Expo speakers this year but I got there too late to see him. 

The only thing of note was while looking at shirts in one of the vendor areas, there was a man and woman basically blocking the path while he was trying on a shirt.  I politely said "excuse me" and walked between them. Next thing I know I hear a CRUNCH, look down and I had stepped on his glasses! I felt horrible and said "I'm sorry" a million times but...why in the heck had he placed them on the ground? She should have been holding them for him or something. 

When you register 11 months before the race, you can forget that you do this:

But the funny thing is, I did the same thing last year and forgot until I picked up my packet. Wonder if I'll remember - and then forget - to do it the next two years as well. :)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7th: Last year I pre-purchased parking but it wasn't where I thought it was going to be so I decided to just wing it this year. I was texting with my friend A.L. about parking before I left the house and she was going to try to get in the same lot I was headed to. 

Got parked and headed into the Convention Center to use the bathroom. Texted A.L. to see if we could meet up and head to the start line together. After multiple texts we finally found each other.

We headed over to where the Half Fanatics / Marathon Maniacs were to have their group photos but we got there too late.  Some other stragglers showed up late as well so those of us that were still there took another one.  Sadly, I can't find a copy of it anywhere since I didn't have one taken with my phone.

A.L. ripped her bib (not sure how!) so we needed to find a safety pin for her. Finally found one and then we headed to the start area. I don't know if its because this race has grown but the start area is different from where it has been in the past. I knew that the finish area was going to be in a different place but I must have skipped over reading the part about the start. I didn't matter that it had changed; it was just - well - different. 

We waited to the side of the corral areas and scanned the crowd for people we knew. We never did see J.D. which is usual because he's so tall which makes him easy to spot. 

We finally got down in the corral and asked another participant to take a picture of us.

It was mostly a perfect weather day for a half marathon. 

With so many people, it takes a little longer to cross the start line now. I think it took about 6 minutes from where we started.

I did not set any finish time goals since I still hadn't been training. Like all the races this year, finishing has been the goal.

Once again, I've waited so long to do this recap that I've forgotten a ton about the race. I do remember that I saw more random "mascots" this year than ever before. I contemplated stopping and getting my picture taken with all of them but I already knew that i was going to be slow so I just decided to push past. I didn't even take any pictures with my phone along the course. I've got to get back to these races being fun. Aside from the start and finish, this race was basically the same. I mostly love the course except for the area between miles 7(ish) and 8(ish).  There is a little bit of a hill and the road is always in bad shape.

And now - 2 1/2 months later - I don't remember much else about this race. Part of me does remember that I really had to pee somewhere around the 10 mile marker. Every porta-potty that I saw had a line so I didn't want to stop and wait. I was eyeballing bushes and nooks in between buildings as potential places to go. I probably wasted just as much time from slowing down and walking so I wouldn't pee myself as I would have if I'd just stopped at a porta-potty.

A.L. and I met up briefly afterward but once I got my medal and grabbed some snacks, I was ready to walk to my car and head for home.  Although I STILL needed to pee so I went into the Convention Center so I could just sit and "relax" on a clean indoor toilet.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8th: Since my husband wasn't with me on race day, I didn't have anyone to take any pictures.  Luckily the weather was just about the same today as it was on race day. I headed back downtown around the same time I finished on Saturday and went to the monument that is on the medal. I'm thankful that my husband is willing to help me out with my medal photo-shoots, even if they are the day after a race.  

Always with the Monumental race, I like to do a picture of the medal with the actual monument in the background. This year's monument was the obelisk in the Veteran's Memorial Plaza. 

From the Visit Indy website: Veteran's Memorial Plaza, once known as Obelisk Square, was completed in 1930. Centrally located in the Plaza are the Obelisk and Fountain that honor all Indiana veterans. The Obelisk is a 100-foot shaft of black Berwick granite, representing the hopes and aspirations of the nation. The bronze tablets at its base (created by sculptor Henry Hering) represents the four fundamentals upon which our nation's hopes are founded: law, science, religion and education. One hundred feet in diameter, the Fountain is made from pink Georgia marble and terrazzo. Fifty state flags and the American flag are displayed at the north end of the park.   Veteran's Memorial Plaza

This was half marathon #14 of the year for me and Lifetime #84.

(10-17-2015) Indianapolis Half Marathon

I wish I hadn't waited so long to recap this race but here goes....from what I can remember.

This wasn't on my radar to do initially. I had done it back in 2013 and in an effort to try to tackle different races I was going to pass and go to Pennsylvania and do the Hershey Half instead.  But got an email from the event organizers that 2015 would be their last year. Here is a brief snippet from their email: With attendance down nearly 60% from our peak years and sponsorship moving onto newer events, we are at the point where we are not able to sustain our charitable giving. We as a race committee decided that year 20 was a great milestone year to celebrate the event and retire while still successful and before sustaining financial losses. That statement made me sad for them so I thought I should stay in town and support this local race.  And as you may have already read, that meant I had to find a different race to take place instead of Hershey. You can read about that here: Rock The Canyon - Day 1 & Rock The Canyon - Day 2

So I registered on June 30th (probably the last day to do so before the price was to increase) and with taxes and fees, I paid $65.40.

Fast forward a couple weeks after registering and we get notification from our credit card that our account had been hacked. Although my husband contacted them and disputed the charges that weren't ours, we got something in the mail stating that they had suspended payment to this race and another that I had registered for. I immediately emailed the race and told them what had happened and to not cancel my registration. Sadly, I never heard back from anyone (bad customer service) but I did later discover that i was able to verify my registration on their website. Thankfully, crisis was averted for both races!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16th:
Packet pickup took place at the Sterret Center in Fort Harrison State Park. This was a different location from years past and not necessarily close to where I work but I (and a coworker) took an extended lunch and went early rather than fighting the stupid 5:00pm traffic up in the area. Packet pickup for this event has always been on the scaled down side of things but it was even more so this year. Thus we were in and out in about 10 minutes.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17th:
Race start time wasn't until 8:00am so I didn't have to set my alarm too early. However it was important to try and get parked prior to some of the road closings. Also, the Mini Ambassadors had decided to do a group photo prior to the race. We were to meet at 7:00AM 

I didn't park where I did in 2013 but took a chance on a parking lot just east of the start line. This turned out to be a prime location and much closer.

While waiting on a few more Ambassadors to show up for our picture, I saw my friend A.L. walk by. She was trying to locate another friend J.D. to get her packet but wasn't finding him. As luck would have it, I saw him about 5-10 minutes later, called her (he didn't have his phone with him) and was able to get the two of them together. They both got in the porta-potty line so I waited with them. We are all also scheduled to be down at Space Coast although JD is contemplating not going.  The line wasn't moving very quickly and although there was still about 10 minutes before the start of the race, I when ahead and ventured over to the start line.

It was such a better day than in 2013. THAT year it was cold and there was a drizzle almost the entire time. Although it was cold/cool this year...there was no rain!

This is such a beautiful course 

The course has its first incline at this sign and yes - I walked up it.  It isn't really that big of an incline but I'm so not in half marathon shape. The only shape I'm in is Outta Shape!

When a kid in a pepperoni pizza onsie passes you, it could be a long rough day.

Seriously, it was a perfect Fall day for this event.

Mile 7 is the most fun....it is almost all downhill!

I saw a lot of my running friends along the course. I even caught up to another Mini Ambassador. He was doing the full.  I saw a guy that had an Ironman tattoo on his calf so we chatted about the ones he had done and which ones my husband has completed.

For the first time ever, I saw a dead snake on a course. I contemplated taking a picture of it but by that time (it was between miles 10 and 11) and had put my phone away.

I didn't got to the food tent the last time I did this race, maybe because I was cold and wet but I popped in there this time. SCORE! I grabbed a slice of cheese pizza, a veggie burger and a chocolate chip cookie.  Actually TWO chocolate chips cookies but I consumed one of them before I got back to my car.

 

I later discovered - after seeing posts from other participants on Facebook - that I basically got the same medal that was given out in 2013.  The ribbon was different but the medal was the same. Other people got a round medal.  I questioned it with the race organizers - and got the run around from them - it is what it is.  It made me wonder if they had leftover medals from years past and so they just got new ribbons for them.  The square medal is more unique looking but since I already have one like it, I sort of wanted the round one.

This half marathon will be back next year - there will no longer be a full marathon - but under a different race management company.

Will I be back?  Not sure...time will tell.

2016 - Finding Joy

"Joy" is my word for 2016.

I feel like I lost (most) of the joy in my life in 2015 and I need to get it back.

I don't necessarily make New Year's Resolutions but I like to set goals. And I'm a firm believer that you can set a goal at any time in your like. You don't have to wait until January 1st or the beginning of the week, just set a goal when it feels right or speaks to you to do so. But to me there is something refreshing about the beginning of a New Year or a New Month or a New Week.

So with that said, here are my goals for 2016 (in no particular order):

• Reach Half Marathon #100
•  - this is scheduled to take place on September 17th and I'm already registered so is this really a "goal" that I should be listing? Perhaps the "goal should be stated as - to complete 12 half marathons before September 16th so that September 17th is #100.
• Track my running, weight and Blood Pressure/Pulse readings.
• I purchased a BP cuff that also displays pulse so I'm headed in the correct direction. I just need to do it and track it on my Walgreen's App so that I can accumulate points and get a substantial gift card reward.
• Run 1000 miles in 2016
• I think this is doable. It should be slightly less that 2.75 miles a day. 1000 divided by 366. That sounds reasonable. Even if I have travel days (or "just don't feel like it I need to rest" days), I would have my half marathons that would be added mileage days.
• Don't get behind on my blogging 
• But first of all...I need to get caught up on my blogging. UGH!  Why does this happen? Why do I get behind?  Those are rhetorical questions of course.
• Begin and complete my "Operation: Christmas in July" philanthropic project. 
• more on this later
• Find my JOY!
• I think some of that is going to require me to find a new job. I'm working on that.

So here we go...I did my 2015 year-end recap and now this.

I have 4 races from 2015 I still need to do; 1) Indianapolis Half Marathon, 2) Monumental Half Marathon, 3) Space Coast Half Marathon and 4) Santa Hustle.

I also want to blog about my trip to Paris. I still can't believe I went there.

And I want to blog about my experience being a guardian on the Indy Honor Flight.

I hope you'll stop by from time to time.

2015 - Year End Review

I was SO ready to bid farewell to 2015.

I can't say that it was a complete bust. There were some great things that happened:

• I turned 50. Nope, I'm not bothered by that number; it is just a number and hey, let's celebrate all things that are Fifty and Fabulous!
• My husband surprised me with a 20th wedding anniversary trip to Paris. All along I thought we were going to San Diego. Paris was AMAZING!!
• I was selected to be a Guardian for one of the cutest WWII Veterans on the Indy Honor Flight on September 5th. It was an incredible experience and I feel like one of the most important and fulfilling things I've done in my life. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if my Dad was still alive and I would have been able to take him. But now I have some new life long friends and that's pretty cool.
• I completed 17 half marathons and made it to 3 new states. My state total is now 20.

But...

• Our oldest dog passed away at the end of January and that was really tough.
• I started a new job in February.  During any other time in my life I never even would have interviewed for it but I'd been out of work for six months (downsized out of my previous job) and with everything that we went through with our dog...I accepted it.
• It has been one of the biggest life-sucks ever!  The drive is one hour each way and the work is meaningless.
• The only positive is that I've met some great people that I hope are now life-long friends.

My hope is that 2016 will be better.

Fingers crossed!