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