I Ran the Indy Mini
And proved to myself for the second time that I was capable of more than I ever believed
First, May book news
During May, I am participating in a BookFunnel sales promotion. If you use this link, you can find a variety of indie authors to support: https://books.bookfunnel.com/memoirmay2024/k342lxhyoo
As a bonus, if you choose to use the link to purchase my book from my Payhip store, you can use the following coupon code during May to get my book 50% off: W9VBAOYVRE
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And don’t forget to check out the Kickstarter for my next book! It’s a third of the way to being funded! There are just over two weeks left.
Last spring, as I wrapped up the last painful weeks of training for the St. Louis half-marathon, I had a crazy thought: What if I ran the Indianapolis half-marathon as well?
The closer I got to that first half-marathon, the more I realized that I just could not turn around and do another race one month later. Plus, our daughter was getting confirmed that weekend and I didn’t need to add anything else to the weekend plans. Running 13.1 miles in my city would have to wait.
When I selected “intentional” as my word for 2024, I decided that also applied to making the commitment to run the Indy Mini. This time I knew how much work it would be. This time I knew how painful some of the weeks would be. And our family life did not get any easier in the early months of training. Our freshman daughter is in show choir and my Saturday runs started to approach an hour or longer as she entered the height of competition season. Our son had a busy basketball season that sometimes overlapped those competitions, and I had to squeeze in training runs whenever possible.
This time I had access to the same gym where I did my last long training run before running in St. Louis in 2023. Last summer our family decided to forgo our YMCA membership and join the gym just down the street. It gave me access to a nice (but short) indoor track, weights, and a rowing machine, which I used after every single workout inside the gym. I still prioritized outdoor runs, but when it was colder than comfortable or the ice and snow were not safe, I now had no excuse. With the gym only five minutes from our house, I had to keep training, jealously watching the exercise classes that were having fun in the gym while I ran lap after lap on the track above them.
By May 4, I was as ready as I was going to be. It wasn’t an easy road, but I made it downtown in time to join nearly 20,000 other people in a race to the finish line.
Running a half-marathon in 2023 was a learning experience. This time, I chose to take those lessons with me as I prepared for Indianapolis.
Shoe size matters
The first time I trained I stuck with the same size of shoes that I always wear, and since I was only ever running three miles at a time, I didn’t notice the extra abuse I was putting on my feet. Then about a third of the way into my training, as my runs extended past five miles at a time, I started to notice that my toenails were becoming discolored.
That’s when my friend Rachel asked, “What size shoe are you wearing?”
A few weeks later I found myself at a running shoe store and got properly fitted for a size 10, not my standard 9.5, with extra arch supports to help for a fully formed fit. It took several months for my toes to fully heal, but I entered a new season with fully healthy feet and a brand new pair of size 10 Brooks. My feet have been very thankful.
Stay hydrated
Another mistake I made as my original runs got longer and longer was not taking water with me to get me through those long stretches, even as the weather got warmer. Rachel chastised me for not doing so, and when we ran in St. Louis, I learned that those water breaks are essential.
This time around, I took my water bottle with me for long training runs, leaving it on the side of the road as I ran laps around the still-empty neighborhood by our house. And when I ran in the Indy Mini, I gladly accepted water and Gatorade at every stop, walking and drinking it all down before continuing on my run.
Focus on finishing the race
I’m a highly competitive person, but I accepted a long time ago that I am not fast. For some reason, I had convinced myself that people who are really running a half-marathon are running the whole time, pushing their bodies to the limit. There is no time for rest, no time to even stop and tie a shoe. One must keep going to the end at all costs.
Running in my first half was an eye-opening experience. Some people walk most of 13.1 miles. You have to stop to walk if you are getting a drink handed to you by a volunteer. Many people stop to use the porta-potties that line the route.
My second time running, I gave myself permission to walk as I got my water and Gatorade. I stopped to use the porta-potties once. I walked part of the last two miles because my legs were too exhausted. But I made it to the end, and that’s what matters.
Finishing is an accomplishment
Sure, I got super excited when, on a four-mile running day a week and a half before the race, I had two sub-ten-minute miles. I’m competitive and I wanted to beat my time from last year. But I also watched a few people who didn’t make it across the finish line. They were less than a mile from the end and they didn’t make it.
In the end, my time didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I finished.
That doesn’t mean I wasn’t proud of my overall performance. Despite my slower pace, I still finished almost right in the middle of the pack for my age group of 40-44 (455/943). And I ran most of the race, a far from shameful performance a month shy of my 45th birthday. I cannot complain.
Take time to heal
The week after running, I gave myself time to heal. My calf had been bothering me for weeks, and the 13.1 miles I ran on May 4 had me limping for a few days. The week before the race I gave up my 3-mile training runs and spent three days straight at the gym working the elliptical and rowing machine to keep my cardio endurance up but to give my legs a rest. I gave my running shoes another week-long break after the race, choosing the gym instead. And a week after running 13.1 miles, I convinced my family to go on an 8-mile bike ride at a fairly leisurely pace.
When Jeff dropped me off in a familiar place to run the race on my own, I felt both the loneliness of doing something so big by myself and the excitement of running in my city. After all, how many people around the world get to say that they ran on the Indianapolis Speedway? (Ok, it’s a big race and a lot of people do it every year, but most people around the world still can’t say they’ve done it.)
I’m glad I did it, and I might do it again, but first I need a break from two-hour-long Saturday runs. I think I earned it.
For more pictures of the race, you can visit my photo gallery here.
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Congrats on training and finishing! And thank you so much for the shoutout to my newsletter and book. Half marathons are a great distance for people with busy lives. I predict you may want to try a full marathon eventually, which you totally can. The training is not much different; it’s mainly a commitment to grow the long run duration. Enjoy the recovery.