Indianapolis Mini-Marathon

May 05, 2008

What a day!!! The past seven weeks of my training seemed successful and worth every minute as I crossed the finish line feeling a whole lot better than I did 3 years ago. Today, I participated in my second mini-marathon and as the hours pass the experience gets better and better. The realization of how far I ran and how hard I pushed my body becomes more real with every step and each time I try to stand up. Overall, I am not in pain, just sore and reliving what a great day it was. So much so that I had to start my blog. Blog makes it sound too official, this is where I will "journal" about our lives.I feel like one journey has ended yet another may be beginning. My friend Traci and I had been training together for seven weeks and just six day before the mini, Traci found out by way of a trip to the ER that she is internally bleeding and won't be able to run with me. To make a very long story short, my sweet husband came up with the idea to run "as Traci" and use her bib number. There is no replacing Traci as a running partner and that is why I said another journey may be beginning because Traci has taught me to love running. I might as well record this in my blog to look back on one day and laugh because I actually thought about this or be so proud that I followed through but we are talking about running a marathon when I am 40. We are waiting a few years so our kids will be a bit older and the training won't be so hard on our hubbies. All that to say, Gary did step in today and ran the Mini with me. I needed him to talk to me for the first few miles, because that's what Traci would do and then my i pod would do the rest. Gary and I ran for two miles together and then I we split. But my dear husband RAN the entire 13.1 miles without stopping. NO training and he has never ran more than six miles. He is amazing. He got up at 4 am and drove with friends to meet me at race. Traci, Dara and I had gone to pick up Dara's race packet, had dinner at BRAVO and stayed the night in Fishers. We met up as planned and the rest is history. The weather was perfect and the run was long!!!! We all met at the Taylor tent after the race and reunited, shared our stories, celebrated our efforts and laughed at Gary's insistence that he will never do that again. Gary did incredible and finished in 2:08:48, which was faster that the last time I ran the mini. I made my goal of being under 2 hours and finished at 1:57:27. We we both thrilled.It was so fun to be with Dara as she completed her first mini-marathon. Dara did amazing also reaching her personal goal. It was sweet to hear Todd talk of how she has inspired him through her training. Gary and I were talking about how rewarding it is to make a commitment to do something for ourselves that is also good for our health. (Laurie and Amanda, we may need to make the Indy mini a girl's weekend some year, it really is fun. We will all stay together, I promise!!!) I also think Amy and Mom need to sign up next year and walk/run it. You would really do well.Anyway, I don't really know how to close expect to share that when Gary climbed in bed tonight he was still amazed that he ran that far today saying, "It was like I ran to Marion today." He makes me laugh. The other funny thing his said to me as we were eating lunch on the way home from Indy, Gary says, "you know, if I had to do it all over again I would train the exact same way. " What??? He didn't train at all. Deep down, I bet he runs it again someday, not next year but someday.