Best.Race.Ever.

The children and I went to Indianapolis this weekend so that I could run the Indy Mini (half marathon) with my cousins. With four running cousins on my mom's side of the family (four of the nine children of my mom and her brother and sister), this race was the perfect excuse to get us all together for a fun weekend of visiting with family.

I haven't been to Indianapolis since high school so I didn't have an idea of what to expect. I thought Indy was a really pleasant city to visit and I found it easy to get around and to enjoy the atmosphere while we were there. My impression was that the city offers much more in terms of fun things for visitors to do than I had expected.

The Indy Mini is the largest half marathon in the United States with 35,000 runners paraticipating in the event. The race typically sells out by November the year before the May race, if that's any indication of the demand from the running community. The race is part of a month-long series of events and festivals that peaks with the Indianapolis 500 later in May.

The course is a loop, starting and finishing downtown. The turning point is the Indianapolis 500 racetrack, with over two miles of the run taking place on and around the track.

The kids and I arrived on Friday around noon and met up with my mom and dad, my aunt Penny and Uncle Lyn, and my cousin Jon. My parents were in Indiana for the week as a stopping point during their drive out to Wyoming in their RV. Aunt Penny and Uncle Lyn had driven down from Fort Wayne and Jon flew in from south Florida. Later that evening we all met up with my cousins Kim (and her husband Dave) and Kelly, who had driven in from northern Indiana and Pennsylvania, respectively.

This photo was taken of the running group after dinner the night before the race. Kelly is to my right, then Kim, and Jon. All three of my cousins are avid runners, each having run a full marathon in recent years. Kelly and Kim ran a marathon together last year, and Jon and Kim ran the Fort Lauderdale half marathon together in February. I was pleased to discover in person what I had suspected beforehand - that while we all took our running pretty seriously (anyone who trains for and runs a marathon has to be somewhat passionate about it), we all were really in it to have a good time.This was the first half marathon that I have ever traveled for and I was surprisingly satisfied with how rested I felt the next morning, since sleeping with my kids in a hotel doesn't always equal a good night's sleep. I ate a bowl of corn flakes and drank a cup of coffee in my hotel room (in the dark as the kids were still sleeping and I didn't want to wake them), and left for the race at 6:30 when my aunt arrived to stay with the kids until they woke up. I met up with John and my uncle in the lobby and we walked to Kelly, Kim, and Dave's hotel down the street. There we met up with Jon's wife's cousin's husband, Scott, who had driven in from a suburb of Indy, and posed for a pre-race photo.

The weather that morning was perfect for running, about 50 degrees and overcast. The forecast had called for some rain on Saturday earlier in the week but thankfully we didn't see much rain on the course (just a few sprinkles, with a light drizzle afterwards) and the start was (happily!) dry. Look at the 35,000 people packed on the main street ready for the start! How impressive.I didn't take any photos on the course, but I did grab this photo (as well as the one above) from Google images to show what the race was like inside the Indianapolis speedway track. I had never been to the track before, but was impressed by its scope. With Jon and Scott at my side, I learned a lot about the history and the inner workings of the famous 500!

This photo was taken from the Indianapolis newspaper's website. That's Jon, Scott, and me crossing the finish line! How ironic that our photo was featured in the newspaper's online story about the race.

So how was this race? Quite simply, it was the best.race.ever. I loved this race so much and I had a ton of fun, primarily because it made me feel so happy to have the opportunity to experience the day with my cousins. I ran the full course with Jon and Scott, and we pushed each other and chatted the entire time. This was my tenth half marathon (with a full marathon under my belt too), and I have always run my races alone. Looking back, I realize that while I like my playlists and I do get inspired by the music, that's nothing compared to how much fun I had just talking and visiting with Jon and Scott during the race. In addition, it was awesome to get to start and finish with Kim and Kelly, and to meet up with them immediately afterwards and compare stories. It was fun to have others to hang out with post-race, rather than quickly leaving and driving home alone which is what I do for the races in Dallas.

Running-wise, I felt good during the race and I know that I pushed my body and challenged it to be strong. It wasn't easy, as there were a few times when I wanted to go slower or rest (note to self: do not take 8 days off from running while eating and drinking your way all over Italy next time you are scheduled to run a half marathon!). However, we were consistent and I know that we ran a smart race. We pushed and did some speed work several times over the last two miles, finishing with a time of 1:45:43 (average pace 8:04 per mile).

Below is a photo of the happy finishers at the end! Jon got a PR (great job!), Kelly earned a sub-2 hour time (amazing that she has the ability to run so strong and fast without training as much as she would have liked!), and Kim ran a very fast half marathon while 5 1/2 months pregnant (!! I am in awe!!). My cousins are strong people and I am so proud of them!

Some races have beer available for runners afterwards but I have never felt the desire to partake since I am always alone at the finish line. Well, not this time! Jon and I made a pact during the race to toast together after the race, and we were so happy to be joined at the finish by my dad, my aunt and uncle so we all shared a drink together. My dad and I are pictured below.

Below is a shot of my aunt and uncle with my cousin Jon at the after party. These photos make it look like we were boozing it up after the race, but really we enjoyed just one beer while listening to the live music and watching the television coverage of the masses still crossing the finish line.

Overall this was a great morning and truly the most run I have had running ever. Many thanks for Jon, Kelly, and Kim for coming to the race, and to Kim for coordinating the logistics of getting us all together. I appreciate everyone who helped to put together out pre-race hotel room meal (fun!). I am grateful to my mom and dad and aunt and uncle for their help with the kids, and particularly for my mom who stayed with the kids on race morning.