2012 Geist Half Marathon

2012 Geist Half Marathon Results Report
This year marked number five for the Geist Half Marathon, my number four. Tom Britt and crew not only sets the expectation for a great experience high, they exceed expectations each year. I have grown to love Geist, maybe because the sights are familiar and the atmosphere is alway buzzing with positivity.

Ames and I traveled up to Indy on Friday, her birthday, and arrived early. I headed to the packet pick up through Fischers, Indiana, which seems to get nicer and more pristine by the visit. The expo is always at Hamilton Southeastern High School - easy in and easy out. It was different for me this time because I notice Mr. Britt, and introduced myself. I have to admit, when I really like something, I love to tell people about it; therefore; away from my blog, Twitter and Facebook, I wanted to let Mr. Britt know my passion for running Geist each year. I appreciated the conversation - you can tell Tom and his wife are fantastic people!
Race day was nothing out of the ordinary. I woke up, organized all my gear and headed toward Fisher's to meet Thomas for the race. Runners are shuttled from a few different locations. We boarded our "yellow limousine" as the driver called it and arrived in a few minutes. While parking approximately 1.5 miles from the start, the organizers are flawless about getting runners where they need to go in a very timely manner, at both start and finish. The start is always entertaining with an excellent singing of the National Anthem and a military plane fly over. Just before that, Thomas and I ran a little to warmup, took a pre-race photo, and squeezed in our corral. After the Anthem and the fly over, it was time to run for awhile, and we did just that. It was already warm, so I was cautioned. Here is how my race went:

Mile 1-3: After the race start, the planes always fly back over for the runners to marvel at. I love it because the first mile seems uphill and the planes take my mind off the incline. After the 1 mile mark runners turn to some great view of the reservoir.  This is the portion of my race where I judge how I am going to run, or should I say, my body judges it. I was not feeling great. I was cautious of the heat and I knew the route would present some tough inclines, so I put my shoulders back and relaxed a little. Average pace was around 7:04/mi, which was a little quick.

Miles 4-6: The second leg of Geist is a curvy stretch on one road that presents a lot of uphill for runners. You really get a feel of your performance in this area of the run. As I said before, I was not feeling the best and I just ran the race with no PR or goal time in mind. Safety was the #1 priority so I hydrated at ever opportunity. 7:09 was my pace here and I knew there was a tough hill ahead.

Miles 7-10: This section is a tough one, especially when temperatures are warming up and the sweat is flowing. After the shopping center, I always see that left hand turn into the neighborhood approaching and try to prepare. Up a short steep hill then through some rolling ones really challenge runners. We really get to gauge how much is let in the tank for the finish. I admit, I had my strains throughout this one. My positive spin, I overcame and stayed consistent. I slowed to average a 7:15/mi pace but I knew the toughest part was behind me and the finish was coming.

Miles 11-13.1: Following a tough stretch of heat and hills, this part of my race was almost a relief. I had not felt good, stomach cramps bothered me throughout the race but I maintained. When feeling a little off, I find positivity where ever I can during a run, especially in the final stitch of a race. I had maintained all race and had little distance left to go. I channelled that and had a pretty nice 11-13.1 run. Although mile 11 and 12 were my 2nd and 3rd slowest, mile 13 to the finish was my fastest portion of the race at a 6:49/mi pace. I knew I did not win, but I finished my 31st half marathon and I felt good about it! Here are the results:

I beat last year's by one second!!! And, Thomas run under 1:32! I would say a satisfying performance for both of us at Geist! As always, we enjoyed chocolate milk at the finish and great conversation on the bus ride back. There is not much to change about this race. My only tip is to make the corrals bigger. We were in Corral B and it was packed solid.
Geist holds a great place in my heart when it comes to running. I know I can always expect a well organized race through a beautiful area of the country. Both volunteers and on-route supporters are always so welcoming and enthusiastic. But this route; there is something about running this challenging route and crossing the finish line. Its seems like the hills and beautiful scenery almost try to take your mind from the focus on running toward a goal time. I always feel like I want to relax, slow down and enjoy my surroundings because I may not see it again until next year. The route really is that beautiful and I enjoy it so much. Is it the water, crossing the reservoir so many times, the people, or the ora and ambiance of nature combined with enthusiasm and a competitive spirit? I am not sure; however, the combination of it all makes the Geist Half Marathon an experience I encourage everyone to try at least once.
Next up for me, number 32, is my first trail half marathon, through Bernheim Forest, in Clermont, KY. So I have read, this race will be challenging, but gorgeous, and I look forward to it. 


HAPPY RUNNING!!!!!
http://jamesrunsthenation.blogspot.com/

2012 Indy 500 Festival Mini Marathon

2012 Indy 500 Festival Mini Marathon
This weekend brought upon some milestones in my running tenure. The Indy 500 Mini marked my 30th half marathon, the largest race I have ever participated in (40,000 registered participants) and the fifth half marathon I have ran in the last six weeks.
Compared to my hometown Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon, there are many similarities:  both have been around for a similar amount of time, expos seem to be the same size, run around a historic track and hit mile 9 after the track. The big difference is the size of this race is simply massive!
Packet pickup was held at the Indiana Convention Center. Aside from the traffic in the area, the expo was large and fairly well organized. Runners were met with a ton of vendors with goodies. The packet pickup was in the back of the venue, which directed people through the madness. I would have used a maze format and had the packet pickup to the right, directly followed by event merchandise, then through the maze passing vendors and Indy cars. This way, people would be moving in one flowing direction all the way to the exit. Nonetheless, the packet pickup was easy and the volunteers were extremely helpful and nice. In the packet, participants received a really nice long sleeve tech shirt and a hat ideal for running (it even had a pocket). A date would have been nice on the hat; however, from a business standpoint, I completely understand buying these in bulk and using them in upcoming years.
Race day was interesting. I woke up to almost 70 degree temperatures. My immediate thought was to run a smart race and avoid overheating. The strategy in this one was to stay hydrated throughout and finish strong. Preparation and training had led me to this point and I did not want to cancel all that out with a carelessly ran race. I headed down toward the start a little over an hour early. I assumed the area would be congested and parking would be tough. I easily parked, took my time prepping and ran a warmup mile toward my corral.
I noticed I was in Corral G when I received the participant card in the mail. This was troubling due to my pace and placing in past races. I thought the same when I lined up in Corral G, especially talking to people around me with an expected time of 1:40+. I can only assume the time I registered was a little late and the faster corrals were full, so I was placed in this one. Oh well, I was sweating and knew temps would pose a challenge; therefore, I was comforted knowing my placement would help slow me down. The speaker by us was not working, so I heard pieces of what I thought to be the nation's Anthem. I saw the start of the race on a big screen ahead. Hundreds of runners began to shift toward the start - it took me five minutes to get up there. Our engines were started and we were off, here is how my race went:

Miles 1-3: The first leg of my race clarified my purpose. Due to the slower corral where I was placed and the amount of people combined with warm temps, my Indy 500 Mini was all about the experience and not the finish time. It took five minutes to reach the start and the dodging was endless. I felt good but cautious, This leg was spent weaving in and out and passing slower runners and WALKERS! Cutting and jumping up on sidewalks was a little weary on the legs. I was rested and had no doubts about finishing the race. I did wish I was a faster corral because i got a little frustrated. 7:09/mi average in the 1st leg while passing the Indy Zoo.
Miles 4-6: Leg 2 of my race, although still dodging and weaving, was fairly neat due to the approach to the Indy Speedway. The companies, whose logos seen on the Indy cars on TV are all placed on this approach. I was feeling relaxed and smooth and hit every hydration station, which there were the most I have ever seen! While the area was interesting, the prime sight was in mile 6 as we approached the giant Indianapolis Speedway. While averaging a 7:09/mi pace, running through the Speedway on the actual track was awesome! Through the first half of the race, the crowd never gave, which was really tough to adjust to. There was no getting into a groove today.
Miles 7-10: Leg 3 started off was an awesome experience, when runners got to cross the bricks! I wanted to stop and kiss them so bad. I ran on, focusing on hydration, efficiency and time. In the track pace slowed me a lot, averaging a 7:21/mi pace. As the cars do, runners hugged the inside track and would not let anyone pass. Mile 8 led us through the rest of and out of the speedway, to see mile 9, where I finally got separation from the slower runners. We headed back towards town and this was the chance to increase the pace. Temps had warmed up so I kept it steady and consistently hydrated. Pace averaged around 7:15/mi.
Miles 11-13.1: Back into town and along White River toward the finish. Along the last straightaway, crowd support was amazing and I gave a little more. I did get the pace average down below 7:10/mi but the heat countered me. Although I felt great, I ran a cautious sprint through the finish. Here are the official results from my race:

The finish line area was laid out well. We received sweet medals, yummy snacks and water. Toward the end, hydration fans awaited the blew a cool mist. I spent a few minutes and headed to the post-race party. I admit, I was adamently searching for chocolate milk, but still notice the stages set up where bands played and other amenities for finishers.
As I said earlier, this race, for me, was all about the experience. The Expo, the size of the field, seeing the Indianapolis Speedway, the volunteers, and the post race party was awesome. All of that, combined with the organization of it all was truly amazing. The longevity of this race was obvious in the way everything was set up and taken down. My comment to my wife after the race was, "They really know what they are doing and they know how to do it big."
Thank you to the event organizers and the volunteers for an excellent race. I will not hold the "Corral G" placement against you. I promise to register early for next year, just be sure to get me in A, B, or C, please.
FEEDBACK for the ORGANIZERS:
I really cannot give too much feedback to the organizers that succeed in organizing a race with 40,000 registered participants, year-after-year, and get better each year. I provided some preferred adjustments to the expo and dissatisfaction with my corral placement, but the overall experience of this race was unique and fun.

Next up for me, I have registered for my 4th consecutive Geist Half Marathon (5th Annual), another one that continues to improve. The organizers always put on a good race and I really appreciate the smaller field. Geist is one of my favorite and most beautiful races in our area and I cannot wait to get there in two weeks!
HAPPY RUNNING!!!!!