a) The number of calories he consumed yesterday.
b) The number of people who've looked at our house without buying it.
c) The quantity of songs Damon's choreographed this year.
d) How many years old Damon feels after a road trip
e) The dollar amount of our basement flood repair (close!)
Clock is ticking,......beeeeeeeep!,......oh, sorry. Your time is up! Actually, out of 35,000 runner/walkers, 7,606th place was Damon's finish at yesterday's Indianapolis 500 Mini-Marathon! As I love to say every year, I got beaten by a town, but I defeated a city!!
This was either my 20th or 21st time on this adventure, and I never stop loving it. I've become ritualistic over the years, making sure I eat pancakes with loads of maple syrup, plus a big bowl of pasta the night before to load up on carbs. I scan the 500 Expo after picking up my race packet for as many free samples as possible (this year's unexpected treasure was free grape-flavored 5-hour Energy!) I pin my number to my shirt the night before and try to find something that will make me stick out in the television shots, like weird-colored shorts or a bright green baseball cap turned sideways.
I always park at Methodist Hospital, a full 1.7 miles from the start line. That way, I'm encouraged to do a good warm-up run to get stretched out. Always get there at 6:45, always drink Gatorade and eat bananas, always stop by the port-o-lets, always smack the beach balls, always say a couple prayers, always, always, always.
Perfect weather greeted us this year, after the biting cold wind of a year ago. 55 degrees and cloudy, or as runner's would say, PERFECTION! The national anthem was especially poignant this year, having seen the face blown off of Osama Bin Laden less than a week ago. I think everybody except the rude 20-year old girl next to me felt a surge of American pride and a lump in their throat,....she just wanted to blather on about how much she needed to pee.
My pacing was good this year, perhaps as good as its ever been. NOT my speed, mind you, but my consistency. After a congested first mile, I held in between 8:52-9:15 for the entire race, finishing with an unexpectedly solid 1:59:14. I'd been recovering from a nasty respiratory infection, so I truly had expected nothing better than a 2:05.
A couple random memories:
-Love those old ladies that clog to Beyonce and Eminem songs!
-Seeing some Hamilton Southeastern folks I know.
-Watching a lady taken away on a golf cart BEFORE the race started.
-The drunk guys trying to be funny and yell at the runners,.....completely in undecipherable gibberish! ("heyth, ya wan me getchasixthpakopabstbluribbon?") Uh,....sure!
-The 70-year-old lady SCREAMING like an army drill sergeant at mile 10, and the guy beside me who said "if we all kill her together we won't get in trouble!"
Over all a great day. My achilles cooperated, my stamina was good and God and mother nature smiled on Indianapolis for another running. Hope I'm right back next year!
:) Great job! I was amazed to see you up there singing this weekend after running on Saturday morning. My time was muuuuch slower than yours but for my first time at it, I am pleased! :) Glad you had fun!
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