What an incredible weekend at the Indianapolis Mini Marathon! This was my first time participating in an expo of this size, my first time using a loading dock, and my first time in the basement of Lucas Oil Stadium. After doing the smaller Carmel Marathon expo, I expected the Mini to be about five times bigger, so I worked non-stop to prepare enough inventory... spoiler alert: I did not do 5x the sales.
THE PREP
After the Carmel expo, I went into full production mode for the Indy Mini expo. I make all the mugs for my bouquets in my home office, and my neighbor kindly lent me some extra mug presses to help with my speed of production. With my husband traveling the week before the Mini, my kitchen transformed into a mug manufacturing facility. I made almost 100 mugs! And won't tell you how many I sold because it's embarrassing and I had to bring way too many mugs home with me.
I also prepared 100 goodie bags for our live podcast event with Lindsey Hein at the Bottleworks Hotel. So many friends helped me - Eileen, Christi, my mom, my friend Ashley (who I'd later push with during the race) stamped my logo on bags. The community support was incredible and SO appreciated.
WEDNESDAY: The Shakeout Run
To kick off the week, I participated in the Athletic Annex shakeout run on Wednesday. This was an official IU Health 500 Festival event at Centerpoint Brewing. We ran on the Monon Trail for about 30 minutes. This was actually perfect timing as it helped me get the 100 goodie bags out of my living room and dropped off at the Bottleworks Hotel (with help from the amazing valets, Pacey and Robert).
But back to the shakeout. There had to be hundreds of runners there of all abilities. There was a Red Bull truck playing music and several vendors came out too. Christi Dee and I ran together and I couldn't handle doing 30 min and needed to do 3 miles, so we did. We didn't talk to many people during our run but did share a few minutes with a man named Precious who was super kind and about to do the 5K (maybe his first? I can't remember). He did it!
When we were done, we went to the bar at Centerpoint for a free beer. I opted for water because I'm not drinking much these days. Go me! It was a perfect night to stay and hang out, but I had to get home to relieve my parents who were watching the girls since Zach was still gone. Thank you, M+D!
^ Me, Larry Coblentz from Athletic Annex and Christi Dee of This Blonde Runs
THURSDAY: Expo Day 1
The expo ran from 4-8 PM on Thursday, May 1. I loaded everything into the expo hall by myself, completely forgetting that my Tesla has a front trunk until after my car was already parked! 🤦🏻♀️ After walking what felt like a mile back to the expo, my friend Christy Dee (who makes bracelets and is a local running coach) helped me set up my booth, which saved me so much time. Thank you, Christi!
^ Me and Christi Dee with my beautiful booth backdrop and upside down glitter freckles
^ That feeling when your booth is set up
The booth next to mine was Superieur Electrolytes, run by Seth and his sister Christine. Seth became like a mentor to me as he's done hundreds of expos and shared his wisdom that "the first hour doesn't count" when predicting how sales will go. My booth location wasn't ideal - I was a bit hidden and facing what was essentially a wall of shoes from the Athletic Annex's Sequel brand area. I was picturing a more open and frequently trafficked area when I picked out the spot.
The first day wasn't bad and wasn't great. I did about $750 in sales for anyone wondering. But I did meet and see so many amazing running friends.
^ Cody and Mary Pittman of Average Athlete
^ Renae Saager, her son Miles, and me
After the expo closed at 8 PM, I finally made it back to the hotel around 8:30 PM. I DoorDashed a pizza (and my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach - an 18-inch was way too much!). Then I stayed up until 11:30 PM editing my podcast episode with Lauren Gaudion (VP of Marketing for Arrow McLaren) that needed to be published the next day. 🤪 She ran the 2024 Indy Mini with Tony Kanaan so go listen to the episode to hear that story and more!
^ the pizza I ordered myself
v podcast editing in bed at Bottleworks
FRIDAY: Expo Day 2 and Live Podcast Event
I woke up at 6:01 AM despite setting my alarm for 7 AM - I was too excited to sleep. Plus, my natural alarm clocks at home usually wake up around this time... My sister Casey and friend Alyssa were meeting me at 9:30 AM to help with the expo, which started at 10 AM.
In true Ally fashion, I tried to do ALL OF THE THINGS before heading over - making extra stickers, printing materials, and getting myself presentable (though I forgot my hairbrush!). As I was leaving the hotel parking garage, my ticket wouldn't work and I had to video chat with an attendant to get out. Thankfully, a garage employee appeared and helped resolve the issue. You can't make this stuff up. I think it was the universe's way of telling me I should have left earlier.
It was so nice that the booth was already set up. All I had to do was find Casey and Alyssa in the parking lot and head in to get started. It was so so much fun working all day with both of them. They are some of the best supporters around, and made it a lot better than working solo. Alyssa owns her own dental practice (shoutout Danville Family Dentistry) and has Fridays off. Two of which she's used to help me this year.
^ Me, my sister, Casey, and my friend, Alyssa Stickley. Oh and glitter freckles the right side up this time!
The expo was a blur of awesome interactions (except for this one lady who thought my handmade stickers were free and didn't want to sign up for my emails). I met and saw so many people, including a woman who has run the Mini 39 times IN A ROW and a guy named Walter, who's completed a 100-miler and many marathons. I invited both to be on my podcast, but haven't heard from either one of them yet... I also visited booths of friends like Mary and Cody from Average Athlete, the Beyond Monumental team, and Ainsley's Angels, where I met Ainsley's dad "Rooster" (who agreed to be on my podcast too!).
At 3 PM, I left for my event with Lindsey Hein that was starting at 4:30 PM at the Bottleworks Hotel. I ran up to my hotel room to print the attendee list, run of show, and signage for a giveaway we forgot to do in person. Since I didn't have time for a shower, I freshened up with B-O-Dorant Wipes (from the makers of Butt Napkins), changed into jeans and a Finish Lines and Milestones t-shirt, and headed down to the event space.
Similar to how I felt earlier, I should have given myself more time. There were a lot of small things to wrap up before people would start to show up and the time was going by so fast. Surprise: things worked out and by the time people started showing up we were as ready as we were going to be.
Quick shoutout again to our amazing sponsors who helped make this happen:
- BROOKS
- Athlete Bouquets
- Athletic Annex
- Bitchstix
- Previnex
- Project LeanNation (PLN)
- Stretch Lab
- Transcend Training & Performance
^ Rod Julian from Stretch Lab
The event was unreal. Still kind of feels like a dream. We had a packed room of about 100 people that included 20-30 of my previous podcast guests, friends, my sister and brother-in-law and members of the Indianapolis running community. Despite my nerves about speaking with a microphone in front of people, I managed to make it through my intro and shared why the Mini is special to me without breaking into hives. Lindsey then took over and interviewed two very different athletes: Cameron Balser (who ran around the perimeter of the US last year) and Kim Conley (a two-time Olympian in the 5000m). Their perspectives on why they run tied beautifully into the love of the sport - the perfect message before race day. And sadly the recording didn't take so I don't think we'll be airing the recording as a podcast episode which is a huge bummer but a good reason you should come in person next time if you missed out.
There are too many great photos taken by the one and only Timmy Howard, so take a look at those here.
After the event, I headed back to the expo with Ashley and another Lindsey (who both would be pushing during the Mini with me). Casey and Alyssa had survived without me! We closed the booth promptly at 8 PM, and with their help, teardown went much more smoothly than the setup. A lot less sweating.
Get this. I only made $300 more at the Indy Mini expo compared to Carmel. I think what that tells me is that smaller, less competitive expos are probably better for me and Athlete Bouquets, but still a great couple of days!
We DoorDashed a pizza back to the hotel (Lindsey crushed her first DoorDash order), and I made stickers for our shirts with our angel rider's names for race day. I also did my nails and my flat runner to make sure I had everything ready for the morning.
SATURDAY: Race Day with Ainsley's Angels
Our alarms went off at 5:15 AM, and we had an Uber scheduled for 6:10 AM. After coffee, my Previnex greens, and mini bagels with peanut butter and honey, we were ready to go. Well, I hadn't gone to the bathroom yet, but was hoping I'd be able to before we started running.
Lindsey Hein met us in the lobby and rode with us to the NCAA Hall of Champions, where Ainsley's Angels meets on the morning of the Mini. Our Uber driver assumed we were going to the start line like everyone else and told us we put in the wrong address. It was early and we were all confused but realized he didn't know where we needed to go and redirected him.
Before we parted ways, I snapped a selfie with Lindsey since I wouldn't see her after the race.
We arrived right around 6:30 AM and got to meet our rider, Emmalyn. We asked her if she wanted pink freckles (she did!), and due to some last-minute changes with riders, our pushing team gained a member. Lindsey joined Ashley and me, while my friend Alyssa (who was going to push with Lindsey) ran with Christi and Rachel Sinders (my running coach).
^ Christi is in the white sweatshirt behind Emmalyn's chariot
^ Team Glitter Sparkles: Lindsey Worswick, Ashley Schwab and me
^ Ashley, Emmalyn and me
There are indoor bathrooms at the NCAA Hall of Champions and we get a group picture before the 5K starts. Otherwise, we're hanging out and waiting to move. We try to organize our stuff in the chariot as best we can. There's a spot for my portable speaker and our fuel and we shove our sweatshirts in a zipped compartment too. We briefly met Emmalyn and her twin, Cailyn's, mom, Renae. More on Renae after the race.
And just like that, the sun is up and we start making the walk over to where the firetruck hoists the huge American flag you run under after you start the mini.
^ Ashley, Emmalyn, Lindsey and me heading to the start
^ The whole gang! Back row: Ashley, Lindsey, me, Rachel, Christi and Alyssa Front row: Emmalyn, mom Renae, and Cailyn
The most amazing part of running with Ainsley's Angels is that we get to START the race! We lined up at the front, danced, sang the national anthem, and then a few minutes after 7:30 AM, Ainsley's dad Rooster waved the green flag to start the race (I high fived him as we started).
^ a picture of me taking the next picture
^ At the start in front of the masses
We rotated pushing duties throughout the race: Ashley took the first mile, then Lindsey, then me. Repeat for 13.1 miles. When the elite runners started coming through (they started five minutes after us, I think), we moved to the left and cheered them on. I spotted several friends including Sal Escamillo, Rob Jackson, and Mark Glover flying by. (All previous Finish Lines & Milestones podcast guests if you want to get to know them.)
Pushing the chariot isn't as difficult as you'd think - these chariots are built for efficiency with lightweight materials. Emmalyn was all smiles the entire time, and we played music through a speaker - starting with Taylor Swift and later switching to a pump-up running mix that Ashley found. In the first handful of miles, I kept begging Ashley to slow down!
^ Somewhere during the 13.1 miles of the race
The miles flew by as we soaked in the experience and more and more people would cheer us on as they passed by. We saw more friends Michael Hartnagel, Gabby Behr... Timmy Howard taking photos!
In Speedway (right before halfway), Emmalyn showed us her love for high-fives and stuck her arm out for spectators. People would drop what they were doing to give her five, which brought me to tears. What an honor to bring her that joy. Seriously.
Sure enough I was pushing when it was time to enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the only hill to speak of during the race. We decided to all push together as fast as we could to get it over with and made it into the track for the famous Gold Mile, which honors service members who lost their lives. I reminded everyone, "This is the mile. It cannot hurt," thinking about the sacrifice signified by the pictures we passed.
The track itself is 2.5 miles long, and one of my favorite memories was when "Firework" by Katy Perry came on. Emmalyn knew all the words and sang at the top of her lungs. She also laughed at everything I did - especially when I dumped water on my head or danced.
^ Us at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
On the track, I remember seeing my friend's uncle, John, and Bill Bradford. And shortly after leaving the track we ran into pregnant Kelby Laughner and Lori Quick casually flying by us and looking so strong.
Between miles 9 and 10, Emmalyn stopped smiling. This was very unusual since her smile hadn't left her face since we started. It took a while but we realized Emily needed a bathroom break. We found porta-potties and helped her (though it was challenging with the loud music nearby). We started to worry about what would happen if she didn't come out. She'd locked the door and after a few minutes we started to panic. I even called her mom but couldn't hear anything because of the music. Thankfully, she emerged happy again, and we continued on our way to the finish. The stop was a good reminder that we weren't in control and that our time didn't matter.
In the final stretch, we saw friends cheering, including Tracie Hunter (Indiana Runner Girl) and Gordon Strain (who went on to crush the Flying Pig Marathon on Sunday). As we approached the finish line, we looked for Lindsey's husband and kids and stopped for a few seconds to see them. Then, we talked about how we'd move to the right and stop to let Emmalyn get out of the chariot to finish the race on her own. We pulled over and raised our arms and told people we were stopping. We helped Emmalyn out of the chariot, and she took off SPRINTING for the finish line. This moment was captured on video that I've watched at least 100 times - seeing her joy and determination made me cry. It was the best.
^ The happiest finish line photo there ever was
We got our medals. Emmalyn put mine on for me. Then we slowly made our way to find Emmalyn's mom Renae. Right after we exited the finish chute Renae was standing there holding flowers for all of us. As we waited for Cailyn to finish, I got a chance to talk to Renae. She adopted the twins at birth after their birth mother was unable to care for them - Renae was on duty at the hospital at the time. Renae has a total of five children - the twins and then three adult children (and a handful of grandchildren too). She told me that the twins are in Taekwodo and boy crazy. Renae also works in the home healthcare field. I asked her if she was going to apply for sainthood. What an amazing woman.
Once we found Cailyn and team, we made our way back to the Ainsley's Angels tent in "The Infield" section of the after party. On our way there, Emmalyn made tons of people smell her flowers. It was hilarious. She especially loved a fake sneeze after. What an honor it was to meet her and give her that finish line. An experience I won't forget.
We celebrated at the Athletic Annex tent with Sun King Pachanga beer and donuts, surrounded by friends. Later, Ashley, Lindsey and I rented electric bikes from the Pacers bike share to ride back to the hotel via the Cultural Trail - still wearing our hot pink Ainsley's Angels sweatshirts and exchanging congratulations with other finishers along the way.
This weekend was SO MUCH MORE than just a race - it was about community, connection, and creating joy for someone else. I can't wait to do it all again next year! Well, maybe not ALL of that again.
P.S. I'm registered to push with Ainsley's Angels at the Marine Corps Marathon this year on 10/26 - I'm nervous about the one-to-one runner/rider ratio, but excited for the opportunity to challenge myself in a new way and provide this experience for someone who wouldn't otherwise get it. You can donate to my fundraiser here.