Since I've been reeling with the flu all week, I've had a lot of time to reflect on this incredible weekend. I wish it didn't go by so fast and I wish I could have somehow avoided coming away sick. Quick PSA - get your flu shots, people!
The Expo
The Indiana Women's Running Festival expo was only my second race expo ever. I was ecstatic to be able to use my handmade booth background again and improve based on what I learned during my first experience at The Carmel Marathon. I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of booth traffic since this even is quite a bit smaller than Carmel, but it turns out we were busy nearly the entire four hours the expo was open.
Here are two main things I took away from the first expo:
- Make it stupid easy for people to understand what you do
- Have something they can take away that has your info
So, I got a new poster made that explained Athlete Bouquets and I made some postcards people could grab that promoted my website, podcast and Instagram.
Seeing so many familiar faces was my favorite part and of course I got to meet some new ones too. My friend Holly Reed bought 4 mugs for her friends running the 5K with her, Kaity Wachtel bought a bouquet, Carly Stewart bought whatever her son, Jack, wanted, 🤣 and Mary Pittman's daughter, Nora, was very indecisive about which bracelet she wanted but decided that the one she bought in the first place was the right one. My coach, Rachel Sinders, bought a bracelet and so did my fellow RMR runner, Sarah Stewart. Becky Riley, Katie Barrett, Allison Joy, Dana Foreman, Jennifer Conner, Margo Baltera, and then when I make a list like this I know I'm going to leave someone out and look like an asshole so just know that I love you if you came by to say hi.
The main problem was that my stupid credit card reader wasn't working after I swore I'd ensured it was fully charged. So, my friend Alyssa and I were having to manually type in credit cards. And then so many people still use cash which blows my mind, so I will be better prepared for this next time.
As the dinner hour approached, I knew exactly what I wanted to eat for a pre-race dinner. Alyssa and I had gone to Convivo a week or so before after our Wednesday night golf league. They have this incredible pizza with arugula and prosciutto that I simply had to have. Lucky for us, Convivo was pretty close to the expo. It was so so good. Might be my new pre-race ritual.
As 8 o'clock approaches, vendors are closing up shop and packing up for the day. We'd started doing the same and then a mom and her daughter came up and started looking at the bracelets we hadn't put away yet. Her name was Cydney which is obviously Sydney with a "C", which is very wild. What's even crazier is that her mom's name is also Sydney, but with an "S". They'd driven to the race with the whole family and running is now something Cydney and her daughter do together. They bought some bracelets and stickers and I told Cydney she'd have to come on my podcast - and she said she would!
Alyssa turns to me once they walked away and said, "Well, what a perfect way to end the day!" And I could't have agreed more.
Race Morning
On race morning my alarm went off at 5am to make sure I could get up and get down some breakfast and coffee before leaving. Surprisingly, my husband, Zach, was already awake with one of our two kids watching TV. *Sigh* I make my coffee and peanut butter banana honey toast and sit at the counter scrolling through my phone to calm my nerves.
When it was time to get dressed, I coated my body with Squirrel Nut Butter and put on my shorts and pacing shirt (that I doctored up to be a tank top vs. a short sleeve). I redid my metallic butterfly tattoos near my eyes (sleeping on them overnight wasn't the best) and applied my favorite "RUN THE MILE YOU'RE IN" mantra tattoo on my left hand so I'd see it every time I look at my watch.
I left around 6 so that I could report to the DJ booth for my emcee duties by 6:15. What's crazy is that I didn't look at the weather, but I decided I'd throw a hat in my gear bag just in case it was going to rain. I parked in a nearby parking garage and walked over to the start/finish line area - 13.1 Indiana Women's Running Festival mug in hand. It was still dark but there were lots of last minute event details being tended to by people everywhere.
Kim Jackson from CRRG events and Joshua the DJ were hanging out under the DJ tent when I walked up. I've seen Joshua at other events and had met Kim the night before at the expo. We talked over a couple details and then I waited until it was time to start talking into a microphone.
Now, outside looking in you may think this is my jam. She has a podcast, she's on social media, she seems outgoing... well...wrong. This is only the second time I've been asked to emcee and the second time I've said yes simply because it's something that makes me uncomfortable and I know I need to say yes and figure it out. And I'm so glad I did.
At the end of the day, NO ONE CARES. I just kept telling myself that. I mean, do you really pay close attention to whether or not a race day announcer says what he or she is supposed to say? Probably not because you're too busy thinking about whether or not you should get in a bathroom line.
The basics of emceeing were to make a set of announcements every 10 minutes from 6:40 until 7:20 when I'd introduce Todd Oliver, the Race Director. So, that part was pretty easy and when I started at 6:40 there weren't many participants around yet. I'd tried to plan what I'd say in between each set of announcements and one thing I did was write down a list of some of the mantras from my podcast Finish Lines & Milestones. I ask every single guest what their favorite running mantra is and then selfishly use it for motivation when I run, so why not pass them on?
I also interviewed my friend Trena Roudebush which was perfect because she's run about 120 half marathons and about 80 full marathons. She had great advice on trusting your training and "getting wet" in the rain. And I talked to my friend Carly Stewart who said she "didn't know" if she'd get an age group award but then in true Carly fashion ended up fifth place overall in the 10K.
Photo credit: Timmy Howard
Photo credit: Timmy Howard
We got a picture with all of the pacers in front of the start line (Trena is the 2:00 and my coach, Rachel, is the 1:50). I was bummed I really didn't get a chance to meet any of the other pacers because I was doing my emcee job too.
And just like that it was 7:20 and time to introduce Todd. I was so happy to hand over the microphone to Todd and jump in the corral where I felt like I could now relax. Although, I really did enjoy the emcee experience and I've already been beating myself up on how I could do a better job the next time I do it.
At the start, the 1:50, 1:55 and 2:00 groups were all together towards the front of the corral which was nice because I got to chat with Trena and Rachel for a few more minutes. I met a couple new people and my friend Amanda Luper hopped in to start with me which made me really happy. The best part was getting ready to begin.
The Race
Everything was fine when the race got going except for the fact that my running friend Becky Riley hadn't shown up yet and I knew she was planning on running with me. I hoped everything was ok. I wished I would have tried calling or texting her. But then before we were a half a mile in she pulled up right beside me. "I made it!" she said. *whew* Now I felt ready.
Becky helped me realize I wasn't holding my sign up as high as I needed to in order for people behind me to see. She said she'd almost missed me. So, I held the sign proudly in the air. This was my first time running with a flag and it was a little awkward at first but I almost didn't notice it after that.
Speaking of a little awkward, that's me. I loved the idea of pacing and helping others but I'd really only hung with pacers myself a couple of times. I could hear Trena behind me saying "welcome to the two hour pace group!" So, I knew once we got a few minutes in I'd need to say something which was something like, "Hi I'm Ally and this is my 60th half marathon" and felt like an AA introduction. I put my Pen & Paces bib kit on my back with my name so that people would know my name even if they joined later on.
What's weird about being a pacer is unless you turn around you really don't know who is behind you or who is talking. It's really interesting in that way. You could spend miles with someone talking and have no idea what they look like. I did my best to insert advice and mantras here and there and get to know where people were from and who they were.
Mile 1: 8:38
My plan had been to manually lap the miles so that my watch didn't dictate the pace and mess things up. Well, after the first mile buzzed too soon, I waited until we hit the actual mile marker and then hit my manual lap button which of course then said the lap was only 20 seconds or whatever. I realized I should have practiced manual lapping or at least knew more of what to expect. I didn't know how it was supposed to work, so I decided to give up on that and look at the overall time on my watch and what I'd put on my flag. (8:45 is the pace I'm looking for)
The race started with a nice rain. I don't remember it ever raining too hard. While it was still super humid, the rain was a welcome factor to keep us all cool.
Mile 2: 8:39
As we ran through the woods near Meadowlark Park (one of our family favorites) one of the girls asked me what my favorite race was. Naturally, I gave a few examples of my favorites - Big Cottonwood down a mountain for a PR, Vegas with my dad... Amanda Luper was also there to share some of her adventures.
For a few of those running it was their very first half marathon. Being a pacer for someone's very first half felt like a lot of responsibly so I was determined to keep steady and slow at the start so I didn't take anyone out too fast.
Mile 3: 8:31
While mile 3 was a little fast, I felt like I was getting the hang of it. Chatting with the group around me and focusing on enjoying the experience on the perfect morning. Just before mile 4, my friend Timmy Howard was stationed taking photos and he snapped this one of me and my pace group. The woman on my left is Summer, over her right shoulder is Lilly, then there's Annie in the green hat. On my right is Becky.
Mile 4: 8:42
At mile 4 you return to run by the start finish area again. This is nice because there's a group of spectators, but also tough because you can see the finish already and you're not close to being there yet. It also is where there's a slight incline to climb up and over Carmel drive while on the Monon Trail. I tell the group that this is also what we'll do to finish the race. Some of the women groaned. There's another down and up as we go under a road towards the Monon Center. I tell everyone the change in elevation is nice and that's what we should all tell ourselves.
When I went to take my first gel, my second gel came out with it and fell to the ground. My worst nightmare. I had two of them in one pocket and didn't pay close enough attention - rookie mistake. Although maybe the only time this has ever happened to me in a race. Thankfully, my new friend, Annie, saved the day and picked it up for me. Whew.
Mile 5: 8:50
We hit our third water stop and I should mention that for whatever reason getting water was a little awkward in a pace group because in the beginning miles there were quite a few of us together going for the same cups. I would try to be mindful of others but I'm pretty sure I took a cup that another runner was hoping for at least once. Oops.
I think it was around this point where we see Carly Stewart crushing the 10K and coming at us. We all scream and cheer for Carly as she flies by towards her finish line.
After turning off of the Monon Trail we get to run through the nature paths of the Monon Center and they are so beautiful. Becky and I both agree that we should do more of our Friday runs out and around this part of the park. There are ponds where we watch the rain drops ripple and so many wildflowers blowing in the breeze. There is also a new Bison statue (at least I'm pretty sure it's new) right off of the path in one spot. I forgot that we used to have them in this state until one of the runners reminded me.
We spot my friend, Sarah Stewart, up ahead who had decided to run with my coach in the 1:50 group but must have slowed up. I was so excited for the thought of her joining our group but we cheered for her as we made our way past. The humidity was no joke despite the rain.
Mile 6: 8:46
I can't remember how it came up but at some point I reveal I host a podcast. Maybe we were talking about mantras, who knows. It's at this point I get a few more names as the lineup has shifted. Cheyenne, Isabell, Avery, Lilly... I remember commenting that everyone had such beautiful names. I asked Cheyenne if she bought a mug when she registered for the race - a question that really confused her. I laughed and told her I made the mugs and remembered her name off of one of the boxes.
Mile 7: 8:40
I wish I could tell you how the overall time was comparing to the pace as we went because that's what I would call out each time we passed a new mile marker. It was incredible to see that we would be only about 4 seconds away from the pace we needed. I was feeling really good about being able to hold steady at this point.
We now are running through neighborhoods close to the Monon and simply holding pace and making our way forward. Becky is my constant and has been there the whole time switching sides and positions with people as we adjust after water stops. I think somewhere around this point we lose Amanda Luper. She was on a 20 miler total, so I don't blame her. Annie is still with us and so are Avery, Lilly, Isabell, Summer and several others from the rowing team.
Mile 8: 8:28
Something we talked about must have gotten me excited enough to run an 8:28 or maybe my watch was off at this point I don't know, but we were cruising through the neighborhoods and I was ready to turn around and make our way back to the finish.
A group of 4 of the rowers end up in front of us after a water stop and I realize quickly that I can't let them set the pace and immediately back off and slow back into pace.
Mile 9: 8:40
And then it's time to turn around and make our way back to the finish. We're on the Monon again for a bit before I know there's a "quick jaunt" through another neighborhood before we head on the Monon again until the finish.
Any time we've been on the Monon and seen people I'll yell, "Hey can I get some love for my ladies?" or "How about these ladies?" and it would usually result in some whoops and cheers. Or on occasion someone with headphones in would completely ignore me. It was a fun and welcome distraction.
We begin the neighborhood jaunt and shortly afterwards we see the mile marker for mile 10. Lilly says to her friend Avery after we pass it, "hey, this is now the furthest we've ever run." And that's pretty cool. Although now looking back I think this got to Avery's head. She started to tell us that she wanted to drop back. We all kept encouraging her as best as we could to stay but eventually she left us.
Mile 10: 8:41
Mile 11: 8:32
After seeing my watch show 8:32 I say maybe that's why we lost Avery. I'd done a mile too fast. Dammit. Well, I'll probably never know but I hope that's not what caused her to drop off.
Shortly after mile 11 we cross the street and make our way to the entrance of the Monon Trail again. This is a fun part of the race because you can see runners on the other side of the street starting their neighborhood jaunt. I happened to see my friend Kaity Wachtel and another friend Katie Barrett. I screamed and cheered for them as we headed to the home stretch.
"You can do anything for 2 miles!" is now what I'm telling us. Or "less than 20 to go!". At this point I think it's just me Becky and Lilly and maybe Annie.
Up ahead there's a group of shirtless men coming towards us. We guess it's a cross country team but it turns out it's a group of older, shirtless men. I know one of them, Reid, so I yell to him as we pass. They cheer us on.
We then pass my friend Jennifer Nei from behind on the Monon which was a welcome site at the stage of the game - I tell the group she's in my Ragnar van. At this point we've definitely talked about my upcoming Ragnar. :)
Mile 12: 8:35
Seeing the Monon Center felt really close to the end because now we just have the little stints of elevation to complete and then we're there. I, of course, say this to Lilly and Becky.
There's a woman who passes us and says she somehow got lost and ran an extra mile. As she runs on I yell, "way to go the extra mile!" and wonder how she got lost because Becky and I both are very afraid of this same thing happening to us.
When we're going up and over Carmel Drive for the second time we pass some women dressed in matching outfits. Now Becky and I start encouraging Lilly to go for it. We've probably been telling her for a mile or two that she should go if she has more left but she wasn't having it. But now she was ready. Fly baby, fly!
That was probably the coolest part. Helping someone run their very first half marathon and then watching them crush the finish line. And now thanks to my internet stalking I now know her last name and will probably invite her to be on the podcast... stay tuned.
Mile 13: 8:32
FINISH: 1:54:37!!!
And then Becky and I made our way across the finish line and it all felt like it had been a blur. I see Timmy taking photos (at my worst angle) and pose as best I can with my flag. I see my BFF, Alyssa, waiting for me. What. A. Race.
And 23 seconds to spare - not to fast and not too slow, just right. Not bad for my first time pacing.
After the Race
After crossing the finish line I snagged a water and gatorade before getting my post race rose - love this tradition! I was also offered chicken salad pretty soon after which no offense to chicken salad lovers - does not sound good after a run. I opted for some plain ol' Lays potato chips instead.
I saw a few of the rowers who had gone ahead of us and they were all so sweet and thanked me for my pacing. I forgot to mention they all had giant tattoos the bought on Amazon to wear for the race which made me like them all even more.
Alyssa, Becky and I went and got some beers before making our way to the gazebo steps to relax post race. Even with the rain the vibe was great. Got to see more friends again - Jennifer Conner and Kaity Wachtel.
My friend Nita who works with CRRG congratulated us and asked how it went. When I told her, she said something like, “Oh good! You’ll get asked back. Some pacers don’t get asked back.”
Oh, and my friend Timmy came and sat with us for a bit and helped Alyssa and I recreate one of our favorite post race photos from 8 years prior. I think it turned out pretty great!
Can't wait for 2025.
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