Don’t. I know your big race is only a few days away and you want to be your best. So new shoes should do the trick, right? Don’t. A better kick might get you to a PR, so maybe you should squeeze in one last interval session? Don’t. A new pillow, a new pre-race meal, possibly use this race to try those gel packs for the very first time? Don’t and don’t and oh-my-goodness don’t. Remember, consistency got you this far. It’s been faithful and true. It’s consistency, that’s what it does. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to excel. But the finish line is reached by staying the course. Even in training. So push down all those doubts. Stick to the plan. And don’t.
Race report #2: Indiana University Mini-Marathon
Maybe it was somewhere along sorority row. Perhaps in the fountain outside the Student Union. Most probably it was at the finish in the shadows of Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall. But somewhere in the midst of this relatively new half-marathon on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, I donated my quadriceps to medical science. And I haven’t seen them since. That’s because the elevation chart for this course looks like an EKG to make any cardiologist frown. “Hilly” is too nice of a word. And “torture” not descriptive enough. I figure there is only about 2.5 miles of flat surface for the whole race, and very little of it lasting more than a quarter of a mile. The upside, if there is one, is the I.U. campus, which retains its beauty even when viewed through a lactic acid haze. It’s a small race, well organized, and appropriate for runners and walkers, just as long as you realize you may transition from the former to latter midway through that enormous hill in the 8th mile.
Race report #1: 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
Over 30,000 people participate in the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon each May in Indianapolis. What they get is a race in three acts, with the third much like the first. Starting in downtown Indy, a carnival atmosphere prevails as a mass of runners and walkers and their entourages mix and mingle, with the participants eventually making their way to the starting corrals, where some will wait over half an hour after the gun fires before they ever reach the starting line. The first five miles routes you through some pretty sad Indy neighborhoods, punctuated only by a humorous mix of roadside musical acts ranging from speed metal to contemporary Christian. The second act – and, oh what a second act – is a complete lap around the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Even veteran race attendees are awed by the sheer size of the asphalt oval. Middle of the packers may even be treated, courtesy of one of the tracks enormous Jumbotron screens, to a view of the race winner crossing the finish line downtown. Then it’s out of the track and back through depressed neighborhoods for another five miles before an energizing pomp-and-noise finish. At over 30 years old and hosting the nation’s largest half marathon field, it’s a well organized race and suitable for walkers and runners of all ages. And if you can set aside the beginning and the end, the middle makes it all worthwhile.
Travel Run #1: San Elijo Lagoon
While on vacation recently in California, I stopped by Movin Shoes in Encinitas (the closest running store according to Google Maps) and casually asked about local trail runs. The young salesman gave me directions to the San Elijo Lagoon. Turns out I knew where it was, just didn’t know its name or that it had trails. It’s an interesting run. Although you aren’t that far from civilization, there are times you feel completely isolated. And the faint of heart must prepare themselves for the sounds of unseen wildlife scurrying around in the underbrush through which the trail is carved (and a steady supply of lizards darting across the path in front of you). In addition, you’ll find yourself moving from dry, loose, beach-quality sand to other moist-to-muddy sections forcing you to carefully pick your footfalls. It’s unlike anything I could possibly experience here in the Midwest and worth seeking out if you find yourself in the San Diego area and are looking for a six-mile-or-less trail run.
