Monday, May 25, 2015

Noblesville Mini Marathon - 13.1 Miles - 5-23-2015 - Details

Noblesville Mini Marathon - 13.1 Miles - 5-23-2015 - Details



I really went to Indiana over the weekend to visit family and friends but still, for some reason, at the start of the Noblesville Mini Marathon I sought out the leader of the 2:00 pace group, a young lady named Libby, and introduced myself. I told Libby that I had a lot riding on a good performance since friend John had just informed me that lunch was on him if I turned in a sub 2:00 time.


Libby was warm and friendly, just as one would expect in Noblesville, and immediately understood the seriousness of her assignment. I told Libby that my most recent half marathon was 2:00:24 so I was hopeful that she could help me shave 25 seconds off my previous best.


Libby sure seemed up to the task clicking off an 8:45 first mile and hitting miles 2 and 3 right at 9:00. By the 3rd mile I was taking inventory. The first problem I sensed was my legs were feeling tired. Possibly the result of not sleeping as good as normal the prior two nights while traveling. 


The second problem was clearly to much fiber in my diet the day before. This was not the GI distress problem sometimes associated with high fiber consumption. This was just to much salad. My lunch on Friday was a large salad from the salad bar at Earth Fare in Carmel. While running on Saturday morning I felt like I had the whole produce department stuck in my lower abdomen.

So if you look at the splits you will see that during the 4th mile I came to my senses and dropped out of the pace group. I tried to act like an adult as Libby and her group pulled away from me and out of sight but now I was faced with the cost of lunch at the Vitality Cafe on Main St. in Carmel. Yes, I would have liked to held on to Libby's group and avoided scraping the cobwebs off my wallet for the cost of lunch but I knew it wasn't my day.


While all this was unfolding, John was burning up the 10K course, coming in 11th overall and 1st in his age group with a time of 47:03. His second first place age group finish in as many races. 


Miles 4 through 13.1 for me were a bit tough since I had pushed early on but I was rewarded with the sights and sounds of quite possibly the prettiest half marathon course I have ever run. We were on paved multi use paths most of the way and wound by the Morse reservoir, along the wooded river bank and by fields of wild flowers. I just love the sound of birds singing and they were also plentiful.


When I crossed the finish line at 2:19 I was handed a bottle of water and the usual medal. I took a couple steps and heard Libby shout my name from the side of the finish area. How sweet of her to wait around to chat. I told her that I appreciated her efforts but realized in the 4th mile that it wasn't going to happen that day so I dropped back. Now that I'm home I see that the results are posted and find that Libby did her job well on Saturday, crossing the finish line at 1:59:51.

So, you never know, I just may end up back in Noblesville, IN for the Mini Marathon next May. 













 

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