KY Derby Festival Half- My Race Report

I was really looking forward to this race- especially since my last race longer than a 10K was back in February! The week leading up the race was not the best- my luggage got delayed while I was jumping back and forth between cities so my running shoes were not available for my training runs this week (Note to self- carry them on the plane in future) and I was up to my ears in work. I made the best of it and got a couple workouts in but I knew I was not completely prepared.

I flew into Louisville late Friday night and met up with my family- staying up til midnight catching up with cousins and my brother. I kept telling my family it was going to be an EARLY morning… the race started at 7:30 AM. We were a good 30-45 minutes from the start so I told them we needed to leave by 6:00 AM at the latest. Lo and behold, we finally get on the road after 6:30 AM. I was on pins and needles to get there in time- I like to get to races in enough time to warm up, stretch, hit the Port-a-pots, etc. My family did not seem to understand. We finally get around there at 7:15 AM and the streets are all blocked off and we could not drive into the park where the start line was. I finally decided to just run to the start. EEkkkk… I ran about 2 miles to the start resorting to the fact that I was going to start late. I spotted a full line of empty port-a-pots (of course, they were empty- everyone else had started), popped a GU on the run, and took a couple minutes to stretch at the start.

Unfortunately, I was 15 minutes behind the gun so I started with the walkers. I had flashbacks of the Bridge Run- having to weave in and out of walkers to get position. I was so far back in the pack- I had to deal with this for the first couple miles. Yuck. I went out way too fast trying to get position and ended up paying for it later. In the back of my mind, I was mad at my family for making me late. I had to run to the start in a panic. I did not get to start with my pace group. I ended up holding a small grudge in the back of my mind.

Despite my rocky start to the race, it was a picture perfect day for running. Sunny, high 60’s and low 70’s, blue skies. I finally settled into a more smooth running rhythm around mile 3- just in time for the hills. My brother had given me the 411 on the course earlier but I hadn’t really listened. He said miles 3-6 were through Iroquois Park and were all hills. I was maintaining my goal pace of around 9:45 min/mile when I hit the hills. I kept my pace steady and attacked the hills with vigor. I was passing people left and right and felt great. I love hills!! I love hills! I kept repeating this to myself as I climbed them with a smile. I also was pushing the pace a little bit because I knew my brother was going to meet me at mile 6 to run the last 7 miles with me. I was looking forward to having someone to run with! I passed through the mile 6 marker and took an orange slice from a little kid holding a tray and ate it. I immediately regretted it- the stickiness all over my hands and my stomach did not really agree. (Note to self again- no more oranges on the run) I finally saw my family cheering section on the right hand side with my brother ready to go! They were so excited and happy to see me- surprised I was making such good time despite the hilly portion of the course. The rest was flat, they assured me.

I ripped off my MP3 player to give my mom and she headed me two GUs. I was hoping to make a fast transition but my dad insisted I took a couple photos. It was then I realized that I needed to calm down. I was out there to have fun. I should not be mad. The small grudge I was holding was suddenly gone. I took a couple photos with my family (Stopping my Garmin so I could later see my true time) and my brother and I were off!

I loved having my brother with me during the race. He assured me to keep running my pace- he was not going to try to push me. I looked over at his easy, graceful gait- thinking about how he ran his last half marathon in just over 1:29. He was a fabulous running partner… talking at the appropriate times, making me laugh at times, even offering to hold water and GU for me. The water stops were handing out bottles of water instead of cups so he would always grab two bottles for me- running with them until the next stop and offering it to me when I asked. He did not drink a drop of water the entire time though!

The coolest part of the course was running through Churchill Downs. We ran about a mile (between 8 and 9) through the front gate, around the infield, and out the back entrance. It was AMAZING. I have been to Churchill Downs many times throughout the years but I have never seen Churchill in such a peaceful setting. I could see the horses being walked around the paddock and stable area, the twin spires gleaming in the morning sunlight, and taped audio of past Derby races. It was definitely worth running the race to be able to do this. SOOO cool!!!!!!

Miles 9-11 were not my best. Fatigue and tight hamstrings were catching up with me and I slowed my pace a bit. I lost a couple minutes waiting for a Port-a-pot visit (I had been drinking more water and Powerade on the course than I was used to). I immediately felt sharp pains throughout my entire legs when I stopped so I knew I was going to be sore afterwards. My brother kept me upbeat, telling me to pick up my knees a little more to help with my hammy pain. This seemed to help and I keep pushing through. No way was I going to quit. The pace slowed a little more as my brother and I stopped for a couple more family photos and high fived all the cheering fans, including all the senior citizens that were cheering us on from their wheelchairs in front of the three nursing homes we passed. I loved how my brother had fun on the race course and I followed suit. Of course, he had enough energy to run a full if he wanted to at that point so I just tried to feed off that.

We finally got to mile 12 and picked it up a bit. The last stretch of the course was a slightly downhill straightaway and my brother told me to keep the pace strong as the finish line was only 50 yards from the street where we would be turning right. Mentally, part of me wished I could see the finish line in the distance while part of me was glad it was hidden. We got to the turn and there it was!! The finish line!! My favorite sight! I finished strong… not even wanting to look at the race clock time after my 15 minute late start and breaks taken on the course. In the end, my chip time was 2:19 and my Garmin time was 2:15.

My first reaction was to be depressed. I am a highly competitive person that would love to PR at every race. I want to get better, right? Then I thought about the big picture- I ran a tougher course, I had a fun time, and I got to spend a couple miles with my bro. I grabbed a celebratory beer at the finish line and ran into quite a few folks I went to high school with, including a couple of my old teachers!!! It always feels a little weird to be back in my hometown and see those old familiar faces as I am not back that often. Most of the people I saw are folks I have not seen in almost 9 years now.

The race was just the start to my day. We quickly loaded up the car and headed back so I could clean up and get ready for my sister-in-law’s baby shower. Normally, I would relax and retreat after a race- taking a little nap and catching some ZZZ’s. In this case, I was told to shower as quickly as possible so we could get there early. I got ready quickly, throwing on my spring party dress and contemplating wearing my red medal even though it crashed with my pink dress.

I hobbled around the shower with sore legs, picking at the crustless sandwiches and fruit salad while I longed for some food with a little more substance. After a few hours of showering my sister-in-law… I returned to my brother’s house to find him carrying in bags of good ole’ KY BBQ and plenty of beer. Thank heavens! We had invited about 20 people over and folks started pouring in while we enjoyed a nice evening on their back porch and playing Texas Hold Em later in the evening. I drank enough beers to make my legs feel A LOT better and even indulged with a Krispy Kreme donut. I have avoided junk food the past month or so and I savored every bite.

I finally laid my head down at 1:30 AM with my alarm set for 5:30 AM to catch a 7:30 AM flight home from Lexington. So, I made it! Five cities in one week, one half marathon, one baby shower, and a lot of great times!! I am happy to relax for a few hours before taking off tomorrow for Pittsburgh.