It was advertised as a fast and flat Boston qualifier, in a beautiful place to set one's pace - Indianapolis, Indiana. But Mother Nature had other ideas -this year's Indianapolis Monumental Marathon was going to be a very, very
cold one: minus 3 degrees Celsius at start time and less than 5 degrees C by finish time!
Arriving the day before the race from Los Angeles, where temperatures soared above 30 degrees C (higher 80s F), and staying in Indy just for a night, there was no time to waste. After checking in at my hotel, I went straight to the Marathon Expo@ 500 Ballroom, Indiana Convention Center.
Bright yellow-clad volunteers cheerfully greeted runners at the race packet pick-up area. One lined-up according to his/her race number listed in a master folder to claim the race bag- not sure if mine was complete since only a t-shirt and a timing device were inside.
Then it was time to stock on energy supplies and shop unplanned for cold weather running gear - a Brooks beanie, a pair of Asics arm warmers, and a pair of Mizuno breath-thermo running gloves. A day before in Long Beach, I had bought an Under Armour compression shorts and upper body heat gear.
There were also speakers to listen to -Larry Baskin, Terry Fletcher, Rachel Kinsman, Jim Crist, and Runners' World writer Hal Higdon (shown in this photo). In previous months, I had read Hal's Marathon Training Guide and it was nice to hear his advice offered in person!
Then it was off to the Fresh Italian Kitchen Villa for a quick spaghetti and pasta. I opted out of the marathon's pasta dinner to escape the expected rain/snow showers and low 30s/ high 20s of early evening. To think that barely 24 hours earlier, I was running Long Beach, California!
Back to my hotel by 6 PM, it was time to inspect and finalize the next day's gear. Since the temperatures would be freezing at start time, with possibility of snow showers, I decided to dress 3 layers both up and down- with all gear lightweight, moisture-wicking, and/or heat retaining.
Pre-race energy would come from PowerBar, Clif, and Gu Roctane. During-race calorie boosters would be Gu and Roctane gels at the 9th, 13th, 16th, and 20th mile. Gatorade, Saltstick, and Sport Beans will be for hydration/electrolyte balance and Endurox for post race recovery.
The race was to start 8 AM. But being almost winter, it was still dark when I arrived at the staging area around 7:40, cold and shivering at my first zero-degree run. The wind only made things worse! That very moment, I seriously doubted whether I could even finish half the marathon!
But taking the easy way out was out of the question. Instead, I lined up with the 4-hour pace group. Dawn was beginning to break as 9,000 runners from all over the US and some 20 countries huddled in the cold. At 8 AM, my monumental fifth marathon began!
The 42-kilometer run started from
the Indiana State Capitol Building in downtown Indianapolis. In the first few kilometers, we passed by landmark buildings, among them the Lucas Oil Stadium- home of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts - and site of the 2012 Super Bowl.
Then we circled around the world-renowned Indianapolis Soldiers and Sailors Monument, a 284-ft or 87-m limestone edifice erected in 1902 to honor the soldiers who lost their lives during the Civil and Spanish-American wars and after which this marathon was named.
The crowd support around the downtown area and all throughout the race was great! From the Arlington High School Golden Knights Band that rendered the Star-Spangled Banner to the teenagers urging us to Just Run, and to the various groups in strategic cheer zones!
And there was no need to turn on that iPod. Whether it was the sound of banjos from the wild, wild west that one wanted to hear,
Or the amplified vibrations of the strings of an electric guitar, the mellow sound of the viola, or the relentless beating of the drums, they could all be heard time and again along the race course.
For the eyes, there were those amazing colors of fall that changed ever so slightly as we passed through the city's varied neighborhoods. I felt a lot colder running under those moisture-laden trees and icy streets in some of these beautiful neighborhoods!
Many houses in the villages were also sights to behold- from the modern and utilitarian, to the grand, historic, and palatial...
Near the 13th mile, the half-marathoners and those who intended to run the full 42K distance separated ways. My pacemates jokingly urged the half-marathoners to change their minds and run with us all the way instead.
And as I passed the halfway mark, I was surprised to note that, despite the early morning jitters, I had in fact already ran 13.1 miles in 2:08, not bad at all for one who doubted if he could even run the distance in the cold...
And then there were those long stretches of flat roads that were good for catching up and breaking course records, such as the stretch near the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The sun was shining now but still many used layers of cold weather running gear.
Near the 19th mile and through Broad Ripple River, I thought I saw a ballerina or two running fast to avoid being late for their noontime recitals. The run at this stretch was quiet, the atmosphere suited for introspection.
But for most of the course, the cheers of mascots, of ordinary neighborhood folks- young and once-young, men and women, rich and not as blessed, black or white or somewhere in between,
And even of those not-so-ordinary but nontheless serious such as this bunch of uniformed firefighters also ready to answer 911 calls, kept and buoyed my resolve not to falter and ever hit the dreaded marathon wall.
And so as I reached the 20th mile in 3:38, with cramps threatening every now and then since mile 16, I realized that, while the marathon wall would again be safely breached and a 4:30 finish was still possible, a sub-4 result would remain a dream once more.
I walked and ran the next 6.2 miles depending on the pain level in the legs. Run fast and cramps would again threaten to end it all. But as the circa-1888 Indiana State House with its golden dome and classic Greek architecture came into view I knew I was about to conquer IndyMonumental despite the cold.
While I may not have set a pace, my 4:43:05 finish in alien weather I could live with. Be-medaled and caped, I was shivering again as I ran another kilometer back to my hotel to pack and head back to Los Angeles. Then reality hit- this was my fifth marathon, so how could I ever doubt the outcome?
After all, wasn't 5 my lucky number?
P.S. Kenyan Leonard Muchero won the
men's 26.2 race in 2:17:59 while Indianapolis runner Jackie Dikos topped the women's side in 2:45:27.
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