Mini Marathon and Me (and Billy...)!

The day finally arrived!  I suffered through bajillions of injuries but I still felt ready to tackle the Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon.  I knew going in that there was NO way I could run the whole thing.  My poor left leg wouldn't let me.  I was right.  And my apologies go out to Billy who stayed with me the whole way!  I know he could have run it all but he stuck with me!  We ran 8 miles.  Then we walked most of the rest....with little spurts of jogging here and there.

I'm not gonna lie.  About ten miles in, I was sure I was going to have to flag a medical team.  I was really in pain.  My old knee injury (from a couple years ago) returned.  My hip injury that is still plaguing me today was present in full force on race day.  I was hungry.  I believe I could have drank an entire river and that wouldn't have quenched my thirst.  I didn't know if I could make it another THREE miles.  Then our friend, Adam (who is suffering from his own injuries) met up with us from the sidelines!  I'm not kidding when I say that he really motivated us!  I'm not sure I could've crossed the finish line without him walking a couple miles with us!  THANK YOU, ADAM!!!!

Here are a few of my favorites and least favorites from the event that can now be crossed off my bucket list (the bucket list that only exists inside my head)!

Favorites:

-Keeping a really good running pace for the first 8 miles we ran!
-Running with Billy....and not using an iPod or any music playing device!
-Being able to run through my favorite city!  It was a great way to discover new things!
-Running through Churchill Downs and seeing the horses (and wishing I could catch a ride on one of them)!
-Seeing friends cheering us on from the side of the road (Liz and Tiff)!
-Drum lines from high schools.  Holy cow I loved listening to them!
-Water stations....Oh how I LOVED the water stations!
-The crazy people...like the Elvis guys and the Colonel Sanders guy.  They made me chuckle!
-The medal.  I LOVE the medal.
-The fact that Billy and I smiled and broke into a sprint each and every time we saw a camera.  Yeah, we were those people.
-The food at the end of the race.
-Getting into my car.  I could barely move by the time I finished the race AND walked to the parked car.  I've never been happier to sit down in my entire life.  Ever.

Least favorites:

-INJURIES.  Have I stressed that enough???
-Not eating enough before the race and suffering from serious HUNGER issues!
-Not being able to run the whole 13 miles.
-Having to drive immediately back to Indy after the race!  BLAH!
-I don't really have anything else to complain about!  I really loved it....so much that I signed up for another mini in October.  This is in my least favorite category because I was on a runner's high when I signed up for my next mini.  I'm still injured so I don't know how I will do.  Also, I signed up so quickly that I didn't do enough research.  I have since learned that it is a HARD run with many, many, many hills.  This gal only runs flat courses.  So seriously, if you guys never hear from me after October 20th, I'm in the woods of Indianapolis somewhere.  Hills in Indiana?  Guess so.  Hmmm.....

Anyway, we had a blast and I'd love to run the Derby Mini again!  I would love to run with a group of people!  Any takers????  :)