Monumental Marathon Race Recap 2024

Indy, you were….Monumental.

I’ve had this race on the back burner for a few years. I heard it was fast and well organized. Plus it was in Indiana (and I have a small quest to complete a marathon in all 50 states, so that’s a plus!) A friend and I registered for the race in January 2024 (and convinced another friend to join us) - this would become an A race for me for 2024.

Logistics

We stayed at the Westin which happened to be right on the start line/finish line. It was a perfect location. If you can, get the room block vs booking directly with Marriott/West. The rate was $199/night compared to the almost $500-600 a night we were seeing booking direct. A friend stayed at the Hampton Inn for a comparable rate. Both hotels were super close to the start and ideal for race day.

We flew into IND on Thursday and spent Thursday night with a friend. Flights from DCA were quick and the airport was so much nicer than we anticipated! Uber and Lyft were readily available. No public transportation in this city.

Carb Loading

If you stay downtown there are two grocery stores - Kroger and Whole Foods that were in walking distance. Perfect for stocking up on carb snacks and hydration pre race. The night before the race we ate at Bocca and it was amazing! Highly recommend. The food scene in Indy was also better than we anticipated!

Race Morning

I am not the type to get to the race super early. Because we were staying so close I was not in a rush to get to the start. We didn’t leave the hotel until 7:40 (race started at 8:00) which was just enough time to walk around the finish line and find our way to the start. It gets super crowded, I wasn’t able to actually get into the corral until Wave A went off and there was more breathing room. I also heard the lines for the porto potties were really long. Plan accordingly. I was in the very front of corral C (still unsure how I ended up there as B was 3:20-3:55 and I’m sure I put in 3:45 as my finishing time. Oh well) We didn’t cross the start line until 8:10 - so mental note at the finish that I had 10 mins off the clock time.

Temps were in the 40’s when we started. No rain and a light breeze. I saw many in long sleeves and gloves. I was just the right amount of chilly in a tank and shorts. The year we ran (2024) the race was held the second weekend of November due to Taylor Swift being in town the week before. If they move the race back to the first weekend (before Daylight Savings Time ends) beware that it will be dark the first few miles.

The Race

I had a plan to finish 3:42 -3:55 and was going to use the first 5 miles to figure out what pace would work best. I knew I could run a 3:48-3:50 but if I had more in the tank I would push it to a PR.

Miles 1-5: This loop takes you through the downtown area around Lucas Oil Stadium. Honestly meant nothing to me, not a football fan. But I guess that’s cool. There are a few underpasses where you may lose GPS signal on your watch. I though the roads were kinda tough and broken but I would learn later on that these roads were some of the better terrain of the marathon. This part of the course is really crowded, the half marathon and marathon runners are all together. It got frustrating at times not being able to move around people but I think it was actually a blessing to force myself to slow down and not race too hard in the early miles

Miles 6-7: This straight shot North was so nice, there was more room to breath and the half marathoners split off from the marathoners. There is clear signage which direction to go. I took my first gel at 60 mins into the race - 40G carbs from SIS Beta Fuel. I planned to do one gel an hour plus 25G of carbs from Tailwind nutrition. I didn’t feel like I needed it but I know the old saying “fuel often and EARLY”

Miles 8-12: I think this may have been my favorite part of the marathon. The neighborhoods were so beautiful. The roads were smooth and the people were cheering so loud! There was not a quiet part of the course. I chose not to run with headphones for most of this race (told myself I could have music for the final 10 miles after I was told there is a really quiet stretch). Everyone in the neighborhoods came out to cheer and didn’t seem annoyed that their driveways were blocked for the race.

Miles 13-15: The Broad Ripple area was full of spectators and had so much to look at! I was feeling great though this section. Refilled my water bottle at an aid station in this area. They were super helpful in filling my bottle directly so I didn’t have to stop and fill it with the little cups. There is also a giant blow up arch at mile 13.1 - YOU’RE HALFWAY - lies. The marathon is not halfway at mile 13.1. You’re still just starting.

Miles 16-19: This is the “hilly” section. I remember there being a woman with a sigh that said “You’re almost to the stop of the hill!” and all I could think was, this was the hill? Indy is flat. Yes the roads go up and down but we are talking like 10-15 feet. The hill at mile 16 goes up maybe 30 feet? It was a welcome change of muscle use for the few minutes we ran uphill. During this section I had been fighting with my Tailwind sachet and couldn’t get it open. Thankfully Cody was at mile 17 and I was able to toss him my bottle and the sachet and he filled my third bottle. Note to self, pre rip nutrition for next marathon.

Mile 19 - Downhill! This was an awesome downhill stretch. You come off the highway and come down the exit ramp. You can really roll here! Watch your footing so you don’t tumble.

Mile 20 - Another stretch where I felt the race did not need a blow up arch - I don’t need to know I am at mile 20. I wear a Coros and one of the features I love is the countdown when using the pacing option. I plus in a goal time and it tells me how over or under I am each mile. It also counts down the race. I prefer to know I have ten miles to go vs being reminded I just ran 20. Runners math? LOL

At this point I was running 2 mins 15 seconds ahead of my goal time. I had put 3 hours 48 minutes in as a finishing time to give me some guidance during the race. I was seeing 10-15 seconds being banked almost every mile. I felt great. My body was giving me feedback but nothing bad, the normal things that talk during a marathon. I didn’t expect what happened next to happen. It almost took me out of the race for good.

Mile 21 - We rounded the corner and headed down N White River Parkway E Dr. A winding road with very little spectators. I had been warned this would quiet and was enjoying my “Do it with a broken hear” on repeat powering me through these final miles. The road in this area was brutal. We had already ran over tons of concrete and dodged pot holes left and right. This road was cracked and very rugged. I had to run looking at my feet because I just didn’t trust the ground beneath me and was afraid of rolling an ankle. Probably the worst roads I have had to run on in my 19 marathons.

Mile 22 - Shit goes sideways. Just 3.5 mile to go. I was cruising. Nutrition was spot on. Everything felt good. Then it didn’t. My right knee felt like it was being stabbed by a butcher knife. As I tried to find a way to run, my left glute would seize up (from compensation) I couldn’t run. At all. I tried changing my gait - almost like I was using a skip it and keeping my right leg straight. Any time I bent it I would have intense pain. I considered DNF’ing, afraid it was an actual injury. I didn’t want to sacrifice my future races for one finish.

Miles 23 -25 - The longest miles of any marathon. By mile 25 I had slowed to run/walk and averaged my slowest mile of the race - 12:30. I watched my PR slip away. To go from PR’ing to DNF’ing in a matter of miles was hard to take. But I did the math and realized I could still finish in under 4 even walking. A sub 4 hour finish on one of my worst days was still something to be proud of.

Mile 26 - Sucked it up and ran to the finish. Closing in with a 9:27 final mile and grimacing the entire time. I just wanted to be done. I kept focusing on getting to the next street light, the next monument, the next turn. The crowds got bigger and I knew I would finish. All I could remember was that it was a straight shot south to the finish but all these turns kept appearing. The final .2 felt like the longest block of my marathon. The finish line was finally in sight and to my surprise my friend had waited for me at the finish, capturing me crossing the finish line! I was so grateful to see someone I knew and to be done.

3:55:52 Finish Time.

Am I mad? Not really. Am I update? Not at all. Do I wish my kneed wouldn’t have decided to give out and I could have PR’d. For Sure. But i’m not looking back on this day or this training cycle as a failure. My running means so much more to me than a finish time. I know the potential is there and this race the confidence I needed to go out and try something hard for my next race. Whether it be a 5K or a half marathon - the confidence to try something hard. I’ve always been a more risk adverse but through todays marathon I’ve learned I can push myself and have the strength (physically and mentally) to take on the challenge.

Half Marathon time 1:52:30 - This alone is huge. I remember early in running, I was racing to just break 2 hours. Now I’m breaking 2 hours in a marathon!

2nd Half Marathon time 2:03:22 - This is faster than my first half marathon back in 2012 (I ran a 2:08:37) Now I am running that time in a marathon with a bum knee. If only past me knew what I was capable of.

Forever grateful for this journey and the people that support me in it. I’ve made some amazing friends along the way and I am so grateful for having the right people in my corner.

Onward to London 2025!