I’ve struggled all day with how I can write about this race. Everything I want to say sounds trite and not genuine and too good to be true. But I can’t figure out how else to describe this weekend. So you get the sappy honest truth.
I’ve been a part of the RACE Team for the Run the Bluegrass Half-Marathon, so I’ve gotten to see lots of the work that has gone into putting this race together. The sweat, the tears, the worry. All to make this the best possible race. All to make it representative of Kentucky, our hospitality, and our passion. And it all paid off. And left me feeling like I wish I could have done more. It left me knowing that I want to be even more involved next year.
I can’t believe I didn’t take a single picture, but Wednesday night we got together for the Volunteers Meeting. I had most of my LexRunLadies team show up. We were given the info we needed for the expo and the race. We ate well. We stuffed 2000 race packets. I thought I was excited about the race, but that meeting really cranked up my excitement. I wasn’t just going to show up at a race an hour before it started. We had been a part of this race. We were going to continue to be a part of this race. The meeting just got me all cranked up.
I took off work on Friday to volunteer at the Expo. Kelly and I handed out women’s shirts for 8 1/2 hours. I was so impressed by the quality of the expo. The booths were awesome and local businesses were spotlighted who value quality products. The food was great. The registration process was easy. I was so excited to see so many familiar faces. I don’t know how many people I ran around the table to hug as I gave them shirts. A year ago, I might have known 5 other people there. And I knew tons and tons.
Oh, and Nathan won the ‘Stache contest. But there was never any doubt, was there?
I was excited for this race like it was Christmas. I’m not even kidding. I had trouble sleeping the night before even though I’d been on my feet all day. I got my gear laid out and went to bed. And felt like the kid on that old Disney World commercial. “I’m too excited to sleep!” I wasn’t nervous at all. I was just excited to see everyone out there. I was ready to see all my friends on the course, running and volunteering. I was ready to see the hard work of my friends turn into an amazing event. I was just ready.
5am still came too early. But we got up. Got ready. Headed to Keeneland. My first excitement was being greeted by Toa as traffic control. She has been one of my biggest supporters and encouragers through this running group. I just love her (and her restaurant). I squealed at her from the passenger seat (sorry, Nathan) and was just so excited to get to the volunteer spot to see everybody. (You can read her RtB post here.)
Nathan and I take the dark hike up to the Keene Barn. And the volunteers are already there having coffee and getting their hydration station plans finalized. (And, yes, those are LexRunLadies shirts! Aren’t they neat?)
And our running buddy Mark had been there for hours, unloading and distributing tons and tons of water. The ‘Stache was proud to pose with him.
Race time was coming up quick. Volunteers needed to leave. Relayers needed to get to their relay stations. So we had to take the picture 40 minutes before the race actually started. I know the group would have been even bigger if we had waited a little while longer, but there was no way to get everyone together. So many smiles. So much excitement. So many awesome people that I call my Ladies. (How crazy is this group?!?)
Erin and I lined up somewhere around the middle of the pack. We yelled at people we recognized. I got chills when the trumpet call was made. And we were off!
I didn’t take a lot of pictures during the race because Erin and I ran pretty aggressively. Even though it was just a training run for us, we pushed. We walked probably 3/4 of the (28) hills. But we flew on the downhills, so it made up for it. We had ran most of the course before, but with much smaller numbers and usually ended up with the two of us alone. It was so strange being out there with so many other runners. And the bluegrass band at mile 3 was a nice touch. We hadn’t been on Old Frankfort Pike before because I refuse to run it when it is open to traffic. I’m not gonna lie, it was intimidating.
The picture really doesn’t do it justice. It was like a roller coaster. As I topped one hill, I could see two or three more laid out before me. About this spot, this guy behind us started pulling a Ricky Bobby. “Help me, Oprah Winfrey! Help me, Tom Cruise.” It was so hilarious I was distracted from the insane hills ahead of us.
I could hear cheering up ahead, and knew it was my Ladies.
The LexRunLadies were there at the halfway point, handing out water, gatorade, and clif bars. They were yelling and cheering and being all around awesome. I might have teared up, but Erin threatened to smack me, so I had to get it together. (Isn’t Kristina‘s sign awesome?) This isn’t what they looked like as I ran through, but it is the best picture of them. (Thanks Noel!)
Honestly, the rest of the race was pretty brutal. It was up and down and up and down. There really wasn’t any place to catch your breath. But it was beautiful. And it was on my turf, in my city, on a course I’ve ran several times. I still became very fatigued. My legs were exhausted. Chafing was a problem. It was no where near my PR. But it didn’t matter. We pushed through. And we sprinted to the end. To the sounds of the cheers of our friends – both old and new – we sprinted to the end. I am so thankful that I had this girl by my side every step of the way.
I grabbed chocolate milk, banana, and a goetta sandwich and went back to find Nathan and the rest of our friends. And I proceeded to cheer. And cheer. And cheer.
I loved knowing names as people ran through. We yelled for Bob and Lydia and Kara and Holli and Faith. We yelled for so many people that have escaped my mind right now. And everyone seemed happy. Exhausted and happy. It was just an amazing place to be.
I am so thankful for the experience. I was so blessed to be a part of this race. I am so thankful for the volunteers, the organizers, the runners. I love that I was involved in so many pieces, and that my running group stepped up and created an encouraging – and hydrating – environment at a point in the race where it was really needed. You can see more pictures from the race on my post over on LexRunLadies.
This wasn’t my first half marathon. It wasn’t the easiest, the hardest, the fastest, or the slowest. But it was my favorite. Like my buddy Bob said, “This isn’t a contest, it’s a festival, it’s a holiday for loving life.” I couldn’t have said it better.
Friends, any chance you get to Run the Bluegrass, make it happen.
