I'm not going to go into the details of the entire day, but it was a lot of fun. I'm very impressed with how well organized the whole event was and always seems to be. Lots of volunteers and fans and runners. The whole thing was a lot of fun.
Here are a few highlights from the day:
1) Before the race, hearing "Back Home Again in Indiana" over the loudspeakers. I love that song and never get to hear it. Apparently, there are verses to go with the chorus.
2) Running under the huge American flag on Washington Street. This is usually my favorite part of the race. Mostly because I still have energy.
(Photo from 500 Festival Gallery)
3) The little band from the West Indies. I have no idea what they called themselves, but they were the best band of the day. And as a side note, if you're ever going to bring your garage band and play during the mini, please play upbeat songs. For Pete's sake, we're trying to run a marathon here.
4) The Track. As much as I hate running the two and a half miles or so on the track, it is pretty cool to be out there. Somewhere there's a picture of the wife and I running across the brick finish line. That's just cool.
5) The Hi Neighbor Tavern. These guys are somewhere on 10th Street and they serve little cups of beer to all the runners. Although I didn't partake this year, my wife did and it's always nice to see that good ol' Hoosier hospitality.
6) The sack of goodies at the finish line. After running over 13 miles, there's nothing better than having your own personal trick-or-treating time. They hand you a sack and you get to walk around while people toss everything from apples and bananas, to cookies and chips, to Ben Gay.
Well, that's pretty much it. Not really, but that's all I'll say. I'm not sure if we'll be running it next year, but I'm sure it'll be worth it if we do. If you're thinking about doing it, make sure you register in time, because it sells out earlier and earlier every year.
