The SHE Power Indianapolis race in Eagle Creek State Park had been on our calendar for a while.   SHE Power (strong, healthy, empowered) is an organization that encourages women from all walks of life to discover the joy and self-discovery that comes from running.   It was billed as a race that celebrates strong women and also included some pretty fun bling.  In addition, the race was done within the confines of a beautiful state park and boasted both road and trail options.   We were in.

Early Friday morning, five of us boarded airplanes from three different cities with the master plan to meet at Chicago Midway airport and drive from there.   The Seattle contingent had the honor of getting up the earliest as everything is a long way from Seattle.  We were definitely bushy tailed, if not bright-eyed, for a 5:55 am flight.

All flights took off without a hitch and we met at Chicago Midway as scheduled.   We had a few minutes to wait for Melodie,  and I amused (embarrassed) us all by modeling the latest in “protect your legs” gear.

Melodie arrived safely and on time, we caught the bus for the rental car office, and off we went to tackle the Chicago freeways in a large, black GMC Envoy, courtesy of the fact they were out of the crossover vehicle we had selected.

Even though our destination was Indianapolis, we decided to fly into Chicago and drive the remaining 160 miles because airfare was so much cheaper.   Technically, this would have been a 3 hour drive, but due to road construction and heavy traffic, the trip took 6 hours.   Added to that, the roads were rough as a cob and the Envoy drove more like a farm truck than a luxury car, so it was a good thing we had great company to take our minds off our pain.   We did enjoy the Indiana countryside for the first few hours as none of us had ever been there before.    Large scale farms stretched as far as the eye could see.

The crew on board for this trip required regular feedings, so after a couple of hours, we started looking for a place to eat.   We spotted a local pub and thought that would be a safe place to grab a pizza and salad.

Our lunch choice was made special by the fact that it was absolutely the worst pizza that any of us had ever tasted.    The menu looked harmless enough, and when they brought the pizza out, it looked pretty typical, but looks in this case were extremely deceiving.   The first bite revealed the delectable taste of cardboard, topped with tasteless canned vegetables.   The sauce was nowhere to be found.    The salad was no better.   It looked about as fresh as last year’s chicken garbage.   We looked at each other somberly, paid the bill and walked out, still hungry.  So much for pizza in Indiana.

We are a resourceful crew, however, and the bad lunch didn’t get us down for long.   In fact, it provided us with a lively conversation topic for the remainder of the drive.  We pulled into the Hampton Inn in Carmel, Indiana at 6:00 pm;  travel weary, still hungry, but ready to get started on our weekend.

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Anyone who ever travels with us should be warned about two things;   we require frequent feedings, and we walk everywhere.    Just because we run 13.1 miles doesn’t mean we don’t need to walk.   As you can imagine from my previous tale, we were still hungry, so once we got unpacked and settled in for the weekend, we headed out on foot to find a place to eat.   The area was a mix of residential and industrial and at first, despite Siri’s help, we were not coming up with restaurants nearby.   In addition, these roads were not made for walking, nor were our shoes.

We finally ended up at a local spot called “Jimmy’s”.   After our scarring experience at the Crown Brewery, we were understandably apprehensive, but it appeared to be a local hangout and that’s usually a sign that the food is good.    While standing there debating the wisdom of entering, out of nowhere we heard a guy on a bullhorn shouting, “Chick alert, Chick alert!”   Alarmed, we looked around, and then at each other, and realized we were the “chicks”.   I was ready to bolt, but the others thought it was hilarious so we actually went inside and sat down.   It soon became very obvious why we were perceived as “chicks”.   90% of the customers were male and over 60.  The proprietor and owner of the bullhorn came over and profusely apologized for any perceived insult, but assured us they hadn’t seen anything that “good” all day.   I grabbed my menu and hid behind it while the others tried very unsuccessfully to hide their snickers.    The food was ordinary, but actually quite edible, even though we had to ask to be moved outside because of the heavy smoke.   Apparently Indianapolis hasn’t caught up with the “no smoking in public buildings” rule.   For the rest of the evening, every male customer that exited the restaurant came over to our table and flirted outrageously.  It was all it good fun, but I don’t think any of us have ever attracted so much male attention in our lives.     We blamed Laurie and Janille.

The agenda for the following day was to check out the site of our race, Eagle Creek Park, and pick up our packets.   And of course, eat and walk.   Eagle Creek Park is a fully contained park within the city limits of Indianapolis.   We were amazed that such a thing existed.   It was a little tired looking from heavy use, but the area was beautiful, particularly when you walked into the forest.

After picking up our packets, we decided to ask a local merchant for restaurant recommendations. He directed us to a restaurant called “Market Fresh” that we stuck with for the rest of our trip.   The restaurant was connected to the supermarket and all the food was fresh and delicious.   Thank goodness.   No more pizza from a can, or chick alerts.   Although the guy at the salad bar fell all over himself giving us attentive service and food samples, all the while never taking his eyes off Laurie.   Good thing her Mom was there.

June is a beautiful time of year in Indianapolis.   Flowers abounded everywhere we walked and everything was brilliantly green.

Since Laurie seemed to be the show of choice everywhere we went, we thought it fitting that she should stand under this sign for a photo op.   The cars were lining up as we went inside to eat.

Race day dawned bright and very early.   Projected temperatures and humidity were very high, so for once, we didn’t mind getting up before the crack of dawn.

The park was already filling up with cars when we arrived shortly after 6:30 am.   Race preparations were well underway.   The temperature was already 75 and the humidity registered 80.   Yikes.   We all decided to carry extra water.

This race offered two distances, quarter marathon or half marathon and could be run in a variety of different ways.   Half marathoners could run two road combos, or two trail combos, or one of each.   Quarter marathoners could choose either the trail route or the road. Both the trail and road routes were supposedly the same distance – 6.5 miles.   More on that later….

It was time to get our race face on and participate in the ritual of pre-race photo taking and watch setting.

And once again, we were off.   Not often do we get to watch the sun rise through the trees as we run.   It was magical for the first few miles.

It’s hard to say exactly why this race went so awry.   Maybe it was because it was an inaugural run, or they bit off more than they could chew with so many race options, but suffice it to say, they screwed up.     As I turned at a junction that should have been mile 4 according to my Garmin, I passed runners who were excitedly talking about a “screw up”.   Apparently some of us had already run an extra mile by doing an “extra loop” between mile 3 and 4.   I looked at my watch as I passed the mile marker for mile 4 and realized I was one of them.    My Garmin was showing 5 miles.   Ugh.   There is nothing quite so disheartening as realizing you just logged an extra mile in a 13.1 race.   I determined to be bigger than the numbers on my watch and plowed on, but the rumble around me became loud.   Runners weren’t happy.

As I completed the road portion of the race and turned on to the trail, I glanced at my Garmin once again.  7.5 miles.  Shucks.   In addition, it quickly became evident that the trail portion of the race was going to be slow going.   Roots, rocks, and an uneven surface played havoc with holding a steady pace.  I slowed down, took a deep breath, and kept going.  The trail was not marked well, so there was also the constant worry about taking a wrong turn and getting lost.  Most of the runners had stuck with the road option, which was now looking pretty wise, so much of the time I was by myself.

It took almost three hours, but we did it.   All of us.  It was a race that ran the gamut of emotions.   The adrenaline rush that comes with distance running, tempered by extreme heat and humidity, a rough trail, and the frustration that comes from running a course that is not measured or monitored accurately.   With the temperature at 92 and the humidity at 85, all of us were slowed down dramatically from our usual pace.  But we were alive to tell the story.   And still moving.   Barely.  The amazing thing is that even with all of that, we still had age group winners among us.  Kathy, Melodie and I all ended up running extra mileage, and Janille somehow got misdirected twice and ended up running 15 miles!   Laurie somehow managed to run the correct course and the correct distance.  It was that kind of weekend for her :).

Melodie was the only one captured crossing the finish line.   The photo shows a guy on bended knee handing out a red rose.   It was a sweet idea, but at this point, all anyone wanted was copious amounts of water, something salty, and a foot massage.

And so again, our story is told.   It didn’t take long before we were smiling again and telling our story.  Over, and over, and over again.   Why else do we run?

Later that night, we went out for a celebratory meal.   It is somewhat fitting that the senior member of the group looks a little tired.   But we’d do it again, in a minute.   In fact, we are planning to do just that in Sept.  Hopefully without the high temperatures and confused course monitors.

Next up, Niagara Falls, NY.