...I did half of something awesome!

I think it was back in early twenty-teens when, in a moment of false bravado, I said to my wife, "I'll run exactly one half-marathon with you: The Maui Half." I'd been athletic in high school and college, but never much of a runner for its own sake. Then I got old and my health plan was simple: "Save room for dessert." It worked, and I was still thin because I have the food-related will power to actually save the room.

Anyway, at that point, the chance to go to Hawaii seemed a long, long way off, if at all.

In late 2017, I had run the Franklin Classic 5K. I was in such bad shape, that I ended up running, walking, and spatula-ing a fair portion of those 3.1 miles. But I got a bright green shirt. It's not pictured here because it's bad form to wear the shirt of the race you are currently running. Someone wise said it was a trophy to be worn later, and I believed her. What is pictured is the only dry fit shirt I owned at the time, old blue from that one time I took a ski trip to Tampa, FL.

Then in early 2018, we began to plan the Hawaii trip which would take place in 2019. I googled the Maui Half Marathon, secretly hoping it would not be held over the summer months when we'd be there. Well, it turns out that there is no singular "Maui Half," there is a half marathon held on that island pretty much any month you want to run one.

One day, it occurred to me that doing something like running my first half marathon would probably wipe me out for the rest of the day (or possibly weekend or month). That's a pretty expensive vacation day to only enjoy a few hours thereof. So, I mentioned this to Heather, and she found me the perfect race. 

I'm not particularly active in auto racing these days, but it is in my family background, and was a huge part of my childhood. My dad was a  race car driver. My brother was a track champion several times at tracks near Tulsa, OK. My mom won the powder-puff derby. My step-father was first a promoter, a speed-sport reporter under the pseudonym "Hillman Williams," and then a motorsports insurance salesman for the largest company that does that. I've seen the Indianapolis 500 in person a half dozen times. 

Heather had discovered the Indy Mini. It's a half marathon where 2.5 of your miles are around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. My step-father passed away late in 2018. I decided that I would dedicate my race to him: one final victory lap for the Hillman in which I would take a tiny packet of his ashes and sprinkle them outside the wall at turn one, near his perennial grandstand seats. 

My mom gave me his hat to wear during the race.

I started training on the treadmill because running is so boring. I could at least watch TV. But, once I got up to about 3 miles, it turns out that running on a treadmill is even more boring. And, running outside with other people is not all that boring. Talking to the other humans can be interesting and entertaining--who knew?

My knees didn't like running more than 5 miles at a time several times a week. I bought braces and frozen peas and tried a few different kinds of complicated shoes, and took advil.

During the race, we took a very leisurely pace because finishing was important to me, and running with me was important to Heather. I wore my old blue ski trip to Tampa shirt as a reminder that while things don't always go as planned, you can adapt and have a great time. Fortunately, everything about the Indi-mini trip went as planned! Here, we are about to run onto the IMS track.

On the front straightaway, there were signs: right to kiss the bricks, left to run on. We went right to be a part of this amazing tradition. I knelt. Heather did a legit pushup because she's a badass.

My first half marathon was an amazing experience. The gestalt of the racers and fans on the side of the course cannot be adequately described, so I will inadequately describe it. Remember what I said about running can be cool when you're talking to other humans along the way? Well, running is freaking awesome when you're surrounded by thousands of them.

So I got a red shirt and a milk shaped medal (another Indy tradition, you can google it). But I also caught the running bug. I just had to figure out how to do it without ruining my knees. But that's another story...about this one time I became a minimalist (just look at my braceless knees below).

Now, I've run several half marathons, and they've all been amazing. Starting with my second race, I've always worn the bright green Franklin Classic 5K shirt as an ironic reminder that I couldn't even run a 5K in 2017. I'm a runner now, and I've signed up for my first full marathon in December 2020. You see, running isn't just enjoyable during the activity itself. It's after the run--and all the time, really--that it makes me feel young and strong. I'll be 48 years old in November, and I am both.