Run Forrest Run

John & I have a set a goal of participating in a Marathon or Half Marathon in every state & DC. Now, we’re starting this a little late so we’ll have to do multiple states a year. John has already done races in Indiana, Illinois & Kentucky while I’ve only competed in Indiana. So we set our sights on the Kentucky Derby Festival Half Marathon (me) & Marathon (John). Although technically John has already crossed Kentucky off his list, he wants to improve his Marathon time from that of his Ironman competition back in 2008.

This is a relatively “small” race compared to others we’ve done and we get to start in the same corral. Of course that won’t last long since John is a MUCH FASTER. However, I’m running along and all of a sudden someone pats me on the butt and then passes me! It was John. For a brief moment I was actually ahead of him…but only because he had stopped to pee. That would be the last time I’d see him until the finish line. It was a pretty hill course for the first few miles and there was a constant drizzle but the trees helped block some of it. One of the funniest things I saw out on the course was a group of guys each dressed like Elvis. They were running with a jogging stroller that was carrying a “boom box” playing Elvis tunes. I enjoyed running through part of Churchill Downs. It was funny to see people stop and take pictures of themselves with the famous grandstand & steeples in the background using their cell phones. See when you’re in the back of the pack….people do stuff like that.

Good feeling crossing that finish line; it was my best half marathon finish to date. I got to see John finish his Marathon and was excited to hear the announcer say his name as he was about to cross the line.

For me: two states down and only 48 more to go!









Then the month of May finds us without entries into the Mini Marathon. This was “planned” as we thought the race was going to overlap with another event but turns out it would not have. Anyway, on Friday I randomly post on Facebook that I was envious of everyone walking around with their race packets and people contacting me with Bib Numbers that they aren’t going to use! So approximately 12 hours prior to the race, John & I drive to Greencastle to meet my friend Teresa & her husband Brad to get two bibs. So Saturday morning John & I are known as 71 year old Lynn & 74 year old George. We are both starting in Corral Y (the year prior John started in Corral B). It takes us over 30 minutes to cross the START line and the wind is brutal. Whose Idea was this anyway? Oh yeah, it was mine. It was tough to get into a good rhythm until about mile 3 when the crowd thins out a little more. Of course John finishes prior to me but I had another good run; even better than the KY Derby Festival race.