Indy Monumental Marathon 2018

This was marathon #2 for me. This time I roped my husband into my madness for his first. I picked the Indy Monumental Marathon for a few reasons. An excuse to visit my sister and family, it’s flat race, it had been well reviewed as a good first timer’s marathon and what a fun way to see a city you’re not that familiar with. The course really was great. It is a big loop around the city with only a few very minor hills, very true to its description and the reviews. We also really lucked out with the weather. It was a perfect 40 degrees and sunny–my kind of running weather.

Around mile 7 the course really opened up. This was the point where all of the half marathoners break away from all of us crazies running the full. It was also right around this point that I started to hear this woman telling her saga to other runners . . . she had lost her phone at mile 2 which held her up a bit, she had no way of tracking her pace (she had been using her phone to do that) and she felt that her race was over, any goals of a PR were lost. I could only imagine hitting that kind of energy and focus loss at mile 2 of 26.2, hitting that kind of wall that early on would be devastating.

About a mile later, I finally meet Claudia. It was at this point that she had caught up to me and struck up a conversation. She relayed her story and told me that she liked my pace and would stick with me for the rest of the race. She and I talked for the rest of the race, that’s 18 miles–give or take 3 hours!!! We talked about everything. Lots of running and life tips shared. All the while, she keeps telling me that I am her racing angel. This had a huge impact on my race. It gave me a confidence I didn’t know I had. This was when I really recognized that racing angels where a real phenomenon. That this is universal, my new friend Claudia from St. Louis also new about this. That we all have these moments big or small.

In the end, Claudia became my racing angel. She brought me all the way through the finish line. My hope to beat my NYC time was blown away and I pr’d this race beyond my expectations. And. I made a beautiful friend for those three hours. One I may never see again, but had an impact on my life that will always be a part of me.