Official Pictures from the Indy Mini

The photos from the official photographers along the Indy Mini course are now available for viewing and/or purchase. Click here for the Brightroom website where you can search for pictures.

Abe's Army Leader info

This Tuesday, May 16 is the Abe's Army Platoon Leader orientation. It begins at 5:45 pm at Athleticare. Visit the Abe's Army blog for more information: http://AbesArmy.blogspot.com

Next Saturday Social right around the corner...

I posted this a few weeks ago, but wanted to put it up again as a reminder. This should be a fun event and we are also talking about hooking up somewhere following the tour to grab some food and drinks...

Mark your calendars now for a special event for the May Saturday Social. We'll have a guided wildflower walk at Lincoln Memorial Garden starting at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20.

One of LMGs naturalists will show us the beauty of the Garden as the season's flowers begin to come into full bloom. The Garden would like to have a headcount before the Social, so please RSVP to Half Wit Barb Bonansinga (bbonansinga@sbcglobal.net) by May 14 LMG also asks for a donation of $2.00 per person.

I would suggest that maybe we can donate additional dollars in honor of Gary Thompson who was an SRRC member who passed away last March. Gary was a great guy and a member and volunteer for LMG. Following his death last year, his family asked that memorial donations be made to the Gardens. Maybe we can all pitch in extra money and we can make a little presentation in honor of Gary and on behalf of the SRRC to our LMG guide following our tour? Whatcha think?

The Evidence

For those at Claddagh.......

Do you wanna see more Indy Pics?

These pics provided by Emily Klockenga, just click on the following links...

Indy Pics 1, 
Indy Pics 2

BTW, you all rocked!!! So much fun!!!

Good Indy coverage

If you are looking for coverage of the Indy Mini, including some good race photos, check out the Indianapolis Star website.

More Indy pics

Jan's Yoga

What is Jan making them do?

Linda and Connie find a use for the party cart!

The Great Thinker

Indy pics

Post race

Pre race

Post race...does Sanya have make up on already?

Post race

Party on, Half Wits!

Here are just a few of the hardy Half Wits who hung out at the Indy Mini tent on Saturday. What a blast the tent was? How about Jan Wilson doing yoga for everyone? And you better watch out for that blue SRRC cooler the next time to see it used for a water stop at a race!

And the best part about it? We were the last people left in the entire running club tent area...in the entire park for that matter! The Half Wits and the SRRC know how to party!

From folks who just stopped by the tent to say hello to those who hung out the whole time, it was a great way to cap the entire Half Wits program this year. From snow and cold to wind and rain to sun and fun at Indy, it has been a lot of fun.

Thanks to everyone for making this a great group.

And, oh yeah, for those of you who left Claddagh early last night, well, you missed quite a performance at the end of the night! Don't mess with Wendy's family!!!

Indy results are up!

The results from the Indy Mini are up on their website. You can search them via many options (name, bib, city, etc...).

Click here to go to the Indy Mini results page.

Claddagh is where we'll be tonight

Don't know how many of you will read this before heading out in Indy tonight, but I am sure we'll be at the Claddagh later on. We have dinner reservations at 7:30 at the Elbow Room, then will probably head to Claddagh after that (9:0o pm or so).

Claddagh is an Irish Pub in downtown Indy, located at 243 S. Meridian. Here is a link to their website.

See ya there. And go # 48...NASCAR runs tonight!

Incredible Indy!!

Great job Half Wits!!! Indy was awesome! It was a great day for a race with the best weather, a record crowd, lots of spectators, rockin (and a few not so rockin) bands, and a very cool lap around the Brickyard. Did you stop to kiss the bricks? I did!

And how about that post-race tent? Not a bad idea, huh? And the Half Wits/SRRC folks were the last ones partying at the tent area. We rock.

As I have posted before, you have good days and you have bad days. I had a very bad day when we ran the practice run on the LM course about 6 weeks ago. Well, today was a whole different story. On my watch I ran a 1:46:42 which is a PR for me. Some days you have it, some days you don't, and today I did.

What about the rest of you? What did you think of Indy?

Mini Me update

No Mini Me at the Expo! We were looking for him last night and the folks at his booth said he cancelled his appearance at the last minute. Wendy was really looking forward to me getting a picture with him.

Indy Weather Update - May 5

Looks like we might have great running weather this weekend!!! Dress appropriately, just in case...Remember it will be cool in the early morning hours.

So far no rain is in the forecast...thats unless I make the rain gods mad anytime soon.

The latest weather link for the weekend.
Indy Weather Link

BTW, for all staying behind Happy Cinco de Mayo.

Even More Indy Mini Race Maps

Sorry for the last minute post....Click on the image to enlarge.

Rest and Recovery Map

Running Club Tent Layout Pre/Post Celebration

Remember, the bib goes in front

And make sure to attach the chip to your shoe using the zip tie they will give you with the chip.

Run well; enjoy the scenery, the bands, and the other runners along the way; and HAVE FUN!!

See ya at the tent!!

Oh yeah...during the first mile don't forget to look to your right after you cross the White River and are running by the Indy Zoo. The elephants were out watching the runners last year...maybe they will be this year as well!

Hey Half Wits, any tips?

Any tips from our big race veterans for those Half Wits who might be experiencing their first big race this weekend?

Don't worry about the crowd at the start

I know many Half Wits running Indy this weekend have not participated in a large race such as this in the past and it is easy to be concerned about the "crush" of runners at the start.

From experience, I say don't worry about it.

Lining up in your corral and starting this race really won't be too much different than a race like Abe's Amble, except it will take you longer to get across the start line. And remember, this is a chip-timed race. It does not matter how long it takes you to get across the start line, your time won't start until the chip is scanned by the machines at the start line.

I have found that with races like this you always find your own running "space" at the start. You might have to pay a little more attention to runners around you, but it is not like people are scrambling over each other. If you find someone is crowding your space, just back it off or speed it up a little. For the most part, though, runners are a fairly considerate bunch of people when it comes to other runners at races.

Another tip is to stay to one side of the street. It is easier to get around people if you are able to hop up on the curb or sidewalk. Just watch your footing.

The nice thing about these huge races is that it really keeps you from going out too fast. Remember, 13.1. miles is a long way, you have plenty of time out there, so you don't want to go out too fast and then bonk.

Kiss the Bricks!!

For my money, the absolute greatest part of the Indy Mini Half Marathon is the chance to run a lap around the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, better known as "The Brickyard". This track is home to the biggest race in motor sports, the Indy 500, as well as the NASCAR Brickyard 400 (we were there last year!), probably the second biggest race in NASCAR.

The Brickyard is a 2.5 mile track (yes, you will run a full lap...even more actually). The Brickyard name comes from the fact that the track originally was laid with bricks...3.2 million of them! Today the track is asphalt, but a bit of the Brickyard's history remains at the Start/Finish line of the track. There you will find a one-yard wide strip of bricks across the track.

It is tradition that the winner of the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race kisses the bricks following the race. The picture above is of Tony Stewart after he won last year's Brickyard 400.

So, as you pass the "yard of bricks" while you are doing your lap around The Brickyard, make like a NASCAR driver, drop to your knees, and kiss the bricks. How often do you get to do that? I did it last year and certainly will this year!

Packet Pick-Up

Indy Mini packet pick-up is:
Thursday, May 4 from 4 - 8 p.m
Friday, May 5 from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

It is located in Halls D&E of the Indiana Convention Center
100 S. Capitol Ave., Downtown Indianapolis.

DON'T FORGET THAT INDY IS ON EASTERN TIME!
They are one hour ahead of us (it's 5:00 pm in Springfield but 6:00 pm in Indy)

What's my starting corral?

All Indy Mini runners are assigned a "corral" in the race start area. Corrals are used as a way to space out runners so not everyone is crowding around the start line.

Your corral will correspond with your estimated race time you put down when your registered for the race, but there is no need to remember that. Your corral assignment will be on the front of your bib as a letter (A, B, C, D, etc...), so you will know your corral when you pick up your packet. The Indy folks are kind of sticklers about your corral assignment. You are allowed to go down corrals (going from D to H) but not up (going from H to D).

Make sense?

Indy Mini Gear Check

If you don't want to drop items off at the post-race tent before you run the Indy Mini, the race does provide a gear check. The gear check will be located on the east end of Military Park on West Street between the park and Washington Street. A label for your gear check bag will be in your race packet.

How do I get my stuff to the post-race tent?

So, it is race day and before the Indy Mini begins you want to drop off a cooler or something to the post-race tent, but are wondering how you will drag it there?

Well...I am planning to bring a wagon so I can just pull it down the street from the hotel and drop off the cooler before the race. That's one idea.

Map of downtown Indy

If you are looking for map of downtown Indy, here is a link to a very good one. It shows many of the places you will be for the race (Indiana Convention Center/RCADome for packet pick up; Military Park for post-race) as well as the downtown hotels.

Click here for a link to the map.

Restaurant, travel info for Indy

If you are looking for a place to grab some food either Friday or Saturday, visit the Indy Visitors Bureau at www.indy.org for listings of restaurants. The website also has some good maps of Indy.

For those Half Wits staying in downtown Indy, there are many dining options within walking distance from your hotel. Downtown is also home to Circle Centre, a major shopping mall.

If you are looking for a funkier area for some shopping or dining, visit Broad Ripple, which is north of downtown a few miles. It is a very cool area that is more residential but contains many shops and restaurants. If you are spending Saturday night, Wendy and I would recommend hitting Broad Ripple either Saturday afternoon/evening or Sunday morning. And bring you checkbook!

If you are looking for something a little more recreational, visit White River State Park. White River is on the west edge of downtown and you will actually run through it during the race, as well have fun after the race in Military Park, which is a part of White River State Park. The Park is home to a great trail along the White River, the Indy Zoo, the Indiana State Museum, the NCAA Hall of Champions, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, and an Imax theater.

Also, make sure you take the time to stroll along Central Canal which runs from the White River to the north and east through downtown. You can't miss it after the race as it is the southern boundary of Military Park, where the post-race festivities take place. I believe there are paddle boats for rent if you are interested. There are also portions of the canal and towpath throughout town up to Broad Ripple. Visit Indy Greenways for more info.

Be sure also to visit the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial on the canal right by Military Park. The memorial pays tribute to the 3,459 Medal of Honor recipients. The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest award for the military women and men of our country.

Well, that is enough from Tim's Travel Service for now.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

This is scary

I just received an e-mail update with Indy Mini info.

MINI ME WILL BE AT THE EXPO! Yes, actor Vern Troyer, aka "Mini Me" in the Austin Power movies will be signing autographs at the expo on Thursday from 4-7 pm and Friday from 10:30-1:30.

I wonder who thought up this bright idea?!

Abe's Army blog

Looking for info on Abe's Army, then click here to check out the blog.

There's not a ton of info on it right now, but info will be coming fast and furious as we get closer to the start of the Army (Tuesday, May 30).

I set up the blog, but Jan Wilson, Brigitte Cutler, Connie Clark, Linda Jones, and others will be in charge of updating it. It will be a tremendous way for all Abe's Army folks to stay in contact and up-to-date on the latest info.

Bring your Half Wits shirt!

Don't forget to bring your Half Wits shirt to Indy.

If the weather is good for long-sleeves you can wear it during the race, but certainly bring it for afterwards. I would like to get a group picture at the post-race tent.

And I still have a few shirts left, so if you did not get one, let me know and I will see what sizes I have.

Indy Weather Forecast

Well...things don't look bad for Saturday at Indy, but hopefully they will push the chance of rain out of the picture. The temps look like they will be great for running with a Saturday morning low in the low 40s. The daytime high is projected at 59 right now, with a 30% chance of a few showers.

Even if it rains, we still have the tent for fun after the race!

Check out the Weather Channel's website for more details.