By looking at the following picture can you guess what time we woke up today?
Good work if you guessed 5 am. Obvi the coffee was necessary- we had a long day ahead of us. Sar and Kaylee were running the mini-marathon and we got the honor of driving them downtown and then cheering them on. A teacher at my school was also running and all week I'd been told that I wouldn't be able to find anyone in the crowd of 35,000 runners but I was determined to spot people. It was like a giant game of Where's Waldo.
Before the race everyone is corralled in these giant pens all along the street. They're in alphabetical order and we knew Sarah and Kaylee were in the N corral so we started there.
And after maybe a minute we spotted them! We had to scream really loud before they heard us.
Only a few people in front of them was my friend Amanda from school. I got Sarah to go tap her on the shoulder and she came over to say hi.
A little ways up the block we spotted Adam. He was ready to run. Game face on. Jumping up and down to get the blood pumping.
Hey CILTs look-- it's a hat sleeve!
It was crazy looking at this giant mass of people. I was a cross country runner in HS and still think that running is my favorite sport to watch. Today was like the ultimate cross country race. Did you know the Indy 1/2 Marathon is the largest one in the country?
I spotted my friend Mindy's roommate Carrie.
Molls and I liked these chicken hat guys.
At this point we had climbed up on a giant flower pot planter thing for optimal crowd scanning position. The great thing was now people in the crowd could spot us which turned out to be really effective.
Marlin, YL staff at Brebeuf, yelled over to us. She was so excited/nervous for today and has been really serious about training.
Then we heard our names being called from farther in the crowd and all of a sudden we found the hand waving in the crowd--BRENNA! She is a CILT from Molly's session and we really, really love her.
She cut through the crowd, which was now walking to the start line, to say hi and take a quick picture. She is so wonderful and I'm so glad she'll be at camp all summer.
Gumby guys were creative but can you imagine running in those outfits?
I was shocked to see my friend Tiffani from one of my IUPUI classes this semester. I made her take a picture with her husband. As soon as they had walked by I said, "Molly, I think I know that guy. He was a camp counselor. I think his name is Andrew." Sure enough, I got confirmation from my friend Sarah Scott- he was a counselor in 2006. Small world.
We watched the rest of the people trickle by to the start line. We stood on the wall at the Eiteljorg Museum, Molls took a picture with this...deer?, and then I found this colored sculpture thing I really loved.
The runners go all the way to the Indy 500, around the track and then back to the general area where we began. Molls and I staked out spots on the bridge where the final mile began so we would be able to watch all 35,000 runners go past when they came back.
This guy got first. Impressive.
These guys are second and third.
Molls and I sat right here for the next two hours scanning the crowd, yelling words of encouragement, and trying to stay dry once it started raining.
This man was running BAREFOOT. I can't even imagine how badly that would hurt.
At the beginning there were few runners and it was really easy to spot people we didn't even know were going to be there. It was so exciting every time we saw someone new. Brittany was a counselor at Tecumseh two summers ago. Even at camp I think she ran every single day.
I heard on the radio that there was going to be a 92-year-old man running that had run every Indy 1/2 marathon since it began. Molls and I think this might be him.
We saw Molly's friend Caroline that likes to run. Last weekend she ran a different 1/2 marathon and when Molls asked her about it in class she said, "Molly, I don't know what's wrong with me but it was so fun!" She looked like she was having fun when we saw her today- I wasn't fast enough to get her pic.
I asked during 7th period yesterday if anyone was going to be going to race and one of my students said that he was. I was hoping I would spot him. He came by early on and I yelled, "Hi Trey!" and without hesitation he looked over and said, "Oh hey Miss Wright." Made my day.
Colleen spotted us first and skidded to a stop in front of us so we could take her picture. So enthusiastic.
We yelled, "You guys look really fun," as these girls ran past. 1/2 marathoners really like to raise their hands in the air for pictures. This man is running to his wedding... maybe.
These guys are pumped about life.
Elizabeth Friend spotted me as she was running by and kind of running backwards yelled, "Sarah! Sarah Wright! Have you seen Brenna? She's in here somewhere!"
Molls spotted Krafty. He was also very enthusiastic with the whole raising the hands thing. Last year biking across America, this year running a 1/2 marathon.
Tiff, the wife of my old YL staff person Joe in Michigan, spotted me as she ran by and yelled, "Sarah!" Molls and I figured out if we cheered in a British accent that more people smiled and laughed as they ran by. So we kept yelling all of the things from the title of this post in an accent and I think it helped people recognize us too.
I couldn't believe it when I spotted Carly, a camper in Teton 2005 when I was just a Day Camp Counselor.
Molls and I couldn't believe it every time a little kid would run past. How do they do this? I think I saw a 4 year old running too. Not kidding.
Go Adam!
Yeah Sarah!
Woohoo Luigi! They were followed by two Marios. Seriously, how do people run in these outfits?
Loved this girls' shirt, "Running Sucks." It reminded me of my sister's HS relay team's track sweatshirts that said, "Ask Me If I Like Track." They didn't.
I'm pretty sure this is my 8th grade English teacher. She ran by and yelled, "SARAH WRIGHT!" so I responded, "OH MY GOSH, HI!" even though I wasn't sure who it was. But now I'm pretty sure it was her.
Yay Marlin!
Love that I spotted Lily Inman. She came to camp for several years and her older sister Abby was always in my cabin and my camp best friend.
I spotted Kelly Grant, another Tecumseh alum, across the bridge and called her name. She stopped, ran across to us, posed for a picture, gave me a hug, and asked if we'd seen her friend yet. Then she kept running.
We were glad we spotted Brenna again.
Go Kaylee!
We thought this bride and groom pair was hilarious.
The finished runners! They were cold and tired and not really sure they want to ever do this again but I was just so darn impressed.
I didn't really like waking up at 5 am but the rest of today was so fun. I might have to be a spectator at the Indy 1/2 marathon every year.
looks like so much fun. you know lots of people sar
ReplyDelete