Expo

When coming in from out of town, I don't mind a quick "expo" experience. The packet pickup was in a back room at Cabela's...and I wish it was in a running store. I went straight to the pacer pickup first and got my shirt, band, and stick. I then stepped over to the bib/shirt/swag pickup for the race. I should have done this process the other way around because the lady wasn't going to give me an event shirt... "She already has a pacing shirt" is what she said to the guy behind her asking why shirt size. "I closed the page because she already has a pacing shirt." Well... I looked at the guy and said medium would be great and he handed me the one in his hand. The lady seemed annoyed that I would get a pacer shirt AND an event tee...oh well.

The "swag" consisted of the usual shirt, bib, "register for _____ race" x5, and a braided Cabela's bracelet. While the bracelet isn't something I would wear on the regs, my hubs would probably be interested in it if it were big enough :)

Overall

Minus the rude lady, the little man were in and out, and I then wandered around the store looking at all of the animals! I didn't have anywhere to be for a little while, so it was a good way to stretch out legs after the 2hr drive. If I needed any fuel, I would have rather been in a running store atmosphere...

Race

This race is unique in that you start and end the race in the Kansas Speedway! Any racecar racing fanatics?! I am not...but it was still cool to be on that level! Due to being a pacer and not a runner, I didn't get any pictures from the course.

The morning started briskly, with a cold north wind. I headed into the Media Center to exchange my event tee because they were a little on the big side and the same volunteer (the shirt guy from Cabela's) from the day before was happy to help me get a new size :)

The start area was just outside the Media Center so we were able to stay warm for just a little bit.

Once in the start area, we (the pacers) lined up so everyone could see where they wanted to start. I had one woman question where she should start, and I told her to stick with me and I would get her to the finish. You can read a little more about our ime together on my Weekend Happenings post here.

Before long, there was a moment of silence for a local Detective that was killed in the line of duty last week (his funeral was today in a nearby location), the National Anthem sung by local Boy Scouts, and then the race started!

Mile 1

The 5k and half marathon started in the same area, so it was hard to tell who was going to stick around me. The first mile was around the inside loops of the track. Around mile 1.15+, the 5k split to the left and the half marathon went to the right.

Mile 1.25-4

We then exited the Speedway and started the loop around the speedway parking lots. The slow rolling hills were great and we were able to warm up our legs! The wind was a bit much, so I told the runner to stick to my back as I would take the wind for her :)

Mile 4-5.5

The rolling hills continued on 110th street and State Ave. The traffic was cut to 1 lane so the runners could have the other lane. This was the most eventful section of the race because we were being passed by the faster times heading back to the Speedway. I wouldn't call it "crowd support" but I was able to cheer on passing runners. This section ended off 126th and we went into Wyandotte County Park.

Mile 5.5-8

The beauty of Wyandotte County Park was a great distraction! I took it all in... The park road winded around and there were golfers, geese, and an opossum crossed the road ahead of us! The most "hill-looking" hill (or 2) of the course was between mile 7.25 and 8). We passed the Agricultural Hall of Fame and the backside of the Renaissance Festival on our way back to State Ave.

Mile 8-10.5

This route backtracked us through State Ave, 110th, and the Speedway parking lots back to the Kansas Speedway. The vast open space was easy on the eyes, but it seemed like we had so much more to go... There was no crowd support other than road blocker volunteers and water stop volunteers.

Mile 10.5-11.5

This section continued around the driving loop around the Kansas Speedway. There was no crowd support and the open parking areas seemed vast. The wind had blown over port-a-potties, a media tent, and trash cans...not the greatest sights! The final turn around was solemn...there was a huge American flag stretched across two fire truck ladders. The funeral for the Detective was starting nearby and there was a lot of police traffic coming by to pay their respects.

Mile 11.5-13

Around this point, we headed back into the Kansas Speedway! The final countdown! There were a lot of runners leaving the area that would yell out their windows and honk at us for support...I thought it was great, but my runner was really struggling. This last stretch was in and around the pit boxes and the final 4 turns of the track.

Mile 13-finish

The race organizers played the finish well - we finished on the track finish line! How fun is that?!

Overall

This is definitely a race that I can see doing again! I am okay with the smaller scale race (200-300+ participants) and the course was great! The only major pitfall is the complete lack of crowd support. There were a few people near the start/finish areas, but the only "support" we recieved was from the traffic volunteers and water stop volunteers.

This is a race that I can see running or pacing again next year!

Post Race

There was ample water, bananas, granola bars, muffins, and pretzels! Finishing at the end of the cutoff, there is always the question if the race stocked well enough to last through all of the finishers. Yes, yes they did! :)

Expo:
Little man and I came to KC Friday afternoon and played around at the expo. There was tons of snacks, a lot of people too be shy around, things to climb on, and tables to crawl under…basically a little boy’s dream playground (minus the slides). Gypsy Runner had some great shirts, headbands, hats, and everything a running lady would love to wear! The KC Running Co had some of their upcoming race medals out on display and some create tees for sale. The Ultramax team, same sponsor of the Go Girl Run KC I ran last fall, was there and heat pressing shirts:) Of course we had to look at all of the Garmin watches and play on the display!

EXPO OVERALL:
The Expo was nice! There was enough to see without being overwhelmed. There was clothes, fuel, massages (which I would have got one Friday since they were packed up and gone when I finished Saturday…), snacks for the little man, and several running related companies with great giveaways!

Marathon Morning:
As I was walking up to the start area, I was overtook by the greatness of the American flag – it was huge! I am overcome by emotions when I am in the presence of such an iconic representation of our freedom…I THEN got super excited and super nervous!

…and it was time to check my bag and find a port-a-potty, STAT! What about those potty lines!! **Disclaimer – when there are 3-4 port-a-potties are flagged off, DO NOT start a second line in the same group of potties!! ARG!!** Due to my poor selection of bathroom lines, I waited for 30 minutes as I watched people cut over to other lines (just as long as mine) and get through in 1/2 the time…that was when I realized that there was a second line started in the same group of potties I was standing in… WHAT?! So, I switched groups, was in and out of the bathroom in 5 minutes, and walked right into the moving group of runners starting the race…

The hills started from the beginning and we rolled up and down Ridgeview for the first 3 miles. There was one water stop around mile 2, but I didn’t stop. The first major turn was around the Mahaffie Farmstead area. There is a small tallgrass prairie reserve on the corner, a great visiter’s center, and land and buildings to walk through. Granted, we were not stopping to enjoy the area, but I did get a few quick snaps of the atmosphere.

Once we passed the Mahaffie area, we were on our way to Olathe North High School and there was a guy videoing the runners passing with a drone…odd, but cool! Soon, we were at the second water stop – I slowed to a fast walk, took a water, drank it, and was off running again soon after:) While I run in these areas when I am in town for races or visiting family and friends, I don’t generally take the time to really embrace the scenery… Not today. It seemed like my senses were on overdrive and I took in as much of the day as I could.

About this time, I passed the 4:30 marathon pacer. I mentioned to her that I was going to try and keep her in my sights… While that seemed like a doable goal around mile 4, I had no clue what I was getting myself into!

The rolling hills of Olathe were starting to show more and more. I ran with and past several people talking about how they didn’t anticipate the hills – I just laughed (silently)… Whenever I am in town, I run my hill workouts – I am not sure why locals would think that it is flat…

The rolling hills continued… Around mile 6, I could hear music coming up behind me… There was a gal with her phone on blast in her running belt. The music was similar to what I listen to and it had a nice beat for a good running cadence. I slightly quickened my pace to keep up with her for the next several miles. While I was still running faster than I anticipated to this point, we had a fun conversation about running, tri training, and life!

The Garmin 1/2 was her 2nd half from coming back from hip surgery…and she was clocking a new post-op PR! **Mental Note : I need to look through the images around the area where we broke away to check her bib # and see how she finished!

We broke away around mile 10 and I could hear her tell something about, “You’ll do awesome in the marathon! Great work marathon runners!” While I didn’t formally excuse myself, there were several other runners chatting it up with her and it was a natural feeling to just keep on running…

We rounded the corner of Olathe Northwest High School and another water stop. I walked through this area and took several cups of whatever they had to serve.

Around the mile 12 mark, the half marathoners continued to the finish and the full marathoners veered off to the left onto the Mill Creek trail system for 6.5 miles out and then back.

I am lumping the entire trail into 1 category because it was the beginning of the end!

My family was planning on being around mile 15 and 23 (the same spot). I got a call from my dad when I was around 14.5 miles in…good timing! They just settled in and were waiting on me. I tossed off my hydration pack to be refilled and took a bottle of water. Everyone was excited to see me, even the little man!

Once I was on my own again, my feet started hurting… I lasted until around mile 17/18 before I really had to take some walk breaks. My feet were on FIRE!! I hadn’t ever felt pain like this in my feet before and I wasn’t sure if it was just from the miles or if I had hurt myself somehow.

I pushed through, walking and running… I met some fellow first-timers along the way with similar aches and pains. We reveled in the fact that we were going to distance and joked about running a different course:)

I made my way back to where my family was and I fed off of their energy a little – I was beat, but the cold water and smiles helped a little!

The race maker must have had a good sense of humor, because no one liked him after the climb back to the main road…Once I was to this point, I knew I could make my way back to the start/FINISH!! There were only a few people on the path and road…and it was a lonely finish.

OVERALL:
I was very pleased with this race! I know that I was physically prepared for the course, but I was not prepared for the speed of the first 1/2 of the race. If I was only running the 1/2, I could have PR’d most likely! – this is not a good reality check, I should have started out much, much slower!

I was really looking forward to this race because of the beautiful scenery of Longview Lake. The race was along a highway and we didn't get to see much of the lake. There was a giant hill right after the first mile...and I ended up walking most of it so I didn't kill my legs. There were a couple miles that were along a trail and those views were good :) Due to the route being on a divided highway, there was little crowd support to break up the miles...much needed for a half marathon. The views over the bridge were amazing and I wish more of the race was along the paths and trails than the highway. There was more to be desired with the aid stations...but in the cooler months, less is okay. The finishers area was nice with milk, chicken noodle soup, and massages. I was glad to get my sweatpants and warm up in the car before heading out.

This race wasn't a bad race...it was just a hot, hot day! The information before the race stated that there would be GU and water at "every aid station" but there was no GU to be found until mile 6...I was not prepared for that! Since this race, I bring as much fuel as I think I will need and do not rely on the course to have any... The shirt, medal, and post-race food made up for the lack of motivation along the course. The scenery along the trail was nice and the shade was a welcome sight. The roads were not shaded and hot...and not a whole lot of "entertainment" along the course.

Overall, I loved this race!...but there was a lot to improve upon. The mostly downhill course was great for my first half marathon experience, but the help of pacers would have kept me from killing my legs on the downhill around mile 5-7... There was no "expo" of sorts, but the running company is always a welcoming atmosphere. The tech shirt and metal were great! The aid stations were well prepped and the volunteers were easy to spot along the way. Due to the course being point-to-point, you had to catch a bus before the race to take you to the start area. At the finish, there were no refreshments other than water due to the management not being well prepared. We were assured that future races would be more fully stocked (so we will see how it goes this year in a couple weeks!). The post race area was nice with engravers, massages, recovery drinks, and an easy drop-off bag pickup.