Kentucky Derby - The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports

This weekend I will be experiencing my very first Kentucky Derby. As a new Louisvillian, I believe it is mandatory to attend this event. I have said this before, and I am reiterating this because I don’t think you all believe me, this town shuts down for this event. Jefferson County (my county and the county that Churchill resides in) has Friday, May 3rd off for “professional development.” HA! They aren’t fooling me! The university (of Louisville) will be closed. Last day of finals was this past Tuesday. 

There is a 2 week celebration leading up to the Kentucky that starts with Thunder over Louisville and also includes a parade, a giant balloon festival, a steamboat race on the Ohio River, and a bunch of concerts, etc. It’s kind of a big deal. 

So here is how the Derby became to be The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports:

The Kentucky Derby is the oldest consecutively held Thoroughbred race in America. It is run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Along with the Preakness in mid-May, and Belmont in early June, it is the first jewel of the coveted Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing, which has been won by only eleven horses since 1919.

The first Kentucky Derby was held May 17, 1875, before a crowd of 10,000. In that race, a field of 15 three-year-olds ran a 1.5 mile course which was won by H.P. McGrath’s Aristides. Although the first Derby was held at 1.5 miles, the distance was changed to the current 1.25 miles in 1896. 

Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. is largely responsible for the Kentucky Derby. After a trip to Europe in 1872 where he witnessed the finest horse racing England and France had to offer, he founded the Louisville Jockey Club in order to raise the money to build a first rate horse racing facility. The land for the race track was donated by his uncles John and Henry Churchill. Every Kentucky Derby in history has been run at this track. It wasn’t until 1937 that the track was officially named Churchill Downs through incorporation, more than 60 years after the first Kentucky Derby was run on May 17, 1875.

The Derby field is limited to three-year-olds; fillies (young female horse) carry 121 pounds and colts (young male horse) carry 126 pounds. Only three fillies have won the Derby: Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980, and Winning Colors in 1988. 

The largest field was during the 100th running in 1974 when 23 horses ran. The smallest fields were in 1892 and 1905, with only three horses in each race.

The fastest Derby was run by the legendary Secretariat, who covered the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 2/5, the only Derby winner to finish under two minutes.

TRADITIONS

Hats!

As a place for gambling and drinking, the track was not a very welcoming place for women and children back in the day. Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. became inspired by trips to London’s Epsom Derby and Paris’ Grand Prix (posh events that attracted an elegant crowd). He sought in the 1870s to transform American racetracks from places associated with immorality and vice to venues that might attract a wealthier, more noble group. With the help of his wife, he went on a campaign throughout Louisville to convince his target clientele that the new race track was in fact a place for the upper-class. The first Derby event was viewed as a major success and paved the way for even grander affairs that quickly became as much about the fashion as they were about the racing.

Mint Julep

The Mint Julep has been the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for almost 100 years. It appears to be just like a mojito with whiskey instead of rum (it includes mint and sugar). You can get the recipe here. 

Twin Spires

Constructed in 1895, the Twin Spires were the creation of a 24-year-old draftsman, Joseph Dominic Baldez, who was asked to draw the blueprints for Churchill Downs’ new grandstand. Originally the plans did not include the Twin Spires atop Churchill Downs’ roofline, but as the young Baldez continued work on his design, he felt the structure needed something to give it a striking appearance. Described as towers in the original drawing, the hexagonal spires exemplify late 19th century architecture, in which symmetry and balance took precedence over function.

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kentuckyderby.com 

“My Old Kentucky Home”

Although there is no definitive history on the playing this song as a Derby Day tradition, it is believed to have originated in 1921 for the 47th running of the classic. The actual year the song was played as the horses were led onto the track to begin the Derby post parade is also unclear. 

Since 1936, with only a few exceptions, the song has been performed by the University of Louisville Marching Band as the horses make their way from the paddock to the starting gate. You can hear it here.

Roses

In 1896, the Derby winner was draped in a blanket of roses, a practice continued to this day. This tradition has led to the Kentucky Derby frequently being referred to simply as “The Run for the Roses.”

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kentuckyderby.com 

Source: nbcbayarea.com, atasteofkentucky.com, kenuckyderby.net, kentuckyderby.com

Marathon Recap (!!!)

Did you know that only .5% of the U.S. population has run a marathon? I so happen to be a part of this statistic now! Woo hoo!!!

Let me tell you about the emotional roller coaster that was my very first marathon. It was good, bad, and ugly. But I finished! My goal time was to get it done before 4 hours 30 minutes. I completed it in 4:29:49!! Here are my official results if you don’t believe me!

Here is the recap:

I (surprisingly) had a great night of sleep the night before. I woke up at 5:30am to get going with my toast with honey & coffee routine. I made it to the start line in time to gear check, use the bathroom one last time, and meet my running partner. Unfortunately, my running partner forgot his phone at home and was uber late so we did not get to run together at all, which was a MAJOR bummer for me. I had to run with new people and I knew they weren’t my pace so it threw me off a tiny bit. I ended up starting out with a group of 3 others and was pacing about 9:50-10 per mile. Here is a picture at about 6 miles when I was still happy about my life.

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I had THE BEST support from my friends. Johanna, Tara, and Doc Hammy were on bikes and kept popping up all over the course. They gave me so much to look forward to. They even got me gloves and ibuprofen when I needed them! THEE BEST.

imageAnother happy one. Still so early in the race. 

I wish I ran with my phone because we had the chance to run through Churchill Downs and there were some horses out. Super cool.

But we split off from the half marathoners after Churchill which took the running group (and the sideline support) wayyyy down. I was still running with 2 people at this point until we got to Iroquois (mountainous mountain) Park. I knew the park pretty well and I wasn’t going to expend additional energies to race up the slopes so I ended up falling back a bit. These were miles 12-14. After the park, I caught up with one of the girls and started the home stretch.

Right around mile 14 was when my watch died. SMH! I was so mad. I thought I charged it but to my surprise, it couldn’t last the whole time (that’s what she said). 

At around mile 17, I was all by myself. And struggling to keep my mind occupied with anything other than pulling into the nearest bar. Luckily I came across my friend Reggie with a sign that read “This seemed like a good idea 4 months ago” (it totally did) and “#YGG” (You Go Girl!) which made me smile. I was also entering the realm of delirium and knew it wouldn’t be long before I started cursing out loud. 

This is when I called in for reinforcements. I asked if one of my sideline friends would run with me…and they did! Doc Hammy flagged me down at mile 22 and tossed his bike to the side (figuratively, of course…his bike is pretty fancy so I can’t imagine any tossing was happening - but my dramatic brain sees it otherwise) and he ran with me for 6 miles. And in someone else’s shoes no less! UNREAL. THANK GOODNESS. LIFE SAVER. CANNOT IMAGINE RUNNING THAT BY MYSELF. ALL OF THE ABOVE.

I ran 98% of this race. The last 3 miles were BRUTAL. I kept thinking “only 3 miles, only 3 miles.” Which eventually turned into “holy hell I still have 3 miles left.” My tummy was so tired of pretzels and gu and electrolyte pills. I ended up shedding the gloves, race belt, and the last shred of energy to finish this race. I eventually took 2-3 walking breaks during the last stretch.  Then I saw those 4:30 pace group fuckers (which is what I kept calling them). All of a sudden, I dug deep down into my core and ran off to beat them (and I did!).

imageThe last straightaway. 

I crossed the finish line and didn’t collapse. Nor did I cry, which I was fully prepared to do. I think I was just overcome with a sense of relief that it was FINALLY over. I got my medal, some food, and 2 beers and the rest is history. 

imageAll done PRAISE JESUS!

Things I will do better next time:

  • Be serious about cross training - I think I could done better had my overall fitness been on point. I am going to start implementing new workouts this week.  
  • Not run with a fuel belt - After the first few hours, it was more annoying then helpful. I have to wear it up pretty high around my waist so it won’t move around but it got to the point where I felt like it was keeping me from breathing. I need a new alternative. 
  • Transition a new pair of shoes before the race - I had the red Adidas since October. I was probably due for a new pair a month before the race. Never again. 

Things I think I did great with:

  • Fuel plan - although I didn’t stick to it 100%, I never had issues with hunger, cramping, or dehydration. Which probably attributes to the fuel belt. Meh. 
  • Not getting caught up with: 1). How many miles I had done. 2). How many miles I had left. I focused on my pace and my fuel and making it to the next mile marker. Once my watch died, I didn’t have any idea what was going on mileage wise anyway. 
  • Keeping my pace - I maintained a pace of 10:00 pretty much the entire time, which I was so comfortable with. I was surprised I kept up with it after my watch died. I guess I know my running self better than I thought. 
  • Having amazing friends & support group - Johanna, Tara, Doc Hammy, and Reggie got up so early to support me and for that, I will be forever grateful. They made my first marathon an incredible experience. And of course I didn’t get a group shot of us. Fail. 
    I also had amazing support from far away friends including Percy, LC, Amber, SMacko, and many others. I love my friends. All of them. 

I am a marathoner. 

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Marathon Training Week 15.1 (fuel plan)

I have semi been avoiding this for a while (mostly because it would force me to think about every mile of those 26.2) but here is my fuel plan. 

Pre pre-run - Feet up (in my compression socks, obvi) with my stack of papers to grade, a platter of bread, pasta, and a liter of Smartwater. And a 10pm bedtime. 

Pre-run (6am: 2 hours before the race starts) - cup of coffee, slice of multi-grain bread with honey. 

Mile 5/6 (1 hour in) - half a gel

Mile 10/11 (1:45) - other half of a gel

Mile 14 - electrolyte pill (1)

Mile 14/15 (2:30) - half a gel

Mile 17 - pretzels (1-2)

Mile 18/19 - electrolyte pill (1)

Mile 20/21 - half a gel

Mile 22/23 - pretzels (enough to keep my mind preoccupied)

Mile 24 - electrolyte pill (1)

Mile 24+ - whatever I can get my hands on to help me through those last few miles. 

This may change based on the weather. If it is hotter than planned (anything above 60 and sunny), I will need more electrolyte pills. Honestly, I am hoping for 40-50 and sunny. That is perfection. Right now it looks like it will be high 60’s with a 30% chance of a few showers. I am nervous about this rain business because of my shoes and feet. I am keeping a close eye on it regardless. And planning on investing in compression sleeves instead of using my socks since I am thinking this is the culprit of my blisters.

So here is the course map. They will offer Powerade, water, and strawberry banana Powerbar gel on the course (I will only indulge in the water since that is what I trained on-unless I am dying). I will carry all my fuel with me as much as I don’t want to. But the logistics of having someone meet me with the goods on the course is just too overwhelming to think about. 

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It should take me less than 4:30 to finish the entire race pacing at about 10:00 minutes per mile (God willing). It looks like you can track runners here, if you care to see my progress.

And after I cross that line, I want a beer, an ice bath, and then another beer. And flip flops. Thanks. 

Any suggestions for survival?

Marathon Training Week 15 (last week!!!)

This is it. Last week until my first full marathon. So. Many. Emotions. 

First - Boston. Damn it. Why people, why?! I hope we will be able to get that answer soon enough. In the meantime, my race has become THAT more important to me. I WILL cross that finish line. If not for me, for those in Boston who weren’t able to do it. And for those who lost a part of themselves that dreadful day. #runforboston

Second - TWENTY SIX POINT TWO MILES. It’s so long. I don’t even like driving that distance, let alone run it. I went from excited to pretty damn nervous in a matter of 48 hours. Idk why I am nervous. The unknown, I suppose. I know I will get it done (see above reason), but I am still going to stress about it. Because that is what I do. 

Third - I kind of don’t want it to end. I really enjoyed the training. Which I guess means this will not be my last. I was talking to one of my friends (who has run a marathon before) about how its all ending soon and she said after hers she transitioned into training for triathlons. This could happen for me. Could. I will have to be way serious about it and getting over my fear of drowning. Regardless of my next venture, I am looking forward to doing some more cross training with weight lifting (again) and cycling and yoga and other stuff besides running. It will be a healthy change for a bit. And then I’ll find my next race soon enough. 

Here is what I did my (second to) last week of training:

Thursday - cross training: cycling (level 4), 30 minutes/7.3 miles

Saturday - 

I didn’t run this week because I was super nervous about my Achilles issue I had after my 16 miles last weekend. I literally iced everyday, at least twice a day. I massaged it whenever I was sitting down (and got lots of blank stares when I was out in public doing this). I took NSAIDS every day. I stretched twice a day. Fortunately, this 10 miles felt great! I ran 3 laps around Iroquois Park in Louisville, which is the giant hill mountain we will have to run through during the race. Who puts 200 feet of elevation in the middle of a marathon!!?! Obviously, I needed to get my legs somewhat adjusted to going up the rolling hills. 

More than likely, I won’t be able to run again. I am working a conference all day everyday until Thursday and by then I will want to be stuffing my face with breads and pastas of all sorts while resting my legs and drinking my weight in water.

Any last words of wisdom before I embark on the longest set of consecutive miles I have ever run in my whole life?

Thunder over Louisville

Today is Thunder over Louisville, the nation’s largest annual fireworks event! It is also one of the top five air shows in the country. Thunder is also the kick-off of the Kentucky Derby festivities!! The Derby is pretty much considered a city-wide, if not state-wide holiday. Kids are off school the day before Derby, the University of Louisville schedules the spring semester so we are done with finals before Derby weekend. Legit.

The Festival had its first “opening ceremonies” event in 1990 at Cardinal Stadium featuring recording artist Janie Frickie and a fireworks show. That led to the first “Thunder” in 1991, held downtown over the Ohio River. With the support of the community, sponsors and city officials, the show has become the region’s largest annual event, attracting a regional and even national audience. The air show was slowly added as a way to stagger the crowd entering the event and provide entertainment before the 9:30 pm fireworks portion. The air show is now an event of it’s own and ranks in the top 5 air shows in the nation.

My friends and I will be enjoying the Thunder fireworks from our seat at the Louisville Bats game (first base side). Although the Bats charge 4x the amount for Thunder day than other games ($35 compared to $8-10), it is well worth the guaranteed seat, ability to re-enter the ballpark as we please, and clean bathrooms (as opposed to the port-a-pottys). Honestly, they had me at “clean bathrooms.”

I am looking forward to my first Thunder over Louisville as well as entering the greatest time of the year in Louisville (besides March, for obvious reasons)! Here is a sweeeeeet picture to show you how awesome Thunder is! (I run over that bridge all the time! So cool!)

Source: thunderoverlouisville.org

Joy of moment shattered by Boston Marathon blast

A marathon is supposed to be a moment of triumph, but instead the 2013 Boston Marathon will forever be remembered for tragedy.

I can’t even put into words the feelings I have right now for the runners in Boston. Beyond anything, these people just wanted to do what they love - running. Because I don’t think any normal human being does something for hours without loving it. And in one of the most prestigious road races in the world.

This article put it all in perspective. And by “it” i mean everything and nothing all at the same time. Life, running, family, support, health, love, etc.  

Thank you to all those who continue to support running and races across the world. We will not let this (or anything else) hold us back. 

#prayforboston #runforboston

Marathon Training Week 14

I can’t believe there are only 2 weeks left until I run my first full marathon. I am so ready for it to be here! 

I realized this weekend how complacent I have been with training. I have been skipping runs, not cross training, and not taking care of my body. In the beginning, I was stretching at least once a day, foam rolling once a day, and cross training once a week. Now I stretch only when I run or feel tight. I foam when I’m sore. And I haven’t seen the inside of a gym or pool since February. I have no one to blame but myself. Next time I do this, i will do better.

And this past week was supposed to be the better me! I planned on really getting back into the groove of cross training and prepping for the long run on Saturday. But then it took me 5 days to get over Atlanta. SMH. So here is how last week ended up…

Tuesday

So last weekend I was in Atlanta as previously mentioned. Well we drove over night to get home for work in the morning (there was serious YOLO’ing going on). I was so exhausted. But it was the most gorgeous Kentucky spring day out and I had to take advantage of it. I was happy this run didn’t ruin my life. The probability of that happening was pretty high. I also discovered that no matter what the circumstances may be, don’t waste a beautiful KY day not running. 

Saturday

This run was initially slated for 20 by my running group until they figured out that was too many miles this close to the race. We ended up doing 16. I sent this tweet when I found out about the mileage change and realized that I am a true marathon trainee.

I was nervous going into this run because of how I was still feeling post-ATL. Man, that trip ruined my life in the best way possible. I had a serious tummy issue up until Saturday that fortunately it did not get in the way of 16 miles. All was well until the last 3 miles. I didn’t pack enough fuel so while I was worrying about staggering the 5 pretzels I did have, my left knee started aching. I ran through it, of course. It was only 3 more miles. Well I am still paying for it now. On top of an achy knee, my achilles all of a sudden decided to grace us with it’s bitchy presence. I have iced/massaged/stretch/iced/massaged about 4 times today.

I am trying really hard to be breezy about this situation and not freak the fuck out. But as we saw with our friend Kobe, achilles is a nasty bitch that just comes out of nowhere. I am currently taking baby steps everywhere I go. I am also playing a round of golf tomorrow that may end up a disaster. 

Now I am entering my last week of school for the semester (wooo hooooo!!) and have a lot going on with papers and projects and finals and what not so I haven’t even thought about my week of race plan. I need some recommendations!

How did you prepare during the week leading up to your first (or any) marathon?

Marathon Training Week 13

This past week I only ran twice with no cross training. If you have a pulse,  you have probably seen that our Louisville Cardinals were going to the Final Four! So what did I do…? Go to Atlanta for the Final Four, obvi. 4 marvelous days of sports and friends and drinking and concerts. I don’t think I ever considered not going. 

Funny thing is I almost packed a running outfit just in case I was sober long enough to even consider running. Then I laughed out loud and left my gear behind. 

I ended up not going to the Final Four or the championship games but the atmosphere of the event resonated beyond those games. So. Much. Fun. Was. Had. And then they won! Unreal.

So running…

I would like to point out that I have exactly 3 weekends before the race. THREE WEEKENDS. 20 miles this upcoming Saturday and then slow taper begins with 10 the following weekend. I usually would be nervous at this point, knowing that race day is so soon. But I am excited! Excited to run 26.2 miles.

Please remind me of the last sentence on April 27. Thanks.

Now it’s time to lay out a serious fuel plan for the race and leading up to it. I’ll get on that the next post. Eeeek! 

Tuesday

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I was pretty sore after my 23 miles last weekend and was unsure how this would feel. It wasn’t bad at all! I really hate that my body haas no consistency with my runs. Either they are light and easy and nice. Or heavy and sore and rough. Make up your mind, body!

Thursday

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I planned on running 12 this day but realized I needed to pack up for our Atlanta trip sooner than I had anticipated. Close enough.

Although I don’t have any more trips in the next few weeks (finally), I am coming up on the end of the semester, which means lots of studying, paper writing, and hustling to get everything done. Hopefully it doesn’t cut too much into my running plans. 

3. More. Weekends. 

Marathon Training Week 12

This week I hit a “running wall” of sorts. I felt exhausted and lacked serious motivation…as you will see in my lack of weekday runs last week.

Tuesday

As I eluded to in my previous post, this run was not wanted. Not even a little bit. It had poured snow all morning and I just wasn’t up for running. But I went. And boy did it suck. The snow stopped and the sun was attempting to come out and play. My body was totally not into it. All of my legs hurt. All of them. So I stopped a little after 4 miles. I was mentally prepared to run 8-12 this day. Needless to say, I was disappointed. But I am glad I listened to my body and not only stopped running then, but also took the rest of the week off. No running, no cross training. Nothing. I wasn’t sure how that would go with my 22 mile run planned for the weekend but I just knew I needed some time.

Saturday


And then this happened. I don’t know how. It all seems like a blur right now. A 4 hour long run blur. I was freaking out Friday night (per usual) because I could’t find any information about the group run on Saturday. And it was Good Friday so I felt like a terrible Catholic for gorging myself on all those carbs. And then I wasn’t really able to rest my legs the way I wanted to because the Cards were playing so my friends and I went out to watch. So alllll of these things helped me go into this run thinking there is no way I am going to make it. 

And then I woke up bright and early to eat a slice of toast with honey and drink a cup of coffee (my new pre-long run ritual) and finally found where my group was meeting. I got there and only found one of my running friends around so we latched on to each other and spent the next 4 hours of our life pushing each other to run 23 miles (it was supposed to be 22 but the course was over measured). My legs started hurting at about 8 miles and my knees made themselves known at about 5. We ran all but a half a block after running up a stupid hill.

Afterwards, I rushed home to scarf down any and everything in my fridge and ice the ol’ knees. At this point, my left big toe blister became very relevant in every step I took. The right one wasn’t as bad. I know this is probably gross to read about but it is real life. Honestly, I’m just glad I still have my toe nails. 

Against my better judgement, I did not ice bathe after this run. And boy did I pay for it that evening and through the following couple of days. Quads were killing. Calves were achy. Hammies were tired. Instead, I foamed rolled real good. Almost too good. My foam roller and I had several moments over the past 2 days. 

I still can’t believe I ran 23 miles. I wish I could tell you everything that happened during that run. 4 hours of running. Now I know I can do this marathon. The next few long runs are 10, 20, and 10, respectively. And then it’s here. The Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon. 3 weekends away. 

Anyone else out there have a race they are training for?