Best Places To Run In Indianapolis:

1. Monon Trail: This asphalt trail extends over ten miles worth of fun and excitement. Monon Trail is home to lovely landscapes, White River views, restaurants, and other small shops. Definitely a “to do” if you are in the Indianapolis area.
2. Indianapolis Canal Walk: The canal walk is one of my all-time favorites and is home to tons of museums and historic landmarks. The Canal Walk offers pedal boat or bike rentals, gondola rides, bridges, small cafes, and amazing people watching while you jog or walk. Another must do if you are in the area.
3. Eagle Creek Park: This is the fourth largest city park in the nation and the site for several Indianapolis running events. The park is located on the northwest side of Indianapolis and the terrain is typically flat with a few rolling hills. The park is simply amazing, but there is a small admission fee.

See Matt’s entire tour of the Best Places to Run.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Best Places to Run in Indianapolis

We are serenaded by the sounds of cars speeding around the brickyard and many take field trips to the track to watch practices, qualifications, and carb day. Carb day is the last day race cars are allowed on the track to practice prior to race day; it is a shortened practice time after which there is the Pit Stop competition and a concert. Race car drivers are at least as famous as basketball players in Indianapolis, and Hollywood celebs join in the fun for the weekend of the race. The 500 Festival kicks off every year on the first Saturday of May with the Mini-Marathon.

The Mini is the largest half marathon and overall 5th largest running event in the US. One thing I appreciate about the Indy Mini is that it is not overly competitive. It is perfectly acceptable to walk the entire course, making many people of all ages feel free to participate. There were some children out pacing me. There is always the group of firefighters that walk the course in full gear,including masks. This year I saw a teenager dressed as a monkey running after another dressed as a banana.

Within the first mile, we cross the canal and pass by the Indianapolis Zoo. Although on a normal day you can see the elephants while driving down the road on which we were running, it still felt like a special view. At times it was amazing to think about just how far I had run by comparing to times I had driven to those same locations. Running around the track is a big part of the Mini. As I approached the track, I thought about the excitement I feel each year as we walk up to the track to watch the race. We join the crowd in the infield, picnicking, meeting new people, and enjoying the sunshine. The track is long when running around it (2.5miles), but it does not seem very wide. It’s amazing there aren’t more wrecks with 33 cars driving at over 200mph.

To get us from downtown to the track and back, the course runs through some less popular neighborhoods. I have to give props to the small business owners that took the opportunity to market themselves. (To the guys that offered me free barbecue after the race, I only did not return because I had to drive an hour to a retirement party. It smelled wonderful!). I want to get my website and logo printed on a shirt for next year and take advantage of the 90,000 people at this event. I’m surprised more businesses aren’t sponsoring runners.

Read Brooke’s account of her experience running the Indy Mini Marathon.

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What I Love About the Indy Mini

In August I had surgery to repair a labreal tear in my hip joint from a 2006 injury. (Yes, I learned to run with that injury.) I told the surgeon and physical therapist that teaching dance is part of my income and I was going to run the mini again. Running had become an important escape for me. I probably started teaching dance before I should have and my recovery slowed. It was nearly Spring before I was allowed to start trying to run, and my training wasn’t very consistent.

Two weeks before the race I got ill, which terminated my training entirely. When I was still sick with a week to go, I told my best friend I would walk with her this year. A few days later, she had to have an appendectomy, so she’s been confined to the couch. It had been raining all week; everyone was hoping for clear skies on Saturday morning, but I had to admit that I should not walk 13.1 miles in the rain with an occasionally uncontrollable cough.

Two days before the Mini, I found another fab friend who blogs about Indy to take friend 1’s place and walk with me barring rain. As I was preparing for bed, I realized I had absolutely zero clean socks for the race, so I started laundry; I have no clue what time I got to bed, but it wasn’t early. Friend 2 was to pick me up because I had the bibs and timing devices, but she wasn’t responding by text or phone (she’d fallen back asleep), so despite everything, at ten minutes until corral call, I started walking to corral J (I live downtown and parking is ridiculous on race day). By the time I got to the starting line, I had probably already walked 5k.

If I was without anyone to talk to and starting in my earned corral, I wanted to run at least some of it. Since I was intending on running, I had not taken the time to really stretch out. My plan was to just do what I could and be satisfied, realizing that I basically had not trained at all. It did not take long for me to get into the race mindset and want to push myself. One of the first things I realized was that I was being passed more often this year than I was last year, but I reminded myself that last year I’d started at the back of the pack and this year I’d started in the middle. Last year, I used it as a challenge and let very few people pass me.

Trying to be kind to my body, I tried not to be as competitive this year. I was pleased with each mile completed and wanted more. I knew my physical therapist was not going to be pleased with me (although probably not surprised), but I wanted to push to my limit. As I approached the Indianapolis Motor Speedway right before mile 6, I determined that I would not walk on the track. As I left the track, a security guard informed us that we had 4.5 miles left and I started walking. I walked until half mile to go when a friend caught up to me. I matched her pace and challenged her to sprint the last .1 with me.

All things considered (recovery, illness, late night, weather), it was probably a little crazy for me to get out there. 13.1 miles is an accomplishment (I bow to all you full marathoners). The Mini is a fun, important event in Indianapolis. Every year registration is filled several months prior to the race. I did it. My legs ache, my hips are tight, I’m tired, and I have events scheduled ALL day. I would absolutely do it again and I plan to next year (with more training this time)!

*Although I am a therapist, licensed to diagnose, the term “insane” is only used in self-deprecating humor. It would not be good practice to self-diagnose nor do I think I would fit a diagnosis. I do however strongly advise against anyone following in my footsteps.

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Inside the Insane Mind of an Indy Mini Participant

Mini-marathon participants running through downtown Indianapolis.

In just under seven weeks, I will be running the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon for the second time. Part of the events leading up to the Indianapolis 500 each year, the Mini-Marathon is the largest half-marathon and the fifth largest running event in the United States. It is a major event for Indianapolis, including participants from all over the world, across age brackets, and of all speeds. I have fast new shoes and I am running more days than I’m not. I obviously have running on the brain. We write about the health benefits of running frequently, but there are several mental health benefits also.

1. Run when you are feeling angry or frustrated to burn off the extra energy. Research has shown that nothing relieves stress more than physical exercise.

2. Running increases endorphins which contributes to a general sense of well-being and mood elevation, so running can make you feel better when you are sad.

3. Running is an excellent way to fight anxiety. Naturally inducing and recovering from the adrenaline response allows your body to practice recovering from physical effects of anxiety.

Running around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

4. If you are feeling lonely or disillusioned with people in general, running on a local trail (like Indy’s Monon Trail, Canal Walk, or Cultural Trail) will expose you to several people enjoying the weather and/or exercising, as well as dogs and kids, and present many opportunities to enjoy and share a smile.

5. Running gives you an opportunity to experience freedom and can be the perfect escape from stressors, being inside all day, or the daily grind when you are feeling trapped.

6. You can increase your self-esteem and feel empowered by running by accomplishing goals, experiencing what your body can do, and re-defining yourself.

7. Running also gives you an opportunity to escape into your own world, tune out everything else with your iPod, refocus, and be refreshed. You may need a break from stressors or people or just to allow your brain to rest.

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7 Mental Health Reasons to Run