DOGS, HORSES and BOURBON, OH MY!
I found this race on my Runningintheusa.com website a few months ago. It became obvious to me that I had to do it. The race was called Bark in the Park and it was a fundraiser for their Animal Adoption Society. I reached out to Mindy, their Director, a month ago to ask a few questions about the race. I also decided to see if they needed any items to donate and got a list from her too. So I collected a few items and set off for my Kentucky adventure.
I left early Friday morning and headed south down I75 and hung a right on I71 just inside Kentucky. About a 5 1/2 hour drive which isn’t too bad. I arrived at the Animal shelter around 2pm and was ready to meet Mindy and hopefully a few furry friends. Mindy gave me a nice tour , I made some new friends, donated some goodies for the pups and grabbed my race packet . 
I headed out to my hotel to check in and chillax for a bit before DINNER of course. I wanted to do something special for this race because it involved dogs so I grabbed a separate piece of cardstock that I would pin on the front of my shirt. I wanted to honor all of my dogs and my friend’s dogs and cats that had passed away that made a big impact on their lives. So I grabbed my sharpie and started to write. I loved how it turned out and it made me feel warm and fuzzy that I had 24 Fur-balls as angels that day.
Once completed I started to dream about dinner. As you know, the food the night before is always important and so is the liquid libations. Well, when in Kentucky you must have Bourbon and a big piece of meat, right? I did some research on my phone and found a restaurant close called Steak and Bourbon! BOOM, sold! I called my Uber for this one because Chardonnay girl over here has never tasted the Devil’s juice so I needed to be smart. I arrived at the restaurant and headed right to the bar for the full experience. The bartender knew immediately that I wasn’t from Louisville or anywhere within 400 miles away because I butchered the word LOUISVILLE as soon as I opened my mouth. So I got a quick tutorial on how to say it from her and a few locals because they made me recite it 15 times in a row. Now, Y’all, I got that word down pat! Time for some Bourbon she said. I told her I had to run in the morning so let’s not get too crazy. She gave me one sample and it was Old Forester. Holy Burning sensation Batman! My Chardonnay doesn’t burn on the way down so this was a new sensation. It was definitely a new taste for me. I am glad I tried it but I will stick to my white grapes in a glass. I ordered a big ass NY Strip and bunkered in for my pre race meal. Ate every last piece and headed back to the hotel to chill and get ready for the morning!
RACE DAY
Woke up at 6 am, went down to the lobby for some protein (sausage) and a nice hot cup of Robust coffee. Robust is King for any morning before I race, gets me going….in more ways then one , LOL. Headed up to get dressed and on to the race. I knew I was in the right spot because I thought I had entered a huge dog park or the filming of the next 101 Dalmations. Dogs of all sizes and breeds and their owners were all over. Lots of stretching, sniffing and peeing on trees and that was just the owners…LOL, just kidding. Headed to starting line and waited for the start. The race was very pleasant, a bit hilly but overall not too bad. I came in at a 10:30 pace so all good. Grabbed a water and headed back to my hotel to shower and head to my next adventure….CHURCHILL DOWNS!
I arrived there and immediately had chills knowing how crazy it must be here in May. I grabbed a few photos before my tour started and then got to experience it all. Loved it! I tried on a few fun Derby hats, saw an amazing short movie on its history but the highlight was walking on to the track. Instant goosebumps! The tour ended at the gift shop and then the option of a Mint Julep or a Blackberry Bourbon Iced Tea! I went with the iced tea and it was delish!! Well, my time in Kentucky was over. Headed to my car to make the long trek home. Upon arrival at home, as always, I grabbed my push pin and pushed it into Louisville, Kentucky. State #13 is in the books. Thanks Kentucky for a wonderful 48 hours. 37 more states to go! Next up…. Massachusetts AND Rhode Island in the same weekend! FOR THE LOVE, here I come East Coast!
