Happy St Patrick's Day (a little early I guess!)

Tis the time of year for green beer and leprechauns!

That means it is back to Tanners in Kimberly for the St. Pat's Run!  2 years ago, my running partner Matt and I did this run in single digit temperatures and last year we missed it as we were all in Arizona for spring training and ran the Kiss Me I'm Irish 5k/17k in Phoenix.  This year it was back to WI temperatures but apparently mother nature decided to make a deal with us.  Although it may not have been the mid 60's we ran in last year, it was not the freezing cold from 2 years ago!  mid 40's was perfect in my book!

I actually did not sign up for this race until yesterday morning.  I think this was the first time that I ever signed up at the last minute for a race!  I had 8 miles on the training calendar anyway so I decided to go with Matt and make it a 10 mile morning.  What was I thinking?!?!  This was going to be my first run of more than 6.4 miles since September of last year!  But I also was going to use this run to see where I really am with training, to determine which distance I would tackle for the Dick Lytie Spring Classic at the end of the month.

I will be honest, this morning when I woke up, I was not feeling it!  For some reason I was more anxious/nervous about this run than I have been for any, that I can remember, in a long time.  Why, not really sure.  I was hitting the course today with my long time running partner that I have not actually been able to run with since last summer, the weather was awesome and the sun was shining.  I had a feeling it was going to be a very mentally challenging race for me today, as well as physical.

For this run, the 10 mile course runs with the 5k up until almost the 3 mile marker and then splits and heads out to the CE Trail.  My biggest obstacle on courses like this is that I automatically find myself trying to keep pace with the 5k racers... and end up going to fast at first, and then end up running out of fuel in the tank too soon. I fell into a comfortable but faster than normal past over these few miles, but I knew that was going to happen.  Running with the 5k runners, as well as trying to keep up with Matt's long legs does that to me every time!   I figure if I hit those miles a little faster and have to slow down a little, I can still maintain and overall nigher average pace in the end!  When we hit the 5k/10 mile split, I had just averaged a 10:35 pace.  Very respectable in my book, knowing that I had another 7 miles to go.

 Matt ended up a little further ahead of me in those first few miles, but Now that the crowd had thinned out significantly, Matt slowed up just enough so that I could catch up.  We were ready for the second part of this adventure and we were able to fall into pace with each other. I knew that I was still keeping roughly the same pace, but was not sure how long that was going to happen.

This course runs along the trail in a very quiet area of town.  Even though it follows along one of the major highways through town, it's still fairly peaceful  to run.  One of the things that we forgot about tho was now many hills we had to go up and down along the trail!  At each point that the cross streets ran under the highway, we had to go down the hill to be able to cross the road... which meant that we had to go back uphill once we crossed the street!  I looked at those hills as an opportunity to push myself!  There was not going to be any walking up these hills today!  I hit each one with a purpose and didn't slow down until I reached the top.

I also made a point never to think of this race as how many more miles I had left to run.  I tackled each mile as I came to it, only worrying about the 1 that I was running.  Once we got to the point where we headed off the trail and into a residential area (around mile 6) I could feel the miles getting tougher.  I, however, was not going to let that stop me.  I was still keeping a sub 11min/mile pace!  In fact at that point, by slowest mile was 10:49!  Just as I started to feel myself slowing down, I passed 2 friends along the course.  They were coming back out of the residential area, heading back onto the trail.  Just seeing them and hearing their encouragement, gave me that extra boost to keep pushing along.

Matt and I curved our way through the residential area and before long were back out of the trail.  This also mean that we were down to just over 2 miles to go!  The nice part of the return trip on the trail is that it is slightly more downhill than up.  No, it's not all downhill but it seemed like the up hills were longer on the way out.  Then again, maybe it was just the mental game we were playing to keep ourselves going!

It was also at about this point that I could really start to feel it in my legs.  They felt like they had lead weights on them!  Legs don't fail me now!   In the end, our pace in those last few miles did slow a little but in the end our slowest mile was still at a 11:06 pace.

We crossed the finish line with a time of 1:46:48!  Average pace: 10:41!  This ended up being my fastest average pace for any race over 6 miles!  I never thought I would have been able to keep up that pace for that many miles, but we did it!

In the end, I am so glad that my husband and Matt helped to convince me to just go and do this race!  Mentally, I needed it!  Plus it was awesome to get back out and run with Matt again.  Running with him challenges me on so many levels!  He has been able to keep up on his miles over the last few months, where as I have had trouble getting the miles in.  Keeping up with his long legs is the other.  Have you ever tried running, and keeping up with someone that is nearly a foot taller than you?  Try it sometimes!  It will definitely push you to run faster, just to keep up!

What's next?  Well, 1st,  after this race, I decided that I am going to sign up for the Dick Lytie Half Marathon in 2 weeks (EEK!) and I will not let those hills scare me.  2nd - I can't wait to run Indy in May with Matt.  Our Goal for Indy 500 Mini Marathon?  Finish in under 2:30:00!! (I've only done that once before!)

Here's to the start of an awesome 2015 and all the miles to come!

What's your current goal for the year and when will you accomplish it?

Pi Day of the Century!

Pi Day of the century was upon us!  For all the math geeks out there, rejoice! 3/14/15 is here!

In honor of the fun day, the kids of Leonardo da Vinci school for Gifted Learners here in Green Bay put in hours upon hours of work and planning to create and execute the 1st annual Green Bay area Pi Day fun run!  They planned everything form the theme, raffle prizes, race route and everything in between!

To keep with the Pi theme, the race was officially set to start at the exact Pi moment! 3/14/15 at 9:26am - and yes we started on time!

Lisa decided to meet John and I for this fun morning too!  Granted none of us would actually be hitting the course together it is always fun to have good friends around!

The weather was perfect! Then again, any time that I can wear capri's and a long sleeve t-shirt in March and be outside, I'm not going to complain!  Granted, there was a chilly wind that kept pestering us, but I was not going to let that bother me!  As always, I seem to start out fast and then I end up slowing down so that I can get to the end.  When I hit the 1 mile marker I was pleasantly surprised that I was a 9:17 pace and still felt strong.  I was determined to make the most of the day and keep this pace as long as I could.

Start/Finish line was even built by the kids that planned the event (yes with help from some parents and teachers).  It was really awesome to see all of the thought that they put into this fun community event.  For a 1st time race in the area, they had over 750 people sign up!

Highlight of the course?  That's debatable!  Part of me wants to say the fact that there was virtually no snow in the park when we ran though.  However I also have to say that running past Joanne's Baseball stadium and knowing that summer baseball starts in just over 2 months makes me happy!  Summer evenings at the ballpark with some awesome friends, is always something good to look forward to!  So yes, spring is in the air and I am so ready for warmer weather to be back to stay for a few months!  Once I passed the ballpark, I felt like I had renewed energy!  When I hit the 2 mile marker, I was still pushing a 9:30 pace.  Time to kick in anything else that was left in the tank!

Running into other Fellow Flowers along the way is always fun!  I originally met Kerri when we were running the 1st leg of the Fall 50 last October and have been running into each other at events ever since!  The encouragement from other Flowers wherever we happen to meet is always amazing!

In the end, John, Lisa and myself were all pleased with our "unofficial" times for this fun run.  Any 5k that I can hit under 30 minutes, it's a good day in my book.   Over all it was a super morning, spent with family and friends!  I can't wait to see what these kids to next year for the 2nd annual fun run!!

My first Half Marathon in Michigan finally complete!

Yes, that is correct... after growing up in Michigan, still traveling back there on a fairly regular basis and only living a few hours away, up until now, I had not run a Half Marathon in the state!

A few months ago, I saw a Facebook post about the Marquette Marathon and figured I'd check it out some more.  I remember the last time I looked at this race, it was a loop that started at Presque Isle, went through the city and along the lakeshore, ended back at the park.  It was a 13.1 mile loop and if you were running the full marathon, you ran the loop twice.  This year, they changed it up and the full and half  marathons were point-to-point races, started in Ishpeming and Negaunee respectively, following the Iron Ore Heritage Trail into Marquette.  Best part?  The course is predominantly downhill!

That's right!  The total elevation drop for the half marathon course was listed as 735 feet!  There was a few small hill on the course map, but nothing that looking to terrible!  The race was scheduled for Labor Day weekend, so we decided to make a detour in our plans to head up to visit family "up north".

On Saturday morning, we were up early so that I could catch the bus to the start line.  The weather was once again going to be playing a huge roll in my running adventures today!  This was a complete turn around from last weekends warm, humid weather at the Cheesehead run.  The weather app on my phone told me that the rain would STOP in 111 minutes... so 13 minutes after the race starts, it will stop raining.  Yippee!  Another first for me... running a half marathon in the rain!  Actually, thinking back, this was probably the first race I have run that was this rainy.  If I did run any in the rain before, the rain was so minimal that I completely have it blocked from memory!  So obviously it must not have been too bad!  I guess we all have to have that first wet, rainy race day!

When I hopped on the bus, it was cloudy and rainy, with no sign of letting up.  Thankfully the staff at the Iron Ore Museum was in bright and early, doors open with bagels, muffins, water and coffee for all of us crazy runners that were going to be hitting the wet trail in just over an hour!

I don't know about you, but I always have that fear that I am forgetting something when I head out for a race.  Usually, if I do forget something, it's not something major and I can live without it.  This morning, I did forget something... and in my book, it is something major! With the rain this weekend, I make sure to put my phone in my Lifeproof case to protect it from the rain.  Once we got to the museum, I was working on continuing my pre-race fueling and making sure I had everything ready to go. It was now that  I realized that I did not have the headphone adapter for my Lifeproof case!  

So now I had a choice - take my phone OUT of the waterproof case that it was in... or run without music.  Yeah - taking my phone out of the case and running in the ran was NOT going to be an option.  So I guess it was no music.  

I almost NEVER run without music!

In fact in the last 2 years, I think I can count the number of times I ran without music on one hand!

This was going to be a true test - 13.1 miles, in the rain, with no music!  But running without my headphones also means that I won't have my running app updating me with my current pace etc after each mile!  EEEK!

Weather app was correct, it was still raining when we started at 9am, and shortly after I hit mile 1, it stopped raining!  How's that for an accurate weather forecast?

I will have to say, despite the rain, I was feeling pretty good!  The trail was beautiful, the puddles were minimal and I found myself actually enjoying the peaceful quiet of this awesome trail!   Just past the 2 mile marker I actually found a familiar face on the trail!  My pastor from the church that I grew up in (just about an hour from where were were running) was out on the course!  Just after I saw Pastor Mike, I saw his wife on the sidelines cheering him on!  She spotted me and we shared quick waves as I kept moving. Moments later, their son came running up along side of us too!  Come to find out, Adam was out running this half marathon with his dad, who was running his first ever half marathon!  What an awesome experience for then share!  

Before I knew it I was passing mile 4!  Even though I didn't knowing overalls needed it or not, I was going to keep with the a fueling plan similar to what I did last week.  I can say that I was truly enjoying this race, the cool temperatures and the serenity of the beautiful trail I was running on. Every once in a while, the trail was close enough to houses or other roads that you could hear a random car or other voices, but for the most part it was just me, a few hundred other runners and the sounds of nature.  At one point a train past within feet of the train that we were running on!  Definitely not something on most race courses I run!

Before I knew it, we were coming into Marquette!  I was still feeling strong and had met some great people to run with over the last 8 miles!  Now time for the last 5 miles!  It was really nice to run some of these streets in Marquette after living here back in the early 90's.  Granted I was not a runner back then but this was my home for 2 years and just being able to travel these streets again by foot, brought back some great memories!

I want to say that the rest of the race was a piece of cake, that I blew through those last miles without a care in the world, but the last stretch to the finish was almost enough to kill me!  I completely forgot that the finish line was at the TOP of Third Street.  That last quarter of a mile was tough!  My calves were burning and I was ready to be done.  I wanted to walk, but that stubborn side of me was not about to let anyone pass me on the last stretch!  

As I crossed the finish line, I noticed the clock.  I don't remember exactly what it said, but I knew that it was close to a new Half Marathon PR!  I grabbed a water, but bypassed the food.  Nothing sounded good right now, except water.  At that point, all I wanted to do what find the gear check tent to get my compression sleeves and flip flops!  My calves were burning and my feet wanted out of my wet shoes!  Right next to the gear check tent was the massage tent!  Normally, I bypass the massage tent, but knowing that I have an hour plus ride in the car to get to our final destination for the weekend, it was just what I needed!

And it was awesome!!

Last stop before I left the finish line area?  Get my official time...

Official race time = 2:26:46! New Half Marathon PR by 2 minutes and 24 seconds!  

I'll take it!  I felt great (with the exception of that last quarter mile), ran with some great people, enjoyed the awesome course that the crew in Marquette put together and walked away smiling!  I kept with my fuel plan, between the EnergyBits, Honey Stingers cookie and my Adovcare Rehydrate gel, I have found a winning combination!  

Oh yeah, I did this all without my headphones and music that I always rely to to help keep me moving!  The only way I knew what my current pace was, I had to actually look at my phone, which was traveling with me in my armband.  Needless to say, I didn't look at it very often!  I just proved to myself that I can keep my pace without music and without having a little voice in my ear telling me how fast I was running!

2 races down and 2 to go on my quest to enter the Half Fanatics Asylum, completing 4 half marathons in 37 days, landing on Saturn.  Next stop on this adventure?  Miller Park in Milwaukee for the Brewers Mini Marathon (which is where my previous PR was set).

How are you doing on your goals?  Have you achieved them?  Are you still on track?   

Whatever you do, wherever you are in that journey, don't give up! 

1st 10k trail run - Cliffrunner 10k race weekend recap!

Last summer I did my first ever trail run - a 5k just a few miles from home that ended by running up the tubing hill.  This year it was time to up the ante!  The Cliffrunner 10 trail run down at High Cliff State Park was the chosen target. Before this weekend, I had never even set foot in this park and my only views of this park were in pictures that I found online!  I had heard about the massive hill along the trails and I knew that this was going to be a tough course!

The first of our weekend adventures!

Saturday morning, after a tough 8am circuit workout at Fitness Renegades, Darci and I met up with Robin and we headed to the campground!  Some awesome friends of mine offered up their camper to me for the weekend so that we would not have to drive all the way from Green Bay on Sunday morning.  Just us girls, enjoying a quiet day/night at the camper!

Our day was not a quiet and relaxing as we originally thought it was going to be!  On Friday, we saw a post of Facebook from the race crew that they were planning a walk thru on Saturday evening to mark the trail and anyone who wanted to join them, could get a sneak peak at the course!  Since none of us had never even been to the park before, we figured it was a good idea!  Once we got settled in to the camper, we started our campfire, cooked some lunch and soon found ourselves mesmerized by the flames. Darci ended up having words with Alvin, the resident chipmunk that has created his home in the woodpile at the camper!   Apparently he was mad at us for tearing down his home to keep our fire going.  If looks could kill, Darci would probably not be here anymore!  However, instead of sitting around the campfire and just chilling all evening, we headed out to High Cliff for a nice hike before dinner!

After a few wrong turns, we found Patrick and Rob in the park.  Patrick was heading out to take care of a few last minute race details so we would be heading out on the trail with Rob.  We took off the from parking lot a little after 5 and headed out onto the course.  Right away, we knew that we were in for a tough course - the course wasted no time in throwing a challenging, long steep hill at us!

Once we hit the top of the hill and got onto the actual trail, we knew it was not going to just be an easy walk through!  Rob asked if we were up for a little running, and of course were were all "oh yeah sure!"...  that was the end of the easy walk through the course.  We spent the next hour and a half doing a walk/run through the course.  Most of the walking was UP the huge hills.  At one point Rob commented that he wanted to make sure to took it easy tonight... He wanted us to have fresh legs for tomorrow.  Less that a minute after he made this comment, he asked if we were ready to run.  So much for taking it easy! (JUST KIDDING ROB!)  We had a great time and when we finished, we felt confidant about our adventures for the morning. (thanks to Robin for the pics from Saturday night!)

By the time we got back to the campground it was after 7:30 and we were starving... but of course we had to get the fire going again so that we could actually cook our dinner!  Thankfully, Darcy knows how to start a HOT fire and a little paper added to the still warm embers and we had a roaring fire before long!  It was after 8 by the time we sat down to eat and we literally inhaled our dinner!  During dinner, we thought we spotted Alvin running through the campsite, but quickly discovered that it was actually Theodore... Alvin must have sent him in as the decoy because at about the same time, we heard Alvin and Simon running around behind us near the fire.  Sneaky little chipmunks!  By the time we got everything cleaned up from dinner, made sure Alvin and crew were not causing any more trouble, and sat down to relax by the fire, we realized that we were all exhausted!  I think we were all in bed before 10pm!

Team Renegade at the Start line!

Next think I knew, it was 7am and the alarm was going off!  Time to get the fire started to make breakfast before we headed out!  I know that my sweet potato hash only takes about 15 minutes to cook over the stove, but this morning I was cooking it over the fire!  Before long we had bacon, potatoes, mushrooms and spinach sizzling away, just waiting for the eggs to be added!  The perfect pre-race fuel for the tough course that we knew was ahead of us!  Over breakfast, Darci and Robin told me that Alvin and one of the other boys spent part of the early morning up on the camper room running around and voicing their disapproval that we were still there.  We were not going to let a few pesky chipmunks run us out of camp.  They were going to need to learn how to share.  I tried to get a photo of Alvin when he was having a staring contest with us, but he was a little to quick for me.


We were back at the park by a little after 9 and met up with Jay, relaxed a bit, grabbed a few photos, did a little stretching before long it was race time!  We tackled that first hill with vengeance and hit the trail hard.  Robin and Jay headed off ahead of us in the crowd and Darci and I kept strong together for the first 2 miles.  It was about this point, after we headed down the first big hill that Darci started getting further ahead of me.  After a bit I caught up to her, but lost her again on one of the long straight stretches.  When I made the climb up bear crawl hill (yes our name for the killer hill in the middle of the course) and climbed the stairs on the final decent, I found her waiting for me!  YAY!  I grabbed a cup of water, but instead of drinking it, I dumped it straight over me head!  The heat and humidity were quickly climbing and I was getting really warm.  I still had some Nuun left in my hydration belt so I knew I was good there!  I didn't waste any time and we were on out way again.

Before long I lost Darci again!  That girls legs don't quit when she gets out there on the course!  I found a few other ladies that I fell into pace with and we worked out way through the last few miles of the course together.  Once we made it back to the water station for the 3rd time (one water station, which we passed 3 times over the course of the 6+ miles) we knew that we were just over a mile from the finish... at it was virtually all downhill from there!

The four of us set a goal of under 1:30:00 for this tough course.  I knew that when I got my last update on my phone at the 5 mile marker I was on track to do that!  I was going to make sure that it happened!  That last downhill stretch was fast and before long I hit the bottom of the hill and the last turn.  I was on the home stretch!  I didn't even see the timing clock as I was approaching the finish line.  I was just focused on getting there!

I was done!  I was hot, I was exhausted but I finished!!!

Team Renegade celebrating an awesome finish!

This was definitely the toughest run I have EVER done, but by far one of the most rewarding! The course was a huge challenge but also very beautiful and peaceful to run through!  A huge shout out to the crew that puts this race together.  This year was only the second running of this tough course and you can be sure that I will be back again net year!  It's only going to get better!  If you ever have a chance to get out and run this course (of the Half Marathon that this same crew puts on in the fall) do it!  You won't be disappointed!

Thanks Rob and Patrick for an awesome race!

 Next on the race calendar - Packers Training Camp 5k next weekend!

Bellin Run 10k 2014 recap

Last weekend was the running of the 38th annual Bellin Run 10k.  This race is a favorite for local runners as well as runners from across the country and around the world!  This year, 18,213 runners laced up their shoes and hit the streets on the East side of Green Bay.    It is actually one of the largest 10k races in the nation.

This year, when registration first opened, it debating if I was going to run it this year.  Don't get me wrong, being able to run a race of this size and be able to sleep in my own bed the night before is a huge plus!  The excitement and energy on the street is amazing. However the size of this event also has some drawbacks.  Parking in the area of the start/finish line is mostly limited to street parking through the surrounding neighborhoods.  Don't get me wrong, the crew that puts together this even handles this very well, providing shuttles from select area in the city, giving people the opportunity to get downtown without having to actually drive!  The fact that there are so many people also makes it difficult to run the course without feeling like you are continuously running around people.  18,000+ people all in the same 6 miles of city street gets a little interesting, but at the same point, adds to the excitement of the morning.

Since I actually earned a free registration for this years race for completing 5 or 6 races in last years Titletown race series, it really was a no brainer... why go somewhere else and PAY to run (plus travel costs) when I could run at home for FREE!

Truimph Mile 2014!

The weekend started off on Friday night with the 2nd annual Truimph Mile with myTEAM TRIUMPH.  This is an event that I missed last year but heard many good things about.  My son and I have become more involved with this organization over the last year and were not going to miss this awesome event!  This amazing event gives individuals with disabilities, that would otherwise hinder or prevent them from taking part in an athletic event the opportunity to  complete a 1-mile course (2 laps) around Astor Park.  After we picked up everyone's race packets for the big race on Saturday, Darrin and I met up with our good friend Vicky and hundreds of mTT Captains and Angels to complete this 1 miles walk/run.  I would have to say that this was one of the most amazing hours of my life!  Walking these disabled athletes, who were determined to get out there and go was very humbling.  Many of us take our ability to run for granted.  These individuals do not have that opportunity - except for now!  Darrin stayed with Vicky for 2/3 of the first half mile loop and then took of running with another Captain/Angel team.  Vicky and I spent the rest of that loop and the entire next loop trying to keep up to and even catch other excited Captains!   The smiles and pure enjoyment on the faces of these athletes made this one of the best birthday presents I could have asked for!  Yes, this amazing event was on my birthday and I was so glad to be able to have the best birthday party ever - Running with this amazing, inspiring group!

Darrin getting ready to run with Team Jonny

 After a good nights sleep, it was up bright and early to get everyone downtown!  Darrin was running with myTEAM TRIUMPH and needed to be downtown by 6:15,  My husband and our good friend (and my running partner's wife) Molly were working one of the water stations and needed to be downtown by 6:30.  This meant that I needed to be downtown by 6am also (for an 8am race).  The good thing about having to be downtown that early?  Plenty of parking is available!  We were able to get a parking spot just 2 blocks from the start line area!

Darrin and I both had goals for this years event.
 Mine - to finish in under and hour (last year's time = 1:06:59)  Darrin's goal - to cross the finish line before me.  Note:  he said cross the finish line before me, not beat my race time!  Since he was running with mTT, he would have about a 20 minute head start on me!  He just wanted to say that he crossed the finish line before me.  (FYI, my estimate was that I would pass his at about mile 5, but also thought it would have been cool if we actually crossed the finish line together!)

Matt, Gina and myself, pre-race!  Let's do this!!

It was time to get ready!  Over the next few hours, I met up with a few friends, tried to relax, get some stretching in and get myself ready to go, including clipping in my black Rockstar flower.  Then it was time to head towards the start corrals.  I do have to say that this race is very well organized in terms of the start corrals.  When you register, they ask you your estimated race pace and put you in corrals based on that.  Granted we know that many people register in for a faster corral that they actually run, but for the most part, everything runs very smoothly.  Matt met up with Darci and I near the entrance for wave 4.  We were actually registered for corral 3, but opted to drop back to Corral 4 to start the race with Gina.  Gina actually runs a faster pace than us, but registered in the slower corral.  Our mission... to use Gina's faster pace to push us to finish within the one hour goal that we set for ourselves.

Considering the number of people that run this event, I will have to say that the start of this race is very organized.  Granted it does take a while to get everyone started, but with over 18,000 runners, that is expected.  When we crossed the start line, the race clock said 0:16:xx, which meant that Darrin started about 20 minutes ago... the race was on!

I went into this race optimistic that I could hit my 60 minute goal that I set for myself.  The first 2 miles of the course are a gradual uphill, so that is always a struggle for me.  I started out ok, running the 2 miles with 10:04 and 10:25 splits.  I however, gave up on trying to keep up with Matt and Gina.  Their pace was just beyond what I was going to be able to do today (we lost Darci shortly after we started as she took off in front of us!).  I made up some time after I passed the 2 mile marker and headed down the LONG downhill stretch along Greene Ave.  Even with having to stop and tie my shoe, I still hit a 10:11 split.  Unfortunately, the second half of my race was not as positive.  This had turned into a mental race for me.  I needed to keep me head in the game and run MY race... not the race that everyone else was running.  Yes, I would have loved to keep pace with Matt and Gina, but considering my IT band issues from this past spring, I had to remind myself that I was NOT at that point in my training.  I needed to run this for me.

Darci and I, ready to be awesome!

Right around the 4 mile marker I caught up to Matt, who had been dealing with a nasty cold for the last 2 weeks. I walked with him for a bit, making sure he was ok before he shoo'ed me off to continue my run.  Once I knew he was ok, I continued on my mission.  Once I reached the top of the next hill, I came to the water station that John and Molly were working.  It was really awesome to see familiar faces out on the course today!  Of course, John dumped a cup of water on my head as i ran by but I was not going to complain - with how warm the sun was getting, the cold water felt great!  I had less than 2 miles to go.

I'm not going to kid you, the last 2 miles were tough.  The sun was getting warmer, there were not many clouds in the sky and I was mentally and physically feeling it.  The awesome thing about this race tho is that, from start to finish, there are people lining the street, cheering everyone on,  blasting music and breaking out the hoses and sprinkles!  This really helped me to get through those last few miles.

When I finally came around the corner, back onto Webster and saw the finish line in front of me, I gave it everything that I had left in me.  When I crossed the finish line, the clock said 1:21:xx  Knowing that it was already at 0:16:xx when I started, I knew I was well short of my 1 hour goal.  But I finished.

Official course time 1:06:12.  I beat last years time by 47 seconds.  I know that this is something positive, but in retrospect, I can't help but feel disappointed.  It was not my best race, but I also know that I have no one to blame but myself.  Over the last few weeks, life got in the way and I did not take the time that I need to get in some training runs.  Granted I got to the gym, plus did my exercised from my PT, but the miles were not there.  I also know that I did not properly fuel  myself pre-race (spent too much time catching up with friends pre-race and forgot to take my EnergyBits!) and by the time I crossed the finished line I was partially dehydrated (my own fault because I had water WITH me!).  All in all, I know I did the best that I could and can only learn from today - and I finished with ZERO knee pain!!!!!!   And this was WITHOUT wearing my ITband strap!  Thank you Lisa for helping me get back to where I am today!  I know I staill have work to do, but obviously we are moving in the right direction!

After I finished, I found Matt (he finished about a minute or so behind me!) and Gina so we could get a post race pic with the photographers and then it was time to find my munchkin!  Since I never saw (or past) Darrin out on the course, I had to assume that he killed is previous 10k PR.

Darrin and I post race (with photo bomb by Andy!)

Darrin met up with is just as we were heading back toward the park (in route towards the mTT tent).  He was glowing!  He and his team finished with a team of 1:22:56!  CRUSHING his previous 10k time by 18 minutes!!!!!!  He, and the rest of Team Jonny completely ROCKED the Bellin!  He figured that they ran their first mile in 9:30!!  Granted, after that mile, they did slow down a bit, but in the end, they pushed like they never have before (literally) and made it a day to remember!  I am so proud of him for what he has accomplished!  Over the last few months that he has been running with mTT I have seen him grow and mature so much!  Yes, some days it is hard for me to believe that is is the same kid that often times makes me want to pull out my hair and scream, but then days like this remind me that he is a strong caring individual that is full of life and potential... however,  he will always be my "Little Goobler"   Can't wait to see what they do at the Packers 5k in July!

All in all, it was an awesome day.  I may have not run the race that I wanted, but I am using it as a learning experience!  Have you had those "off" races?  What did you learn from those days?

Next up?  for BIG events - Cliffrunner 10k at High Cliff State Park in July... in the meantime, lets hit a glow run and a few 5k's to keep us entertained!

Cellcom Half Marathon 2014 is officially in the books!

I just realized that it's been a few weeks since I have posted an update!  I guess I have been busier than I thought!

Today was the big day... Cellcom Marathon 2014 was finally here.

5am the parking lot is still pretty empty

The last few weeks have been filled with PT appointments to help get me into the best possible condition for the Cellcom Half Marathon this weekend, a few Chiro appointments to make sure everything is where it belongs, not as many miles run, but more strength training to get everything working the way it should.

Now here we are, the day of what should have been my first Full Marathon but I would only be running the half.  To be honest with you, for the first time every, I woke up on race day and DIDN'T want to get out of bed. Granted part of it was the fact that we left the bedroom window open last night and it was only 40 degrees outside (and in the bedroom) now... so my toes did not want to leave the warm blankets!    I woke up feeling like I was going into this unprepared. The last time I ran more than 6.5 miles was on April 12th, when Matt and I ran 10.  This was the first time that I ever recall actually waking up on race morning and NOT excited for the days event.  I just wanted to stay curled up in my nice warm bed, and sleep for another 3 hours!

myTEAM TRIUMPH early on race day

However that was not an option!  My son was volunteering with myTEAM TRIUMPH this morning and needed to be at the stadium by 5am, so I was also there at 5am!  IT WAS COLD!  I think it was 43 degrees outside when we got to the mTT truck.   I was rethinking the short and tank that I put on to run in!  All I was thinking was that it better warm up!

Hanging out with the Angels and Captain with mTT will definitely put anyone if a good mood!  The excitement and energy around the mTT trailer on race morning is contagious!  You can't be around there and not find yourself caught up in everything.  Seeing this crew dive in and work together as a well oiled machine is an amazing thing. This was the first time I was present on race morning, watching a great plan come together!  As the Captains and their families started to arrive, things really started to get fun.  The endless smiles and laughter was everywhere!  For several of the Captains, this was their first event and there was no stopping us now! The sun may have been just waking up, but everyone out there was up and ready to move!  This was the day they had been working for all spring!


By the time the Full Marathon started at 7am, any pre-race jitters or doubts were gone.  It was slowly starting to warm and and I was ready to go.  I still was having some apprehensions as to how my knee was going to hold up but I was going to do what I can.  I dug out my race fuel from my bag, took a relaxing walk around the parking lot, did a lot of stretching, rubbed some BioFreeze on my knee and did what I could to get myself mentally into the game.  At the start line I ran into several fellow runners, coworkers, as well as fellow Twitter friends!  It was shaping up to be an awesome day!

3/5 of the Fox Cities 2013 Marathon Relay Team

Overall it ended up being an unbelievable day! I started out running my own race, at my own pace and for the first time ever, I didn't let myself get caught up in the adrenaline rush of the race.  I knew that I needed to make this my race, not whomever was running in front of me or behind me.  After the first water station, I found my groove.

Around Mile 2, my race day took a slight change.  One the course I met Crystal.  We both commented on each others Fellow Flowers shirts and were wearing matching turquoise flowers.  (the story of our run can be summarized well here on the Fellow Flowers FB page HERE) We realized that we were running at about the same pace and fell into step with one another.  We ended up spending the next 2 hours sharing local race stories, laughing and enjoying the beautiful morning.  We also the morning encouraging and pushing each other to make this the best race day that we could.  We both suffer from some of the same knee/IT band injuries so it was nice to be out there running with someone who knew exactly what I was dealing with!  Plus, we both live in Green Bay, so now I have someone else to go running with!!

Crystal and I just before mile 8!

Crystal and I finished the race together and were still smiling at the end!  I was well beyond surprised at my overall finish.  After all of the knee issues I had been dealing with, I was not pushing for time... I just wanted to run the best race I could, not push myself too hard and just finish.  In the end, I ended up finishing in 2:33:40, just 3 1/2 minutes shy of my Half Marathon PR!

Many thanks to my awesome family and friends, my chiropractor, physical therapist and fellow running friends that helped prepare me for this awesome day.  Plus major kudos to Crystal, who helped push me through those hill and last few miles when I really wanted to walk!  We kept running and ended up finishing strong in the end!

Overall this was an awesome day!  I met a new running friend, I finished in a near personal best, then spent the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the day with my boys as some great friends with a cookout in the back yard!  Cellcom 2014 turned out better than I excpeted it would and now I am ready to roll!

Here is to the start of another summer of running, adventures and challenges! Many thanks to my awesome husband and son who support me in this crazy adventure!

Post Race and still standing!

Keep pushing on? Nope. Time to rethink the current mission.

I made it through the week off!

Not running all week was tough and not going to the gym was even tougher than I thought, more physically than mentally.  I never realized how much my weeknight trips to Fitness Renegades was really part of my life now, until I couldn't go! Granted, I had my strength exercises from PT that I needed to do, but that's just not the same as a dose of Joe's daily intense lifting and challenging missions or Ty's fierce weekend warrior insanity adventures.  I may make light of these workouts but they are intense, often fierce and push me to my limits and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Thanks guys!

On Thursday when I met with Lisa, while she was really working my IT Band we were discussing my painful weekend, how things were going this week and where we were headed from here.

From the way my run and workout last weekend went. I knew what was coming...

We were only 4 weeks out from the marathon.  My longest run to date was 14 miles, over a month ago.
As of right now, I couldn't make 10 miles without being in extreme pain.  I think deep down I knew what I needed to do, it was just really hard to admit it.

I was NOT going to be running this Full Marathon.

I will be honest, it was tough to finally admit what I think I knew deep down a few weeks ago already.  My body was just not ready for the challenge yet.  Last summer when I was just running a lot of miles and spending minimal time with strength training, I was doing ok.  Then over the winter, I switched gears and was doing a heavier amount of strength training and minimal running (thanks to mother nature and the "lovely" winter we had here) that too was ok.  Come spring when I upped the mileage and kept up with the strength training, but body put up the stop sign.  Ok, it was probably just a caution flag at first but since I didn't pay attention to it right away, it turned into a red flag.  I needed to stop and pay attention to what was going on.

I did get the ok from my PT to run the half marathon and thankfully I was able to find someone that had a Half Marathon registration that they were no longer able to use.  Unfortunate that they were not able to run, but in the end it was a blessing for me, as the half marathon was at capacity and I could not just "switch" events.  It cost me $10 to process the transfer, but that was $10 well spent!

I am taking these next few weeks before the half marathon to work on the strength training prescribed by my PT to get me moving in the right direction and on May 18th, I will head out for my 1st Half Marathon on 2014.

Yes I am disappointed that I will not be able to make Cellcom 2014 my first Full Marathon, but I know that with some hard work over the next few months, I will only come out a stronger runner in the end.  I am not calling it quits on a Full Marathon, just delaying it until my body is ready for the challenge!

The rest of 2014 is still ahead of me, several 5k's, 10k's, color runs and Half Marathons, so the distances might be shorter, but the miles will still me there!  We are not stopping, just changing gears and taking a detour!

No Excuses!

The end of March has crept up on us way too fast!  It seems like it was just yesterday that we were dealing with sub zero temperatures, snow storms and making final preparations for out Spring Training Vacation.

Now it is the end of March, vacation is over and we are finally having warmer days!  Granted it will probably be July before we see green grass and can head to the beach - but it's a start!!

As I sit here and look back on the last month, it was definitely a roller coaster of a month.  I had some great runs, so not so great runs, shared a fabulous vacation with my
husband and some great friends... and had to face the fact that I needed to slow down and deal with an injury.

The statement above has really helped to keep me focused this month.  There were days that I had serious doubts about what I could do, questioned why I ever decided to sign up for a full marathon and was ready to just give up.  Then a statement like the one above would show up on my Facebook page or on my Twitter feed and remind me why set out on this journey.

For those of you that follow me on Facebook an/or twitter, you have seen me post about having to deal with this injury.  Any runner is prone to injury (and usually all deal with one at some time or another) and we all dread the words, "no running"... and hearing IT band is never a good thing to combine with that statement.  This was not a new injury to me.  I actually had IT band issues after the Fox Cities Half Marathon in 2012. With this race, my IT band issues were probably a direct result of trying to do too much, too fast.  I tried increasing my miles faster than I should have and thought could finish a half marathon without a lot of training - after all, I was planning on just walking most of it!  Wrong answer!  It actually took me over 7 months to feel comfortable running again. 

For those of you that are nor familiar with the IT band, yes you have one too!  In simple terms, it is a band that runs basically from your hip to your knee. It is key to helping stabilize the knee when running, biking, hiking and even weight lifting.  There are many factors that can contribute to IT band syndrome and at some point many runners end up dealing with either pain or injury that is IT band related.  

Icing my knee after my 17k in AZ

Now, 2 1/2 years later I started facing similar pain.  At first it just some minor pain after I would hit after running 8-10 miles.  I didn't think anything of it at first and just contributed it to the slow increase in miles during my marathon training schedule.  However, when the pain would creep up on my at the gym (some days squats got the best of me) I started looking at options.  I have some awesome trainers at the gym that started doing what they could to help me with additional strength training and modifying some things to try and keep me from aggravating it even more.  After doing a few long runs and spending time with ice packs all afternoon following a long run, and having to cut a 12 mile training run short because I started feeling the pain within the first few miles (I still pushed thru and finished 6 miles) I knew I need to do something.  

Thanks to the recommendation from a trusted fellow runner and his connections, I was connected with a fabulous Physical Therapist (who is also a runner!) to help me with a treatment plan and we are starting on the road to a better me, and a future will still see me as a runner.  Over the last few weeks I have learned that my pain this time is a result of not having all of my muscles working together like they should be.  All of my muscles in my legs are strong, except my glutes.  In the words of my Physical Therapist, all of the muscles in my legs are doing all the work and my glutes are just going along for the ride.  We need to wake them up and invite them to the party!  They need to start contributing to the effort!  We have a plan and with some hard work and dedication to this training plan, I know that I can come out on the other side, pain free and a stronger runner than I am today.

In the mean time, I have had to make some modifications to my training.  One of the hardest things that I have had to do in a long time was back out of running the Dick Lytie Half Marathon last weekend out at UWGB and only run the 5k.  Yes, I was bummed that I would not run the "big" miles, but I decided that I was going to go out there and make the best of the day. No Excuses!  It ended up being a mild and sunny day.  After the long cold winter that we dealt with, it was a fabulous day to get out and run. The 5k course was a fairly flat course so the elevation change (or lack thereof) was going to be refreshing!  I knew that I didn't want to push it too hard but still wanted to see what I could do.  I started out at a nice pace and fell into a refreshing rhythm.  When I hit the 1 mile marker I was feeling good.  It turned into a great feeling when I realized I just ran a 9 minute mile.  I kept up with the comfortable pace that I found and just rolled with it!  Before I knew it, the finish line was just ahead and it was on!  I kicked it in for that final push for the finish.

Official time = 28:37

In the end, I missed my 5k PR by only 8 seconds!  I could not believe I just did that!  It was an amazing feeling to know that I just ran one of my best 5k's EVER!  This amazing morning has truly given me the confidence that I can get through this injury and come out stronger in the end!  It will be some hard work, but I can do it!  I have a fabulous support team of my  amazing family,  fabulous trainers at the gym, my new Physical Therapist, plus many awesome friends that continue to help me grow as a runner, keep my in check so that I don't push myself too hard or too far and continue to encourage me to be the best that I can be.

Here is to a great 2014 and all of the adventures that will continue to come my way!  Be strong my friends!

Marathon training, 6 weeks down, 13 to go!l

No one ever said that training to run a marathon would be easy... but it will be worth it!

So far, the first half of that statement rings very true!  Training for the Cellcom Marathon has taken some getting used to for me. Miles, Miles Miles!  I live my life these days by the number of miles I have run!  Getting in the long runs, has not been the hard part for me.  It's the short, mid-week runs that  usually get me.  However, I have run more miles so far in 2014 than I did in the first 4 months of 2013 and have a gold of at least 750 miles by the end of the year.

 Between work and family schedules, sometimes it is hard to crank out a 4 mile run on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening.  Getting up early to run before work?  Been there, tried it.  It's tough, especially when I am usually in the office by 6am, and I really dislike treadmill running!  To get in a 4 mile run before work would mean that the alarm is going off before 4am every day, and this time of year means a date with the dreadmill.  Doing it once it a while is ok, but is not practical for every day. However, anything more than 4 miles would require getting up even earlier and I do admit - I like my sleep!

Now, please don't think that I my week days are void of activity.  Part of the reason that it is difficult for me to find time for my evening runs is that I don't want to miss my (almost) daily workouts at the gym!  Fitness Renegades as become such a part of my life that when I do have to skip a class, my day just seems "off".  These workouts are by no stretch "easy" and are definitely a key component in my conditioning. Each and every day is something a little bit different so I am never bored - which is a huge plus in my book! So, giving them up, or skipping them is NOT an option.  Plus, the crew there is pretty much like a second family and we are all out to help each other accomplish any goals that we have set.  Between the support from my family at home and at the gym, I know that I can conquer this adventure!

Last Thursday's Renegade workout

 On many occasions, I will head home after I leave the gym and knock out 3-4 miles on the TM or 10-15 miles on the bike, so the miles are still there, just in smaller quantities.

I also have found that I really look forward to the long Saturday morning training runs.  They have really shown me that I can do this.  Not only have I been able to increase the miles successfully each week, but I have also been able to keep my pace.  This past weekend, I finished the 10 mile training run faster than my average pace for the Brewers Mini Marathon last fall, so we still moving forward. I may not be the fasted one out there, but I am getting it done!

Anyone who is a runner, is used to having people tell them they are crazy (yes, this is actually a compliment to many of us!) and I heard that this weekend!  Not only did I complete my 10 mile training run, right after I finished, I drove around the corner to the gym (I drove, only because I had to move my car - next time, maybe I should just park AT the gym), warmed up, grabbed a foam roller, did some stretching and then joined the 10am Cardio Circuit class for 45 minutes of "fun".  Yes, I probably am on the edge of insane, but if I can pull off a 45 minute cardio circuit, I just proved to myself that there are more miles that I could have run!

Oh yeah.... I got up Sunday morning to catch another 45 minute fitness Renegade Cardio Circuit with Ty!

So, no matter what your running goals are for this year, they are going to push you to run further, run longer and probably make you wonder why you decided to do it, but don't give up!

It will be worth it in the end (at least that is what they say!)

I almost quit... but glad I didn't!

This morning was the 9th annual Seroogy's Valentines run.  Running outside, in Wisconsin, in February?  Sure why not!    I did this run a few years ago with a friend and that 5k just about killed us!  It was cold and breathing hurt... so why would I do it again?  Because that is what we crazy runners do!  This was going to be a little different tho, as I signed up for the 15k, it was -4 when we started and I was running with a crew of amazing myTeamTriumph Angels.

When I woke up this morning, I started questioning my decision to run this 15k.  It was -6 outside, I was tired and I would have loved to just crawl back into my nice warm bed.  But I didn't.  I started puling on the layers so that I would not freeze today.  I almost felt like Randy in the Christmas story after I got all my layers on.. knee high compression socks, running tights, my crazy color running tights over those, then topped with yoga pants, under armor cold gear long sleeve shirt, Seroogy's run long sleeve shirt and then my running jacket!  to complete the look - my new under armor hood to keep my head, neck and face warm!   Or course I had to add my myTeamTriumph scarf and Black Rockstar flower.  I was going to (hopefully) stay warm!

 As we approached the starting line, I realized that I was dealing with frozen toes already.  This was not going to be fun!  If my feet were this cold already, how am I going to run 9.3 miles? Ouch   By the time I was just past the 2 mile marker, I was second guessing my choice to do the long run.  My toes felt like ice cubes to the point that they hurt!  I was arguing with myself, trying to decide if I was going to make the right turn up ahead and just do the 5k and call it a day, or left turn up ahead, suck it up and do what I came out to do.  The way my toes felt, just doing the 5k was sounding better and better.  As the intersection came into view, I knew it was do or die time....

I sucked it up and turned left.

I ignored the pain in my toes and kept running.   I was keeping my pace and other than my toes, I felt great.  All of a sudden, at about mile 4, I realized that my toes no longer hurt!  They finally decided to warm up and join the party!  I felt like a new person!  I knew I was going to conqueror this mission!

One thing about this course that is nice is that there is a nice long downhill stretch at the end.  By this time, I knew I was close to the end and found a new spring in my step and was ready to finish this thing!  There was chocolate waiting for me at the end!  I pushed that last mile (which ended up being my fasted mile of the morning) and finished strong with a smile on my face

Katie and I warming up after

I ended up finishing in 1:43:13 (just over 11 minute miles) and have zero regrets!  I am so glad that I didn't quit and only run the 5k.  Finishing my first 15k winter race was a great feeling!  Next scheduled run... the Kiss Me I'm Irish run next month in Phoenix!! (yay to running in warmer temps!!!)

Thank you for all that have served! City Stadium Run for Veterans 2013

This morning was the second annual City Stadium Run for Veterans here in Green Bay.  This year all proceeds for the event go to support the USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program and all that it does for these true American heroes.  From the City Stadium Run website:   

" The USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program mission is to organize and administer an ice hockey program that provides a recreational, therapeutic, and educational experience for those wounded in the defense of the United States. This team represents some of our nation's bravest and most determined heroes, soldiers, and veterans. These young men have suffered severe injuries, including amputations, while serving in the military. Through extensive rehabilitation, they have become competitive athletes again with some veterans even sporting prosthetic legs and arms. The USA Warrior Ice Hockey has two teams: a sled team and a standing team. The sled team is comprised of warrior athletes who lost the ability to use their legs. The standing team consists of warrior athletes who have gain their ability to skate again even if it requires a prosthetic leg. Proceeds for this year’s run will help support in the purchasing of hockey equipment for these worthy athletes that we call our veteran heroes"

I felt honored to be part of this day for such a humbling cause.  Before the run we were talking with on of the players on the Warriors Hockey team. Mike Cain received the Purple Heart after losing his leg from a roadside bomb, he was determined not to feel sorry for himself.  He got back up and keeps moving forward. You can truly see that he does not let his disability get him down and he is living his life to its fullest potential.  I am going to have to make a point to check out one of their games this year!  Knowing what these athletes have gone through to get to where they are now really puts things into perspective!  I have had many days where I was not pleased with my run or left the gym disappointed with my workout.  But what if I didn't have that opportunity to walk into that gym?  or lace up my running shoes and just go? 

Darrin's last dash to the finish

Aside from running to support these amazing athletes, I also was running today with my family.  Darrin and John both decided to come out and join the 650+ other runners and walkers that were hitting the streets around City Stadium this morning.   Granted we were not running together but just knowing that we were all out there was a lot of fun.  A light rain fell about an hour before the run started and that helped to coll everything down a little, but by the time race time arrived, the humidity started to come back.  It was in the low 70's but starting to get really sticky outside. I was not going to let this bother me.  I was ready to hit the road.  I felt great through the entire race and could really feel that it was going to be a good day.  Just as I was approaching the back side of City Stadium I was starting to feel it and was ready to be done.  I was averaging  about 9:30 minute miles but the humidity was starting to take it's toll.  I ended up falling into step with another runner and I ended up running the last stretch of the race with him.  I was using him to keep my pace.  He didn't realize it, but I was using him to push me to the finish (I would find out later when I was talking with him after the race that he was doing the same with me!). 

waiting at the finish line for my boys!

Just before I was entering the stadium, my phone told me that I hit 3 miles at less than 29 minutes!  I was going to do it!!  For the first time EVER I was going to finish a 5K with an official time of under 30 minutes!   I crossed the finish line feeling great, with the entire St Norbert College Men's Hockey Team right on my heels.  I wasn't about to let them catch me!  When I crossed the finish line, my app told me that I was at 0:29:44 - but I was going to have to wait for the official time.  I grabbed a water and headed back down to the field to wait for my boys to finish!  Darrin finished with a time of 44:11 and John finished just 3 minutes behind him!  YAY!!  Once they finished we caught up with some other friends that were also there for the event, grabbed some snacks and check our official times.  0:29:11!!  FINALLY!  for the first time, I actually finished a 5K in UNDER 30 minutes!  In fact, it was close to under 29!  Guess I know what my next goal is!One of the coolest things that they did this morning tho was the skydivers that were landing on the field at City Stadium after the race was finished!  They timed the landing to be after everyone was finished with their run/walk so no one missed the excitement.  3 ski divers decorated the sky, one carrying a POW/MIA, one carrying an American flag and the other bright streamers.  Watching these sky divers make their way to the ground while Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA played over the loudspeakers in the stadium was the best way to bring this morning to an end.Thank you to everyone that worked hard to make today's even a huge success but more importantly, thank you to all that served  and sacrificed to give us all of the freedoms that we have today. 

The Green Bay Gambles Hockey team was on hand to catch the flag when it landed

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