Inside the head of a Runner!

Last Saturday marked my first half of 2015.  The Dick Lytie Spring Classic.

I have been looking forward to this run since last year, but up until I started running the course, I was not sure how it was going to go.  I actually didn't even sign up to run it until Monday!  After the 10 Mile St Pats run, I knew that I could cover the miles, so it was time for redemption!  Why Redemption?  Last year I was signed up to run the half, but after starting my PT for my uncooperative IT band, I was told by my physical therapist that I was NOT running the Half.  She did give me permission to run the 5k tho.  The Half was going to have to wait.

Asha and I pre-race - her first 15k race

 Now, these hills were mine!

Now, any of you that have been following my blog over the last few years know my usual recap posts... this one is going to be different.  Why?  Because this race was one of a kind for me and I had to do something different.   After chatting with a few friends the other night about everything that goes through our head when we are running, I knew what I wanted to do.

34 degrees and still some snow on the ground!

 Welcome to the random thoughts, arguments, and conversations that accompanied me on the 1st Half Marathon of 2015

So.... My half on Saturday went something like this (at least in my head):


~On way to start line:  Ugh, maybe I should have opted for the tights.  I might freeze with my capri's on.  Oh well, too late, time to suck it up and just deal. Maybe being cold will help me run faster.  I wonder how many of these people are actually running the Half?  I have a feeling it's going to be pretty quiet once we make the split for the 15k/Half Marathon.

Adrianne and I, Pre-race smiles

~ At start line:  At least the sun is out.  I can pretend it's warmer than 34 degrees.

~ Gun goes off:  CRAP!  My headphones didn't charge (darn bluetooth) and they won't even power on!  This sucks.  Guess we are running naked today.  No music, no pace information in my ear each mile.  I've done it before, guess I have to do it again.  I'm not going to like this!

~ First few miles through campus: Why am I doing this?  I'm getting passed by everyone.  I really wish I had my music.

My ears are cold.  Maybe I should have worn the other, warmer headband that covered my ears better.  I don't like this wind.

Why am I doing this again?  I could just cut the course short and just do the 15k... No one would know but me.  No, I can't cut it short.  I'm not afraid of those hills.  We spent time last week running them.

Approaching the first hill - bewares, its a long one!

~First Hill (approx 2 miles):  THIS SUCKS!  And  this in only the 1st of 3 hills that I have to go up.  I don't want to walk up this hill, but I don't want to kill myself before I even get to the halfway point.
(Brain) Ok, I'll just walk part way up... (Feet) like hell you are walking part way up...

And we run...

Ok, that was 1 hill.  2 more to go.  Hey, that's a cool looking house!  Maybe someday when I grow up, I'll have a cool house like that, but that would also mean more house to clean.  Maybe I'll stick with the one I have now.

WooHoo!  Time to go down a hill!  Ouch this is a steep hill!  I hope I don't fall on my nose running down it!

This is a cute little subdivision that we get to run through.

That level course was too good to last, time to head back UP again.  Now this hill looks steeper today than when I drove it last week. I hope I can even walk up it - I suppose I could crawl if needed.  Gotta walk this one... ok ,maybe bear crawl!  I will not stop!  How they heck to people run this course in under an hour and a half!?!?!  are they insane?

Mile 4 (approx):  UGH!  forgot to turn off bluetooth on phone since not using headphones.  Better turn if off.  Wow!  I'm at under an 11 min/mile pace.  Guess this running with no music isn't as bad as I thought.    I'm too warm, better take the jacket off, but I don't want to throw it somewhere... I might need it again. (tying jacket around waist and moving on)

 Hey, there's the turn off for the 15k to head back towards campus... oops, I forgot to turn...  guess I am running the entire 13 miles.  cold again... time to put he jacket back on.

Mile 6 - Hey I might be able to catch Michelle and Diane, they really are not THAT far in front of me!

I'm Hungry.  Sport Beans or Stinger Waffle?  Either way I'm going to have to keep hydrating.  I think I want the waffle.

The long approach to the last big hill

~Mile 7: water stop!  Man, that little guy helping at this station is too cute!  Love the fact that he is giving everyone high five's as they come through!

Mile 8 - ok, Michelle and Diane just ahead of me.... I must keep moving!  Am I really going to try and catch them on this hill?

OMG! I can't be she was that far off course!  How in the world did she miss that that turn back by the church?  I hope she makes it!  (FYI - she had the best attitude ever - "guess it's a few extra miles today")

I can't believe how good I'm still feeling and now that I climbed all 3 hills, the rest of this is pretty much downhill!

"Hey Diane!  Catching you guys is NOT an easy task!"

Hmmm...have not looked at phone lately.  Wonder where my pace is now?  No time to look!  Must keep running!  (Diane did tell me approx what my pace at that point)

Wow! Those guys up there are walking... I wonder if I can pass them before I get to the end?

(10 minutes later)

Ok, passed them before I got back to campus... it's all downhill from here!!

1st hill we went up... now time to go down!

It is really peacful running through time, but I am ready to be done!

Ok, I can hear the finish line but it really blows that I can't see it!  Legs are dying, want to be done.

Finish line!  I LOVE YOU

Post race - smiles still there!

10 minutes post finish: calves screaming at me!  I want to curl up in a ball and sleep for a week... once I get my calves to loosen back up!  Oh, breakfast?!?  lets go!  I'm hungry!

Gyro stuffed hash browns with scrambled eggs

Offical Time: 2:27:30!  Missed my half PR by less than a minute!  Overall it was an awesome morning!  Can't wait to run Indy in May!

SO, what runs through your head when you are out there?

I dare you to share!

Hello Miller Park! Brewers Mini Marathon time again - Sept 20th

Playing catch up here on a few posts from the last few weeks so bear with me!  2 half marathons, a marathon relay plus long hours at work have made the last few weeks a little hectic... hopefully over the next few days I can actually get caught up on some posts!

anyhow....

After running through Lambeau Field and Fox Cities Stadium in the spring and City Stadium a few weeks ago, why not finish out the summer with a run through Miller Park!  

This was the second year in a row that I made the trip down to Milwaukee for this race.  Last year was an awesome race for me with this race, hitting my half marathon PR here as well as the first time I finished one in under 2 1/2 hours! (2:29:10) so I had high hopes for 2014!  The course itself is good, the crowds along the course are always fun and the energy that hits you when you run that loop through the stadium is awesome!

  Once again,  Matt made the trip down to run the 10k here again.  Last year we were able to start together and run the first mile or so together before the Half and 10k split, but this year they did a staggered start and the 10 actually started 15 minutes before the half.  Before the crack of dawn we were off!  We left everyone else at the hotel to catch a little more sleep before they headed down to wait for us to finish.

  We were at the stadium bright and early (ok it really was not so "bright" out at 6am) and found prime parking right near the start line!   For any of you that have been to Miller Park, you know how far the lots "across the bridge" are from the front of the stadium so I knew I was going to like this parking spot even more after the race!  We were (blessed?) with a few light rain showers while we were waiting to start which was nice to keep things cool, but I was just afraid that this would bring more humidity later - unless we got more rain too!

This ended up being one of the toughest runs I have finished this year.  It started out really good - I was able to keep the 2:15 pace group within my sights for the first few miles, enjoying the cool morning and sights of Milwaukee.  It was after mile 4 or 5 that I was really reminded about how many hills were out on this course.  It would seem that I blocked all of the rolling hills that I ran last year from my mind!  It was also about this time that it started to get humid and the 2:30 pace team was just in front of me... but I was going to keep them in my sights!

Over the next few hours, I ended up running with some great people, other Half Fanatics, teams from myTEAM TRIUMPH and more.   I was not going to let the humidity and warming temperatures get me down.  I ran through 100% humidity a few weeks ago, I could do this!   I kept to my fueling plan throughout, EnergyBits at the start and again at mile 7, then some Sharkies and ProBar gels along the way (found out my stomach does not like these during long runs, but before short workouts are ok!).

I'm not sure what point I was at in the course when I realized that the 2:30 pace team was now no longer in my sights.  This was not going to be another PR day, but I was not going to let that stop me.  I was going to make it!  Just after the 10 mile marker is the Hill from Hell on this course - a nice incline switchback to get you heading back towards the stadium.  Then once you climb that hill, you get a nice downhill stretch, only to have to make another long climb.  These 2 hills took almost everything I had left.

 I will be honest, I struggled with those last few miles!  They were warm and tough.  But I was determined to finish strong.  Coming into the stadium is always a good boost.  The stands are open so that spectators can come in an cheer on runners as they make their trek around the warning track. This ended up being my fasted few minutes of the last 1/3 of the race!    Once I was in the stadium, I knew the finish line was just around the corner!

I finished!  It seems like I have had several of these type races.  Mother nature has been very fickle this summer and she has been fighting me all the way! I am not going to let her get me down tho!  This may have been a tough race both physically and mentally, but I am glad that I did it!    Official time today, 2:49:37.  I knew that my time might not have been the fastest on this one, considering this was the 3rd half in 5 weeks with a 5k thrown in the middle for good measure!  It's been a fun adventure and I am enjoying the ride! I may not be fast but I'm still moving forward and doing things that 5 years ago I could not even imagine doing!

Will I do this race again?  That is currently up for debate.  While I love runnign through Milwaukee, the spectator support along the course is awesome and running through Miller Park is always exciting, I have discovered a few other races that are usually this same weekend that I want to check out... so who knows where I will be this time next year!

Next stop?  Fox Cities Marathon relay tomorrow and then Chicago next weekend!

Cheesehead Half Marathon Race recap

Last year's Cheesehead Marathon was a tough one (last years race details can be found here).  After the brutal sun last year, I could only hope for better weather this year.  

I wish I could say that this year was better.  There may not have been beating sun in a cloudless sky like last year, but the heat and humidity was enough to nearly kill me!  Regardless, I was determined to get out there and finish!  This was the first of 4 half marathons, over 36 days as I qualify to join the ranks of the Half Fanatics, joining the asylum and landing on Saturn.  

We were spending the weekend camping with friends again this year so, once again, we only had a 15-20 minute drive to get to the start line.  We made it to the start line early, so I had time to walk around, stretch out and mentally try and wrap myself around what I might be dealing with out there today.  Matt was running the relay with another friend of his, so he had time to relax in the car before he had to hop on the bus to head off to the relay exchange point.

 There was no sun to be seen on this warm, HUMID morning.  20 minutes before race time, my phone showed 80% hhumidity  I didn't believe it tho - it was so humid and sticky that I was already feeling like I could melt.

This was, by far the toughest run I have ever done.  The first half of the race was tough but I met a few awesome people on the course that helped me get through it!  One of these awesome runners that I met was another Half Fanatic!  Tracie was in the middle of a stretch of half marathons every weekend for like 9 weeks... and here I was worried about making in through 4 in 6 weeks!  We would run together for a while, pushing and encouraging each other to keep going!  We agreed, this was a walk/run type race and as long as we made it to the end upright and moving forward, we were successful!  I hit 6 miles at just over an hour, right on track for the pace I was shooting for at this point in the game. At the halfway point/relay exchange, I saw another friend of mine, who told me that Matt just left a few minutes ago.  No worries, I had no intention of trying to catch up to him!  He was running on fresh legs... mine had been moving for over an hour already!

I actually did see Matt out of the course tho!  At one point, just after the relay exchange point, we had to make a quick out and back down one of the streets and as I was heading out to the water station/turn around, I passed him on his was back.  This would be the only time I would see him until I finished!

The second half of this race was beyond brutal.  Tracie and I kept a fairly consistent pace over the next few miles but I lost her just past the 9 mile marker when I had to stop to get a pebble out of my shoe (the joys of running on an unpaved trail).  These back 6.5 miles of the course were partially on the trail, then finishing out by retracing the first 3 miles of the course... with no shade and rolling hills.

I knew that these last miles were going to take more than just my legs to get me through, and I was right.  It was a mental game!  I felt like I walked more than I ran (my pedometer app on my phone later told me differently) but that finish line was the only thing on my mind.  The biggest thing that I  kept thinking while I was running was that I needed to keep myself properly fueled.  Normally, when I carry fluids with me, I usually skip grabbing anything at the water stations.  This time, I grabbed water and each and every water station that I past. Overall, every 2 miles (after mile 4), I made sure I was getting fuel of some sort.  I have noted my full fueling for this race at the end of this post.

 Overall, I finished with a respectable 2:37:26 time, only a few minutes slower that my time for the Cellcom Half earlier this year and only 2 minutes slower than last year. Finish temp 72 with 100% humidity!  The race was done, but now it was time to switch to recovery mode.   Recovery from this race was rough.  Once I got a little food from the cheesy buffet and get to the car to get my calf sleeves on, my legs did start feeling a little better.

After we got back to the camper, it was foam roller and shower time before we headed out for some lunch.  I actually felt really good, managed to get some food into me as well as a few bottles of my Red Raspberry Recovery and more water.  Unfortunately, after we got back to the camper, I opted to stretch out in one of the lawn chairs to relax.  I should have headed inside the camper, where it was cooler, for my relaxing.

I dosed off for a little while and when I woke up, I actually felt worse than before I went to sleep.  Apparently, the heat and humidity took more out of me than I thought.  With the amount of water and Recovery I was drinking, I figured that I was doing ok. However, I was actually more dehydrated than I thought.  My body was not happy with me.

I ended up spending most of the rest of the evening inside the camper, relaxing, napping and sucking down more fluids, all while enjoying a nice bag of ice on my head!  WOW!  Not how I wanted to spend the evening, but it was what I needed to do!  Dinner ended up consisting of a pile of fruit salad and water... food didn't even sound good!

Thankfully by morning, I felt better and my appetite returned.  My body appeared to be heading back to normal!

When it comes to race fueling and preparing for each race, everyone needs to figure out what works best for them.  This is a constant learning process for me.  This was the first time that I actually set everything that I need for a race out in one place.  The above picture is everything that I had with me for this race, from my clothing to my fuel.  I never actually realized how much I needed until I saw it all in once place!

Today's fueling consisted of:

"Breakfast" while I was getting ready

       1 banana

       LARA bar

       Bottle of Spark (whb 10oz water)

       02 Gold

15 minutes pre race - 1 serving EnergyBits

Mile 4 - 1/2 of Chocolate Honey Stingers wafer cookie and a few Sharkies

Mile 6 - second serving of EnergyBits

Mile 8 - Recovery Gel

Mile 10 - rest of my pack of Sharkies

Overall, my fuel seemed to do well for me today!  It was just the humidity that pulled more out of me than I could have imagined

Will I run this race again?  That is a tough one... It is nice that it is close to home, but 2 years in a row with brutal weather conditions?    Not sure what next year will bring.

What is the toughest race that you have done?  What did you learn from that experience that has helped you grow as a runner?

Next week - Marquette Michigan for Half Marathon #2 in this crazy adventure of 4 in 36 days!

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!!!)

Turkey Trot 2013 is in the books!

...and it was cold!

The Turkey Trot is always one of those events that you never know what kind weather you are going to have to deal with.  You could have cold and rain or snow, if you a lucky it's just cooler with a breeze or on that rare occasion, you have seasonably warm temperatures.  Matt and I were off to run the 5 mile course, while John and Molly were meeting up with a friend of Molly's and her family to walk to 2 mile course.

This year was not one that we would call ourselves lucky... unless you count the fact that it was not snowing when we were running!  The first mile was a little slick and slower than I hoped as we spent the time running around people and running on snow covered streets.  Once we got a mile or so in and we were able to get past most of the slower moving crowds it was a little easier to keep that pace that I wanted.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize until we past the 2 mile marker that I accidentally started the free version of my Runtastic app, instead of the pro version.  Oops.  The free version only gives you mile updates up to 2 miles and that is it.  Although it was still tracking my route, pace and distance, it was not actually giving me updates along the way.  I was on my own to keep up my pace.  I was not going to get any additional updates for this race.  I was on my own!

Overall, even though it was a very cold morning, the cold was not a factor after the first few miles.  Granted, I never felt like actually stripping off a layer, but I definitely was not cold anymore!  Before we knew it, we were rounding the corner with the finish line in sight!  I was still feeling great (and yes I could still see my breath while I was running) and picked up the pace for last quarter mile.

In the end, I finished in 49:31 - under my 50 minute goal!

We caught up with the rest of the crew, collected our pumpkin pies and headed to find warmth!  Thanks Festival Foods and all the other sponsors for this awesome family event!  After enjoying the brisk cold morning, it was off to spend the rest of the day relaxing at home with a warm fire, fabulous food, great friends, board games and football!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Fox Cities Marathon relay

After a colorful fun run yesterday, it was time to get back to some serious running... as serious as running a relay with 4 other friends, driving all over the Fox Cities together, sharing laughs and creating lasting memories can be!

Team Cellcom gathered in Appleton to tackle the Fox Cities Marathon Relay.  We knew it was going to be and adventure and we were ready for some fun!  Patti and I met at Matt and Molly's to ride down with them bright and early.  Technically, I think Patti was still asleep with we climbed into the truck and Molly took a nap on the way there!  When we made it to the start line to find Gina to deliver her bib number and our timing chip, it was definitely a chilly morning.  However, the cooler temperatures were going to make for awesome running weather!  Once we knew Gina was on her way, we were off on our adventures, driving all through the Fox Cites!  Next stop - Sean's house to pick him up and deliver him to the 1st exchange point.

While we were waiting at the 1st relay exchange point, it became clear that we had some creative team names out on the course today! "Better Late than Never", "Girls gone running", "booze cruisin'", "are we there yet" and "I just pulled a hammy" were just a few of the fun team names that we heard on the course.   Granted we were proud of our team name, as 4 out of 5 team members work at Cellcom and they sponsored us to run this event through some of the amazing programs they have, to help give back to the community!  Next time, who knows what the team name will be!

Throughout the morning, we were glad to have Sean with us to navigate the area!  Having to get people to 4 different relay exchange points throughout Appleton, Kaukauna, Kimberley, Neenah and Menasha was no easy task!  Thankfully Sean knew the area well enough that he was able to get us effortlessly from one point to the other with plenty of time to spare!  We even had time to make a breakfast stop at McDonald's for those that already ran (Gina) and those that were along as co-pilot (Molly) while Sean was running his leg!

By the time we got to mile marker 15 so that I could wait for Patti, I was ready to run!  The sun was out and it had warmed up just enough to take the chill out of the air.  I was determined to make it the best 5 miles I have run yet this summer.  Before long, Team Cellcom was announced so we knew that Patti was within a few blocks of the exchange point.  Once Patti cruised into the exchange zone and we moved our timing chip from her to me, I was on my way.  One of the coolest things about this race course is the fan support along the entire route.  It really is a huge motivator having people at every street corner, hanging out in their yards etc ready to give you an encouraging word.  I got out there and felt great, enjoying the day for everything it had to offer.  The sun was shining, the weather was favorable and we were running a marathon!  After the first mile, the little bird in my ear told me that I was running a 9:26 pace, I knew I had this one.  My goal was a 10 minute mile pace and I was on target to hit that. Over the next 4 miles, I did slow a touch, but in the end, I ended up running my 5 mile leg in just under 49 minutes!  My best 5 mile run to date!  It felt great to hit that goal, but I was really glad to see Matt at mile 20 to take over running!

Our next stop?  Mile marker 25... which just happens to be literally right around the corner from the finish line, since the the route loops around the park before it ends in the center of the park.  Molly found a parking spot a few blocks from the target mile marker.  The four of us camped out to wait for Matt so that we could all run the last mile together.  While we were waiting for Matt, I saw a familiar face... it was Ryan Sawlsville,  who was featured on Extreme Makeover, Weight loss Edition.  He was out running his second Fox Cities Marathon.  What an inspiration!  Seeing him out there running, giving it everything that he had, made my 5 mile run seem like peanuts compared to what he was doing.  Would I ever get to the point I being able to actually finish a full marathon?  The thought has been in the back of my mind for a few weeks now, so I guess we will have to see what the future brings.

Before we knew it, Matt was approaching mile marker 25 and we were off and running again.  Gina and I fell into step with Matt, while Sean a Patti were not far behind. The end of our adventure was just around the corner!  Crossing that finish line as part of Team Cellcom was a great feeling of accomplishment - we rocked that marathon!  Official chip time = 4:44:34

To my fellow teammates for the Fox Cities Marathon, thank you for letting me be part of the team, we all had amazing runs and set personal bests for our legs! I am proud of each of us and had an awesome time hanging out with everyone as we cheered each other one, pushing each other to do our best.   I never though I could pull off a 5 mile run in under 50 minutes!  Thank you for helping me reach that goal!

We came, we ran, we conquered!

Team Cellcom - still smiling after all that running!

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

x

Cheesehead Half Marathon and camping - the perfect weekend

After weeks of training and anticipation, the weekend of the next Half Marathon was finally here!  We made a weekend adventure out of it.

On Friday, we all took off from work early, packed up the cars and headed to Matt and Molly's camper!   After getting everything hauled into the camper and unpacked, we headed to Chilton to grab a few things from Walmart and the local Farmers Market with Molly.  We also were waiting for Matt to get to the campground since he had to work later than the rest of us, so why not get some errand done.

John's Jolly Yellow Banana, as Matt and I relax by the fire

For those of you that might have seen John's Facebook post last week about the "What is your color run name", you will appreciate this!  After Molly heard what John's Color Run name was (Jolly Yellow Banana), she had to have fun with it!  When we were at Walmart Molly had to pick up the special gift just for John, which she then properly labeled before giving it to him!

After grilling some awesome steak and potatoes, we spent Friday evening relaxing around the campfire, having a few beers and watching the Packers Pre-season game.  It was the perfect relaxing evening to get ready for our big run tomorrow.  It was really comforting knowing that we only had a 15 minute drive to get to the starting line for run tomorrow!  Since Molly and John were volunteering with registration and the 5k on Saturday, they had to be there for 6am!  The Half Marathon didn't start until 7:30 so Matt and I didn't have to be there quite that early... extra sleep would be a fabulous option!  It's didn't take us long to decide that we were taking 2 cars to the run!

After a goodnights sleep, Molly and John headed out around 5:30am to be in Hilbert before 6am, while Matt and I got at least a little more sleep!  Before long tho it was time for us to get up, find breakfast and head to the start line!

Once we got to Hilbert parked the car a few blocks from the start line, we found Molly and John, then made our way to the truck where they had left our race bibs for us before they went to work.  Time was drawing near for the start so we made a trip to the beloved port-a-pots before heading to the start line.  That in itself was an adventure!  After waiting in the long lines we were still there when they did the national anthem... good thing this run was chip timed so it didn't matter that we were a few minutes late starting.  We finally made our way to the start, stopping to drop off Matt's bag with his sandals in with with Molly and John.

We were on our way.  We missed the mass start, so the first mile was spent much less stressful than most other runs - we didn't end up spending time dodging our way around other runners. It also didn't take me long long to realize that I was glad that I didn't change my mind and wear my running capri's and a t-shirt.  This was going to be a warm run - there was no clouds in the sky to protect us from the bright, hot sun.  According to my phone it was only 65 degrees outside, but with the lack of cloud cover, it felt much warmer.  I was feeling good and ready to run!

The sun was going to be the biggest obstacle.  We cruised through the first few miles without any problems but after about mile 3, Matt's calves started bothering him.  We walked for a bit and he was determined to push through it.  Shortly after mile 4 we had to slow down and walk again for a bit.  Matt told me to just go and run.  I told him we would finish this together and that I was not going to leave him behind.  We pushed through another mile or so and again he told me to just run.  He was going walk for a bit.  I really didn't want to leave him behind but he would not take no for an answer.  He insisted that he would be ok and wanted me to just run.  Reluctantly, I did get back to my run.  I told him I would see him at the finish line.

This run had definitely turned into a mental challenge for me.  Pushing through the blazing sun was only part of it.  Knowing that Matt was behind me somewhere, kept me wondering if he was doing ok. At the halfway point, I was on track to hitting that 2 1/2 hour goal that I had for myself.  The best part about the second half of the course was that a good portion of it was right along the Fox River Trail, which meant a large amount of tree cover!  YAY!!  Granted it was only 3 miles, but that was 3 miles that I was away from the blazing sun out there in that cloudless sky!  Unfortunately  the tree cover had to come to an end. I had 3 miles left and they were all right back in the sun - the last 3 miles of the course were the same 3 miles that we ran when we started this course.  These last 3 miles were the toughest 3 miles I have run all summer!  The sun was trying to get the best of me.  I actually ended up walking a large portion of these miles, but I was still moving!  Finally, I made the turn just after mile 12 that would take me back into town!

I can honestly say that I truly had to push myself both physically and mentally to get through those last 3 miles.  When I came around that last corner and saw the finish line just two blocks ahead of me, I would have to say that was one of the best things I had seen all day!  I crossed that finish line with a smile on my face, knowing I had just run my new PR.  Official time - 2:35:23  Not quite the 2:30:00 that I was shooting for, but with the sun today, I was not going to complain one bit.  This was almost 7 minutes faster than my time from the Journey's Half Marathon in May! After collecting a bottle of water and my Cheesehead Medal, John and Molly came and found me right away.  I grabbed a spot in the shade to do a little stretching and cool off a bit.  Molly asked what happened to Matt and when I told her, they both said that made sense then as to why Matt and I's apps on our phones were giving such different results!

Matt and I approaching the finish line

I asked Molly about where Matt was at on the course.  She said he was at about mile 12.6.  He was back to running 11-12 minute miles so he was not too far behind me! My rest in the shade was done.  I had one thing I needed to do.  A few months ago, when Matt mentioned that he was considering finding another half marathon to run and mentioned this one, I told him that if he wanted company, I would run it with him.  I told him that we would run this event and finish together.  I was not going back on my word.  We were going to cross the finish line together.  I unpinned my bib number and gave it, along with my medal to John, grabbed my bottle of water and started heading back out on the course.   I headed back to the last corners coming back into town to wait for Matt.  Before long, he was coming around the final corners.  I joined him on the road and reminded him that I told him we would finish this run together.  That was just what we were going to do.  We ran the last stretch of the course together.  Molly was cheering at the next corner and John was taking a few pictures.   He finished about 15 minutes behind me, but this was also over 10 minutes faster than is time from the Cellcom Half Marathon back in May.  So proud of him for pushing through, finishing strong and giving this race his all!

It was a tough run but we are still smiling

We came, we ran, we conquered.  This has become the tag line for so many of our races this summer. We have faced many challenges along the way,  we have run many miles together, and pushed each other to do our best each and every time.  I am proud of everything that we have accomplished over the last 6 months!  I look forward to many more races and miles together!  

Now that the run was over, it was time to get back to relaxing and enjoying the rest of the weekend... next mission was to find something to eat.  For the first time after any event, we actually hit the food tent and found a few things to eat to begin  the refueling process!  Since this is the Cheesehead Run, the post race buffet that was available for runners and volunteer was cheese themed!  I was not up for eating much at this point, but I knew that I needed to eat something.  They had some awesome breakfast burritos, filled with eggs, cheese and potatoes that hit the spot!  Those combined with the cheese curd on top mini sliders, 2 bottles of water and a beer, I was good to go!  Time to head back for a shower and relaxing.

The rest of the weekend was spent laughing and having a great time, relaxing with great friends.  It doesn't get much better than a few challenging board games outside with a campfire crackling 10 feet away, half a case of water, a few beers, the Brewers game on the radio and NASCAR on TV!    Before long, it was Sunday morning and it was time to pack up and head back to reality.  In the end, it was another amazing weekend in this summers adventures.  I can't wait for the next adventures and where they will take me!

Packers Training Camp 5k

Packers Training Camp kicked off on Friday and Saturday night was the 4th annual Training Camp 5K.  I have been looking forward to this event for several weeks now for several reasons.  This was the 1st run I was doing in Green Bay in over a month (no traveling this weekend!), this was also the 1st race that I would be running with Matt since the Bellin (he did the Brewers Sausage 5k, but walked with Molly) and the weather was supposed to be perfect!

After the last week, I was hesitant on how I was going to be able to pull this run off.  After camping last weekend, even though I stayed away from John and his summer cold, I still managed to get a cold.  My last run was the Miller Park Sausage 5K last weekend.  I even ended up cancelling my training session at the gym on Tuesday and missed work on Wednesday.  I went out for a walk on Thursday and then again on Friday.  On my walk Friday, I did a little bit of running and it was tough.  I felt fine while I was running , but whenever I stopped running, I would start coughing.  I managed to run the last 3/4 of a mile at a good steady pace and when I got home, I spent 5 minutes coughing.  I told Matt that I was not sure what I was going to be able to to on Saturday.  He reassured me that I needed to do what was best for me and that my health was more important than anything.

Matt and I waiting for the race to start

After a relaxing day at home and a short nap, Saturday evening arrived.  Wendy and Tom picked me up and we were headed to Lambeau Field!  We got to the stadium early and I had time to wander around and find Andrea, who was there with friends, in town for training camp and the run.  It was awesome seeing her again after the Color Run in Madison a few weeks ago!  Once Matt got to the stadium, we headed down to the start corrals.  When I signed up for the run, apparently I accidentally signed up for wave 4 (11:00 minute plus miles) instead of Wave 3 (9:00 to 11:00 minute mile runners).  Matt was in in wave 3.  oops.  We figured that we would see if we could both get into wave 3 so that we could start there... if we got stopped going into the corral, he said he would just join me in wave 4.  No one stopped us so we were in the clear!

As we were waiting for the run to start we were laughing that Matt was actually wearing the same pants and sweatshirt that he wore for the first 5k that we did together - the St Patricks Day 5k back in March - but then it was below freezing!  This was July and the temps were in the mid 50's!  So much for the normal July temps that we had last week!  I, however, was looking forward to running tonight with the mild temperatures!

Finally, we were off!  As soon as we started running, I was feeling great and had a really good feeling about tonight!  I kept pretty good pace with Matt for the first mile and was pleasantly to find that I was keeping a 0:09:39 pace!  The question is, would I be able to keep it up?  I kept pushing on!  Matt did keep his pace even though I slowed down just a little.  However, being the awesome friend and running partner that he is, he slowed down and checked to make sure I was still behind him.  Once he found me in the crowd and I gave him the thumbs up, he would keep pushing on.

During the second mile, my phone started having issues and my app was not recording accurately so was going to have to wait to get my official time at the end since I knew that my time was going to be off because the app kept pausing.  I kept pushing and Matt continued to make sure I was behind him.  I was feeling great!!  Just as I was coming into the parking lot back at Lambeau Field, I could not help but smile - there was Matt waiting for me so that we could run through the stadium and finish together.

We were making great time and just had the last stretch to go!!  We found ourselves slowed down though when we were trying to get into the stadium.  There was a bottle neck at the entrance to the tunnel leading into the field and we were almost at a stand still a few times.  Finally we made it into the stadium and made our lap around the field (of course having to run around people that were stopping to take pictures inside the stadium), then it was back into the tunnel and dealing with another bottle neck getting out.  Once we hit the bottom of the stairs coming out of the stadium, the final push was on.  Matt turned and told me to kick it in... he didn't need to say anything more.  I was going for it!  The hill coming up from the back of the tunnel was tough but that was not going to stop me now!

I am not really sure where that final burst of energy came from but I was on the move.  Hopefully my body was not going to make me regret it later!

When we crossed the finish line, it was a great feeling to know that I just conquered that 5k with everything that I had and did my best!  Time to head to the results tent to see just how well we did...

Official time - 0:30:09!  Missed breaking that 30 minute 5k but 8 seconds!!!!  If it was not for the bottle neck in and out of the stadium, that milestone would have been mine!  However, given the fact that I just finished that run after not running for a week and having dealt with a cold for the last week, I was ecstatic!

I know that I can break that 30 minute 5k barrier!! I give great thanks to Matt for believing in my and pushing me to do my best!  I am forever grateful!!  Together we will run through every goal we set for ourselves this summer!

Post race campfire at Matt and Molly's

Next weekend, Warrior Dash Wisconsin!  Get prepared to get muddy!!

Happy Birthday USA

Liberty 5K in Baraga this morning was the perfect way to start the holiday festivities!  I put in my Black Rock Star Flower and was ready to run strong to the end.

Zena and I met up at the start line bright and early.  After spending the better part of this week training together for this run, we were ready.  It was awesome to actually run this event in my hometown, running some of the same streets that we had to run in high school for track practice.  I remember how much I hated running these hill then, don't think it is going to be any better today! Before the run started I ran into several friends from high school that (aside from Facebook) I have not seen in many many years.  Being about to reconnect with them made the morning that much more enjoyable.

This event was definitely smaller than the 5k's that I usually run, but it was a nice change after running the Bellin this year with it's record breaking crowd (20,000 runners/walkers).  The weather was also perfect for a run.

Right from the start, Zena was off like a rocket.  I already knew that I was never going to keep pace with her.  I was feeling good and was going to run my race and run it the best that I could!  Running with friends along the course made it that much more enjoyable!  

Shortly after the race started I found myself running with a high school classmate (Tina) and we ran together for a short time.  This was her first ever 5K that she was running - So proud of her for getting out there and challenging herself!  At several points during the race, we would find ourselves running together, even if just for a short distance at a time.  Whenever she was in front of me, I made sure that I didn't get her get too far ahead (thanks for pushing me to keep moving up those hills!).  The one big hill on the course was just as much of a killer as I remember from High School, but I was determined to give it my all and not let it get the best of me!  (the black line on the photo to the right is the elevation change on the course... Mile 2 was not a friend to anyone today!)

I conquered the main part of the hill but then also had the rest of mile 2 to get through (virtually the entire mile was all uphill!)  Just as I was finally nearing the top of the up hilly stretch, I also had the honor of running a short part of this race with Fellow Flowers Co-Founder Tori Sager's Dad, Scott (aka Coach or Mr K).  Scott was one of the coaches when I was in school as well as one of my teachers.  (yes the joys of running in my small hometown)!  It was great to see him out on the course today, enjoying the day with everyone else and giving it his all!  Tori, you should be very proud of your dad - I know he will rock that half marathon in Marquette!!  I was also happy to see several other flowers in the crowd for the race today!

 A short distance from the finish line, Tina and I found ourselves in step again.  My Runtastic App told me that I had just his 3 miles and a time of 0:29:30.  I had 30 seconds to make the last stretch and break that under 30 minute wall. We made our push for the finish line together.  I told her that we were finishing this strong!  I picked up my step and she was right behind me all the way!  You are a rock star Tina!  Well done!!

In the end, my official time was 0:30:22... SO CLOSE!  That hill by the Drive-in Restaurant that we had to climb got the best of me (as well as having to stop and tie my shoe!).  I will never complain about todays run though - I shaved almost 2 minutes off my 5K PR for this summer!!  Average pace, 0:09:49 minute/mile!  I also finished 3rd in my division, not too far behind Zena who pulled out a first place finish in our age division!

Also very proud of my son!  Darrin ran his first race in the last year today!  With very little training, he finished in a very respectable 45 minutes!  Way to go my little goober!  You did awesome!!

While we were waiting for the awards ceremony after our race, I also found out that Matt finished his 5K this morning in Kaukauna in under 30 minutes!  His official time was 0:29:01!  So proud of him for reaching that under 30 milestone!  

Time to get out and enjoy the rest of the day!  Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July!

Lazy Lobster Run 5 Mile Run 2013

aka Birthday Hangover Classic 2013

Today was the Lazy Lobster Race 5 Miles Run with Wendy.  This run is a race in conjunction with the myTeam Triumph team in Cape Cod.  No, we were NOT in Cape Code this morning...  They are actually running the race tomorrow (June 16th) in Massachusetts but they contacted the local mTT chapter to invite them to participate as virtual runners for this event.  With our paid registration, we would get all the t-shirts, goodie bags and medals that the actual event participants would be receiving.  Wait - we get a medal for this?  Count us in!!  It's all about the bling baby!

Wendy and I before our 5 mile run

As virtual runners for this event, we had to option to run our 5 miles at any time, on any course of our choosing.  We chose to do our run today... the day AFTER my birthday party!  They say that running cures hangovers so we were going to test that theory!  Granted, we actually woke up feeling pretty good after the festivities of the night before, so this was going to be a good run!  This was also going to be the longest run Wendy has done in the last few years, after dealing with a few injuries.  It's going to be a slow 5 miles, but it will still is going to be 5 miles!

It was a great morning for our run, we just needed to make sure we stayed ahead of the storms that were foretasted to hit the area this afternoon!  The cool breeze when we started was very promising for a comfortable run.  Unfortunately that was short lived.  The breeze did stick around but it wasn't as cool as it was when we started and you could feel the humidity level rising.  But we plugged through it. It was actually nice to hit the Mountain Bay Trail for part of our run, as that took us more into the shade, instead of in the bright beating sun that decided to come out!

We ended up hitting 5 miles in 1 hour and 1 minute!  Not bad for what we were saying was going to be a "slow run" today!  We also finished at the perfect time - as I was driving home it started to rain.  Granted it was a light cool rain that would have actually been nice to run in, but it was still rain!

It was a great day for a fun run that benefited a great cause!  Best part?  Shortly after I got home, the mail arrived and I received my t-shirt and medal from Cape Cod for this race!  I LOVE the Lobster Medal!!

T-shirt, bib number and medal from Cape Cod!