Tag Archives: race recap

August 2, 2014 · 10:10 am

The Teen Summit and my favorite summer race

The youth programming within Trout Unlimited (the Headwaters program) is pretty much amazing. My coworkers, Frankin and Rochelle, are the coolest people. Kids who have gone through a youth camp in their state are eligible to apply to the Teen Summit. It’s a camp for teens that show leadership potential, and they all happen to be killer anglers. 🙂
The summit is in a different state every year, and this year, it was in our beautiful driftless area at Sugar Creek Bible Camp, so I went down to help. 🙂 Here’s some of my favorite images from those few days…

It was a really great time, and I left totally inspired by the future of TU.
I made the drive home (a couple hours) and felt like I could sleep for days, but I worked on photos and other work, trying to get caught up. All this travel makes me so thankful for my home- Brian, my garden, my burr grinder (and my favorite coffee!), my favorite fur baby. I was so thankful for my own bed, and I needed the rest, since I only had one day at home before my favorite summer race- the Heart and Sole race, in Pittsville, Wisconsin. Pittsville is a tiny little town in the exact center of Wisconsin, and this race raises money for the firefighters of this town. It’s a little five mile race, and it’s always on the day before the 4th of July, so the weather is unpredictable. Last year, it was 98 degrees, but the weather was lovely this year, in the 70s. I went with George and his friend, Sara.

It was Sara’s first race, so she ran the two mile option, and we had an awesome race. It started with bagpipes playing (America, The Beautiful instead of the national anthem)…

This race is well known for their post-race treats, including the homemade granola. I love that stuff, and apparently, so does this girl. 🙂

We all survived and thrived during this race, and George and I crossed the line together at 46:12.

We hopped in George’s car and carpooled home, where I slept soundly Thursday night, in anticipation for my big weekend ahead: a mustard museum tour and Ashley’s wedding! More of that to come in my next post 😉
Thanks for reading, friends!
Miles this year: 347.25

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July 27, 2014 · 10:40 am

Heidi and the Very Busy Weekend

I started my crazy weekend by heading down to the driftless area of Wisconsin- specifically Viroqua, for a Wisconsin TU State Council meeting. All of these meetings are scheduled in a way that makes fishing in fabulous places a reality. I was able to get a few casts in on the Kickapoo with Doug on Friday evening…

I participated in an exciting meeting with my favorite WITU guys…

Bill Heart spoiled me with some maple syrup…

And Aaron and I went out to Camp Creek and fished after the meeting. Yes, I out fished him 😉

This fishing trip was actually the first time that I ever lost track of time out on the stream. I’ve surely come a long way. 🙂 I sped out of the driftless and popped in at Ashley’s bachelorette party in the Wisconsin Dells. I couldn’t stay long, since I had to run home and make pasta salad for 60 people for my sister-in-law, Megan, as we were hosting a big baby shower for her the next day. I came home, and Brian had already cooked all my pasta, so I only needed to assemble.
Oh… and pack for the Green Bay half marathon that I foolishly signed up for Sunday morning between that meeting and the baby shower.
I slept a few hours, and Brian loaded me in the car with all my race gear and baby shower stuff, plus shower accessories and a change of clothes. I met up with Carmel, and we ran the race together.

It was perfect weather- we were a little chilly at the start, but we warmed up once we got moving.
This is what you missed for 12.5 miles…

My favorite part of this race is the end, when we run through Lambeau Field. I always cry happy tears during that lap.

It was an awesome race with fantastic company, and I cruised across the finish line at 2:11:47. Brian was waiting very near the finish line with the car running, and we sped off to New London, so I could shower at my mother-in-love’s house. I went from sweaty to ready in no time, and we headed off to the party. It was beautifully planned by the sisters and mothers and aunts of the momma-to-be, and Megan was just glowing.

We tried to take it easy the following week, with a few photo shoots. More fun to come! 🙂
As always, thanks for reading, friends.

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November 14, 2013 · 2:28 pm

Madison Marathon recap 2013

I’m skipping ahead chronologically because I want to tell you all about the fun that was the Madison Marathon this year.
When the marathon organizers changed the date from May to November, I was a little nervous about the cold, and I was right to be. Race morning, it was in the 30s, with a slight wind. The race starts and ends at the capital, which is exciting , but presents some problems… the first 1/2 mile is downhill (so people go too fast) and the last 1/2 mile is uphill, so you’re spending your last bit of energy struggling up a hill! Good thing we stopped for coffee before the race. That cup of steaming liquid magic got me through the wait for the gun to go off!

I started with the selfies around the first mile 🙂

I tried to catch photos that show how hilly the course was…

Here is my sexy shadow self, somewhere around mile 10, next to a stranger in a hat.

There is a big hill around mile 17, and once you make it to the top, there is a beautiful view!

How about this sign?

I know that some of you think I’m crazy for taking photos and tweeting while running, but here is proof that I’m not the only one…

I loved this little kid and I definitely touched that sign. You betcha.

Around mile 18, I started to feel a little jello-y in my legs, but nothing too serious. I felt like Gumby!

Brian was waiting for me right around mile 19, and caught me midfueling… Swedish fish FTW.

The course had a little loop, so I saw him again around mile 20…

I’m typically a hot runner, so cold races are kind of miserable because I want my gloves for the first two miles, then my hands get too warm. I ended up taking my gloves off and putting them back on a dozen times during this race. The wind got to me!
Amanda was volunteering at the mile 21 water station, so I was looking forward to seeing her! Even with the hills and the cold, I was feeling great.

I walked through the mile 22 aid station to drink my water, and when I tried to start running again, I noticed that my right quad had tightened up noticeably, and my gait changed dramatically. It’s almost like my right leg refused to land on a bent knee, so I had to land on an almost straight leg. How crazy. It changed the end of my race big time.
Luckily, Santa was there, coming to my rescue at the mile 23 aid station. If I didn’t have pictures of this, you would probably think I’d started hallucinating.

The last three miles of this race are basically an out-and-back on John Nolen Drive. It overlooks Lake Monona, right in Madison.

When you turn around to head back, you’re at about mile 24.5, but it feels (and looks!) like the Capitol is sooooooo far away.

Mile 26, starting the last uphill…

Brian was waiting right by the finish line for me…

And I did it. Marathon number seven, finished. It was a slow race, made worse by the last five miles (I was in my way to a PR until mile 20!), but I pulled my gimpy butt across the line in 4:54:36.

We ran back to our hotel in Middleton (the Extended Stay suites, highly recommend!), I took an ice bath, ate leftover Chinese food, and headed home. Oh, after a quick stop at CherryBerry to eat my weight in froyo. 🙂

Miles this year: 400.2

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October 10, 2013 · 4:04 pm

Riverfront Jazz Festival, Justiceworks 1/2, and fish shocking! :)

I love running. So every year, when fall rolls around, I find myself signing up for the Justiceworks 1/2 marathon on Labor Day weekend, since it’s practically in my backyard. It apparently doesn’t matter if it fits in my training schedule, I just can’t pass it up. So this year, I rode my cruiser over to the park to pick up my race packet on Friday night, and settled in for a good race on Saturday morning.
I fueled normally, drank a cup of coffee, and ran the 3/4 mile to the start line. I saw Robert, and we hung out and chatted until the trumpet began to play, and we were off!
The first miles go through downtown, then campus, and around Lake Joanis in Schmeekle Reserve. Imagine my surprise when I saw Ray around mile three, manning the water station!

I chatted with a mom of three from Rapids for a few miles, then our entertainment started! This sweet choir was singing for us around mile 5.

Miles, oh, 5-10ish are an out-and-back, and I love those. I get to say hi and smile at everyone both coming and going! I saw a couple friends, Eric and Lauryn, and met a lot of strangers. I danced at all the end-of-driveway boom boxes, made jokes with spectators, and basically had fun. Around mile nine, the humidity was starting to get to me, and I was feeling a little cranky!

I did what any logical person would do- I ran faster, caught up to the guy in yellow ahead of me, and started talking. Turns out, it was his first half marathon! I gave him a couple mile pep talk, then zoomed off. Drank some water…

…and ran into my friend, Heather, who was guarding the cross-street around mile 12. She saw me coming and snapped these two 🙂

I came in all happy and smiley, and got my medal. Then, I looped back around about a half mile to cheer on my new friend in yellow to his first half finish. 🙂 He looked like he was having a hard time, so I was happy to lift his spirits for the final stretch.
I found Robert…

…and Eric and Lauryn. 🙂

All in all, it was a good race. A lady pulled me aside at the finish line, and told me that running behind me is miserable. She smiled, but said that suffering for 13.1 miles behind someone who is laughing, smiling, singing, dancing, cheering on strangers, and making jokes… well, that just adds insult to injury. She laughed, and I gave her a hug! I ran home, showered, then got ready to head over to Riverfront Jazz Festival to do some work!
Here is some of my favorites from both days, along with some of the friends who joined us for live music along the Wisconsin River. 🙂

Riverfront Jazz Festival is free to the public, and they sell raffle tickets and take donations to support jazz scholarships at the university. It wasn’t that long ago that we were selling tickets, hoping for a scholarship! We drank lots of wine, ate delicious food, and laughed, sang, and danced. ❤
On Labor Day Tuesday, I went night fishing in waders for the first time, pretty much unsuccessfully. I've been hex fishing in a kayak, and I've fished up until dark before, even fishing until I had to walk out in the dark, but I've never tried wading and casting in the dark before. I didn't even care that I didn't catch a fish because the fly we used was sooooooooooooooooo cute…

Adorable, right?!
I also took my annual trip out with the DNR fisheries guys on a shocking expedition. We went on a section that has been heavily repaired by our local TU chapters, so I was anxious to see the results of the work that we’ve done.
The crew…

…other awesome stuff…

…and, of course, the fish!

It was pretty much the best field trip ever! Fish are awesome! I felt a sense of personal pride when trout came out from under structures we’ve built for them. That river is mine, and yours, and I am glad that we’re taking care of it. ❤

Since my blog readership is so widespread and growing, the likelihood that a congressman is reading this is pretty high, right? In that case, I wanted to share a quote I heard directly on a call this morning.

“Outside of Washington, D.C., conservation is not a partisan issue.”
-Lynn Scarlett

Dear Congress, I’m begging you, for all of the previously mentioned reasons… Please let us get back to our work.

Miles this year: 337.4

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November 26, 2012 · 12:59 pm

Missing Misty and Thanksgiving, with Noodleini 2012 race recap

Hello, blogosphere. Things have been wonderful over here in our little home. We’re starting to get in the holiday spirit, which makes everything seem more cozy and makes me more sentimental.
On that note, I’d like to dedicate this post to our favorite old dog, Misty.
We had to put Misty to sleep a few weeks ago, and our home hasn’t been the same since.

We loved Misty with all that we had, and we cuddled her extra lovingly during the last few days. I took my “office” downstairs and worked next to her for a few days, and I cried many tears into her black fur. Even in her old age of thirteen years, she only had a few grey hairs.

On my last morning with her, I brewed coffee as usual, and I wanted to capture the moment- one that shows how much I loved having Misty in my life, especially the “coffee talk.”

We love you, Misty. We take comfort in knowing she is somewhere better, living a pain-free life and playing with all the beloved pets that are already there.
Aw, man. I’m crying already. Let’s move on to happier thoughts, yes?
This past week was one of my favorites- THANKSGIVING! For the fourth year, I hosted dinner at my house for my mom and grandparents, and my mother-in-law and her boyfriend. Thanksgiving at our house has come a long way- the first year, we had just finished screwing in the drywall, we hadn’t even taped or mudded yet… And now, our home is almost finished, and beautiful! As usual, Grammie carved the turkey.

My grandparents are awesome, and awesomely funny, too!

I made my signature pies…

…and homemade whipped cream, too! I forgot to take pictures of everything else- but I served a salad with dried cranberries, walnuts, and blue cheese, fresh biscuits, classic dressing, a quinoa dressing, fresh cranberry sauce, whipped potatoes, turkey and gravy, squash casserole, and steamed carrots. Thanks to all the ladies, for bringing contributions to dinner! We ate on time, and the turkey was the best yet!
I had barely finished digesting when my long-time BFF Amy and I headed to Appleton for some Black Friday shopping. We left at 9 pm and came home around 6 am. It was entirely successful, and Brian and I spent the remainder of Friday cuddling and relaxing. We went for a walk with Abbie to the grocery store, and it was a chilly reminder of what weather is to come.
Saturday early afternoon was Thanksgiving with the Wiskowski clan. I didn’t take any pictures- I was too busy greeting everyone! We had a record-breaking crew of 54 folks this year… That’s my kind of Thanksgiving! We left a little early to head over to Brian’s grandpa’s 80th birthday party at the Car Show building in Iola. Everyone came from near and far for this event…

Happy birthday, Marlin!!

We left that party to head to Waupaca’s Ale House to capture some images from the Sweet Lips Comedy tour for the January issue of Hoopla. This particular show was focused on deer hunting, and those guys are hilarious!

After a long day, we slept soundly until that alarm went off early Sunday, at 4:45, and we headed out to DePere for the Noodleini 15K. I love that race. Last year, I ran it with 8:48 splits, and I was so proud. This year, the Noodleini was my longest run since Cape Cod, and I was hoping to finish strong, but didn’t anticipate that I could match last year’s effort. It was a cold and icy morning, with a chilly wind.

Those 9.3 miles really did fly by, but I was much slower than last year. I kept thinking about how disappointed I was last year when I didn’t place in my division, and that really weighed me down, mentally. I did run a good race, solid effort, and came in strong, happy, and very ready to be done.

My final time ended up being 1:28:36, 9:30 average pace.

In a twist of fate, my time last year would have won me first place this year. Of course, we were all slower because of the weather, but here I am, trying not to beat myself up over it. Next year. I’ll catch those girls next year.
We headed out immediately since I was pretty cold, and I hopped right in a hot shower at my mother-in-law’s house. It was wonderful, and I emerged from the shower, warmed up and salt-free, just in time for an asparagus frittata. I’m a lucky girl! After lunch, we went out to the back woods to pick out our Christmas tree.

Since it’s hunting season, we took precautions to be visible… 🙂

We found one…

…and it looks great in our living room! I’ll put up photos of the tree soon 🙂
Thanks for sticking with me on my blogging hiatus. I’m happy to be back!

Miles this year: 627.2

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September 25, 2012 · 9:55 am

Leah and Eric, Fox Cities Half race recap, and our birthday party!

We had one heck of a weekend over here 🙂
I started my Friday morning by using up the last of the coffee I bought at Seattle’s Pike Place Market Starbucks. Delicious! I guess I better start planning my trip back!

I did some photo work and prepped for the busy weekend, then headed out for a quick 4 miler before Brian came home. I ran along the river, which was chilly but beautiful. Check out that algae!

My cousin, Ryan, from Chicago, called me on Friday afternoon to let me know he was on his way up to Wausau for a wedding. It was an awesome surprise! We drove up there to pick him up and take him to dinner.

After I asked him a million questions about the wedding, I realized that he was attending the wedding that we were shooting the next day- the lovely Leah Tucker and Eric Taylor.

We did those engagement portraits up at Rib Mountain State Park last fall, and we captured their wedding at St. Florian’s in Hatley, WI. Here’s a photo recap of their beautiful wedding day.

…and quite possibly my favorite, which was inspired by the way I saw the sunlight making the corn glow…

We were finished after those photos, so we headed home to pack up and prepare for Sunday’s Fox Cities Half Marathon. We took our pups and my gear out to New London to stay at my mother-in-law’s home. We went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Appleton, and since it was our birthdays, they had us put on these huge hats, stand on a chair, and dance while the waitstaff sang- then they gave us some dessert and had us close our eyes while they put whipped cream on our chins. It was quite the spectacle, and a big surprise. 🙂 I didn’t know to have the camera ready for that, but I did get this photo, with our server. 🙂

We took our full bellies back to my MIL’s, and we crashed hard. Sunday’s race morning alarm went off early at 4:45, and it was a balmy 34 degrees. This is appropriate race gear…

Just kidding. That my top layer for pre-race. 🙂 My DO sister, Ashley, ran this half marathon, too- and her boyfriend, Eric, our other sister, Mary, and of course, my best race supporter, Brian, were all there.

Sisters. 🙂 I feel like a giant.
The race was chilly, but I got used to the temperature and found a nice little groove. Running for Rachael has been interesting this year- from heat advisories to freeze warnings!

I was running the first couple miles and talking to Ashley, until I suggested she go right ahead without me since she’s faster! 🙂 For the first time, I didn’t have a plan for the race. I usually have everything planned, from my socks to my pre-race breakfast to my pace. This time, I wore my winter gear for the first time this season, forgot breakfast and ate a pumpkin scone from Starbucks, and began to think I should have prepared to run a PR in this race, instead of taking things so casually. Since my marathons this spring were slow (and painful!), I began to wonder if my days of running faster were over. Of course, I’m processing this during miles 3 and 4… And I am well aware that my upcoming Clam Chowdah Challenge race times are not going to be PRs. I thought, well… I might as well make this race a PR, then. Mile five was a perfect time to run across (pun intended!) Mary, running as a angel for Team Triumph. How inspiring! Way to go, sole sister.

I started trying to do some math in my head. In order to beat my last PR (2:03:30), how fast did I need to go for the remaining miles? Could I walk through those water stations? I needed the Gatorade- I didn’t pack any fuel. Hmmm… I kept cruising along. Our friends were waiting at mile 7, with smiles and encouragement.

I felt really good during this race. Miles 7-12 were great, I prayed a little for Rachael and TK, and I made a grocery list in my head. Casual, no? 🙂 Kimmy was out there somewhere- she text me encouragement, then I passed her around mile 12. I was starting to feel out of energy. I should have grabbed one of those bananas… Thanks for that last cheer, Kim- I needed it! Ashley finished a few minutes ahead of me with a PR of 1:50 something. ~~Insert Paul Ryan marathon time joke here.~~

I spent the last mile reminiscing of finishing my first full marathon on that course, and pulled it in with a PR of 2:01:44.

Special thanks to my massage guy- he fixed me up good so I could continue on with my busy day.

Congratulations, Ashley! We rocked it out.

Oh, happy day. I held this little card (and my blankie!) tight as I slept on the way home.

As soon as I got home, showered, and got dressed, we turned to full-on party mode. I got the cider and mulling spices simmering on the stove, the chicken pot pie filling warming in the crock pot, and started getting snacks plated. Sunday was Brian’s actual birthday, so we had some friends over to celebrate.

I made us a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting from scratch, and it was delicious!

Brace yourself for this hilarious preview of what Brian and I will look like with kids…

Thanks for celebrating with us, friends! You’re all wonderful and we’re blessed to have you in our lives! The fifth annual Oberstadt birthday party was a success. I had to leave our own party at 5 to go teach ballroom lessons- more tango and waltz. The real challenge is trying to simultaneously wear compression socks and ballroom shoes. Classy.
I’m back to work, returning emails and editing photos before meeting a bride in Wausau tonight and shooting some fall engagements up in Tomahawk tonight. It will be a busy week! 🙂

Miles this year: 513.35

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April 22, 2012 · 7:15 pm

Oshkosh 1/2 marathon 2012 race recap and cute dogs :)

It was a beautiful, slightly chilly day for a race. Brian and I woke up at 5 am, got dressed and ate breakfast (yogurt, bananas, chia, agave), then headed off to Oshkosh. We got there around 6, and I stopped at the race HQ to pick up my bib. I was so happy to see Nancy, Thomas, Kim, and Kim’s awesome grandma there. Thomas ran the 5K this morning and took 1st in his age group and 3rd overall! Way to go, Thomas! 🙂

Brian and I continued our race tradition in Oshkosh and walked over to a little coffee shop, where we got coffee, kept warm, and hung out.

Brian is the best spectator and race support system. 🙂

At 6:50, we left the coffee shop and walked the block to the starting line.

I started the race with a track jacket and thin gloves, since it was chilly. It was about 40 degrees. The first few miles were good- I went out at about a 9:00 pace. I took a few Gu Chomps at mile 3, but got a little sick to my stomach; I tried to ignore that feeling. I ran with the 2:00 pace group for a while, but I knew that I couldn’t keep that up, so I let myself stay back when they pulled ahead around mile 4. I played a lot of mind games with myself in miles 4-6. I kept looking at the people in front of me and wondered who might be competing with me in Athena. I intentionally slowed my pace to about 9:15 and thought if I hung in there at that pace, I could make my goal of 2:02. Brian was waiting for me at mile 6 and took my jacket and coat, encouraged me, and blew me a kiss.

I continued along for three miles until I saw him again. During that time, I tried to eat a few more Gu Chomps, but thought I might just yak them up, so I decided to forgo solid-ish fuels for the rest of the race and stick with Gatorade on the course.
Miles 9-12 are kind of rough in this race. We run through a business area and there aren’t many spectators. The best part of that section was when a 65-ish year old woman cheered me on and said, “What is this? A fashion show? You look great!” It was the cutest thing ever. I was wearing a new purple running skirt, so I was pretty cute, haha.
I started thinking about TK and Rachael around mile 10. A few tears escaped my eyes, but with all the salt from sweating, the crying hurt. 😦
The last few miles, my ~~baby cows~~ calves were cramping. I was afraid that would happen- but I pressed on. As a result, I had to take more walk breaks than I wanted to. 😦
I still knew that a PR was in my future, so I was able to will myself in through the finish line chute…

…with a final time of 2:03:30. That’s two minutes faster than my previous 1/2 PR, so yay for that. Second race for Rachael in the books. 🙂

On to the not-as-fun part.
So, I mentioned in this post that I signed up to run this race as an Athena. I thought I’d have a chance of getting a good placement in this division. Even with running a new PR, I placed 9th out of 17. I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t disappointed in myself. I’d be lying if I said that a part of me didn’t feel really defeated. If I can’t even compete realistically against the other big girls, then why bother competing at all? I’m still sort of struggling with that concept. It might have been a mistake to mentally give myself permission to compete for real- I might have been setting myself up for failure.
I may just go back to trying to compete against myself for a while.
Anyway, I stopped at the stretching tent for a little help with recovery. They had a chiropractor there who was VERY helpful for my sore calves and hips.

And of course, I had to have a cup of Drop Dead Blonde. Thanks, Point Beer, for being an sponsor! It was like a little taste of home 🙂

Brian drove me back to New London and I immediately hopped in the shower. I was one salty, sweaty, cold runner girl. After my shower, we went outside to play with our pups. Brace yourself for some shameless pictures of my cute pups. 🙂

Abbie got a “war wound” on her nose from a branch in the woods.

That didn’t stop her from helping with shucking the corn!

Poor cute thing. She also entirely covered herself in mud. I rested my legs a bit, I was feeling pretty tired after that run.

We had a great lunch of turkey burgers, roasted veggies, and sweet corn (thanks, Jean!), then packed up and headed home.

That’s all for now. Sorry to be a downer, but the bottom line is that I’m proud of my PR, and I hope there are more to come. I’m still as strong as ever!

Miles this year: 210.3

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March 4, 2012 · 6:41 pm

Winter running, FINALLY!

We’ve had a snowy week here in Stevens Point. Lots of heavy, wet snow!
I ran outside on one of those snowy days. I have been battling a cold all week, and I really wanted to make some soup, but I was out of my favorite gobbetti noodles. Since the roads were dangerous, I thought I’d just run over to the co-op to pick them up. Some of the sidewalks were clear, and some of the roads were plowed, but there was almost never a clear path. It was a run-turned-core workout to stay upright. 🙂

I carried the noodles home like Donald Driver carries the football, and I even got some words of encouragement from Robert Terrell as he drove by! 🙂 I guess I have a recognizable ponytail.

My cold pretty much knocked me out of commission for a couple days, so I was resting at home, trying to get well in time for the Point Bock Run. I woke up yesterday morning feeling pretty bad, but wanted to race anyway. Luckily, there are were so many of my friends running that my mood was lifted as we waited at the start line. I saw George right as we were about to begin- and he was sporting an O’so hat.

The weather was pretty chilly- it was around 30 degrees but with winds at 15 mph. The roads were clear but wet, so I didn’t have any traction problems… In fact, the sound of other runners with their snow cleats hitting the road was so distracting! I was aiming for a pace just under 9 min/mile, and I was right on the money for the first three miles. That was no small feat, since the beginning of the race seemed really clogged with walkers and slow runners. I may have started too far back in the pack for my pace, but I spent the first two miles weaving in and out of people, dodging snot rockets, and trying to be polite. I cheered for Breeda, Rick, Thomas, Mary, and many other friends as we crossed paths at the turnaround. I also saw Casey, the incredible man that was the focus of the charity entries this year… He was rocking the course in his wheelchair and we were all cheering for him. (It reminded me of my mantra from last year: I run because I CAN.)
::GROSS WARNING:: As my body started warming up, my sinuses started draining down the back of my throat and I started to get really sick to my stomach. My self talk changed from, “Just keep it up and you’ll meet your goal and set a PR” to “Screw the PR, don’t embarrass yourself and puke. Whatever you do, don’t puke. You’re a marathoner, for crying out loud. DO NOT PUKE.” I made a decision to slow down and go easy on my poor tummy. One of my favorite parts of any race is the very end, where lots of spectators are cheering and the end is in sight. My “coach” and friend, Nancy, was standing with Brian, yelling my name, and the Terrell family was there, shouting for me, too. 😀 I came in with a time of 46:24, which is, indeed, a PR, but my biggest achievement was not yakking on the course. I loved my breakfast quinoa, but I didn’t want to see it again. 🙂
As I walked over to grab a banana and a beer, I ran into Alicia, my neighbor from my childhood home. (Volkman St, represent!) Wow, we’ve grown up! I bet our mothers are proud. 🙂

One of my favorite parts of this race is that I am literally surrounded by friends. George, Robert and Pam, Amber, Avery, Joe, Sondra and Jon, Kim and Joel and Thomas, Nancy and Rick, Breeda, Tawnya, Brad and Katie, Scott, Michelle and Wally, Nick, Julie and Dan, Adam, Alicia, Jay, Josh, Mary… So many, I can’t even remember everyone. I love it!

All in all, it was a good race, but I was happy to come home to a hot shower and some hot tea. 🙂 Brian headed over to the Nowinski home to bottle up some homebrew, and a bunch of our friends showed up for dinner. Fresh bread bowls and homemade soup! Joe wins the chef-of-the-day award for his sweet potato chili. Yum!!
We went over to O’so to celebrate a good race and visit Marc, Katina, and Katie. Kenny, Tom, and Dan came out to visit. Awesome reunion of friends!

Tag Archives: race recap

The Teen Summit and my favorite summer race

Heidi and the Very Busy Weekend

Madison Marathon recap 2013

Riverfront Jazz Festival, Justiceworks 1/2, and fish shocking! :)

Missing Misty and Thanksgiving, with Noodleini 2012 race recap

Leah and Eric, Fox Cities Half race recap, and our birthday party!

Oshkosh 1/2 marathon 2012 race recap and cute dogs :)

Winter running, FINALLY!

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Tag Archives: race recap

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