Saturday, May 4, 2013

Wisconsin Half Marathon Race Recap

When it comes to races, there are a few themes that resonate so deeply with my tastes that they would make any race under those themes a must-do for me.  This includes anything Blackhawks related (e.g. the Home Team Charity Run and the Mad Dash to Madison), anything food/cooking-related and/or Disney (e.g. the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon), and anything that goes towards the cause of animal shelters (e.g., the PAWS Run for Their Lives). 

Today, thanks to the Wisconsin Half Marathon, I added another theme to that list: CHEESE!


I grew up in the far north suburbs of Chicago, right on the Wisconsin border - and I've often said that I think I landed on the wrong side of the border because I love cheese so much.  Seriously - how did I go this long without running a cheese-themed race?  We're talking a race that has:
  • Cheese samples at both packet pickup as well as the finish line party
  • Cheese inside the runner post-run refreshment bags
  • A cheese-themed starting corral
  • The slogan that "We're on a mission from gouda"
  • Signs along the course that say things like, "The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese"
  • A race shirt that says "Say cheese" on the back



Moving away from the cheese discussion for a moment (albeit reluctantly).  My friend Katie, who lives in Kenosha about 10 minutes away from the start line, was so kind to let me stay at her place the night before (thanks again, Katie!)  We met up with Lauren, Kayla, and Sierra for a yummy Italian dinner.  (I don't really feel the need to carbo-load for races anymore but I still stuffed myself with way too much pasta.)  Then, Katie and I went back to her house to watch the Blackhawks game.  (Unfortunately it was an 8:30 PM puck drop and I had intended to be in bed by 10:00 or 10:30 at the latest.  Not surprisingly, though, I got immersed in the Hawks game and didn't get to bed until about 11:30.  Oops.)


If they had compression socks like this, I'd be the very first customer.
Alas, I digress.

The weather forecasts for this morning had been predicting anywhere from temps in the low 40s to the low 60s, with/without rain and wind.  This posed a conundrum in terms of what to wear, but the weather ended up being nearly perfect by my standards.

During the race I focused on not starting too quickly, running the course tangents, and enjoying the energy of my fellow runners and spectators.  There were about 3,300 runners, so the streets never felt too crowded.  I also thoroughly enjoyed the course, which ran through downtown Kenosha, ornate residential neighborhoods, and along the Wisconsin lakefront.   

Katie was an amazing spectator - I saw her at miles 3, 6, 9, and at the finish line.  She took some fantastic photos along the course, too.  Check out some of the costumes she saw:

Katie said that people were ringing cow bells here, and this runner yelled, "More me bell!"

Check out the guy on the right who is running in a full business suit (I thought he was a race official when I first saw him).  That suit must have seemed like a good idea for the first mile or so.  I wonder if he lost a bet or something?

There's Waldo!

Katie took some nice photos of me along the course, too.  Here's me in a good, normal-looking runner pose:



... followed by the obligatory race photo body spasm:


In terms of race performance, I did not push myself extremely hard.  I had not trained as much as I wanted to - my longest training run prior to today was only 10 miles.  I am also still battling a bit of a runny nose and some minor coughing left over from last week's cold.  As a result of taking things easier, the distance today actually didn't feel too difficult (during half marathons I am usually dying by mile 11).  It felt good to finish feeling strong, but it is also definitely a sign that I took things easier than I could have.

Here's a couple pictures of me approaching the finish line:


My chip time was 2:25:07.  In retrospect, I do wish that I had put forth a harder effort.  But on the bright side, it felt like it took much less effort to achieve this time than it would have a year ago, especially without a lot of training this year.  So that is something to be happy about.

Here's a picture of Katie and me after the finish:

Katie and I were trying to figure out what she could wear to make herself stand out amongst all the spectators.  She offered to wear a Chicago Cubs hat.  But, as she herself so diligently noted, I picked a hat from her collection that more directly suited my own preferences. ;-)

Here's one of (from L to R) Lauren, me, Kayla, and Sierra:


Huge congratulations go out to Sierra for completing her first marathon - and running a killer time, at that!

Here's the medal.  I love how cute and quirky it is!  Notice how it even has a bottle opener on its right side.  I'm not a beer drinker but you have to appreciate the nod to Wisconsin specialties.  =D


All in all, I loved this race.  Kim had had the highest recommendations for this race, having done it five years in a row, and I can certainly see why.  It is incredibly affordable, well-organized, and down to earth, with wonderfully easy logistics, a GORGEOUS course along the Wisconsin lakefront, and a great medal and shirt.  This is by far my favorite of the six different half marathons I've ever run to date!  I definitely plan to be back in the future.

My next race: the Chicago 13.1 Marathon on June 8.

44 comments:

  1. great recap! As soon as I saw photos I thought, there better be a race spasm photo!!

    Sounds like a fun time, and the cheese! OH GOODNESS! YUM! bring some back for Cinco de Mayo Nachos??

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    1. Thanks, Declan! And I think that the race photo body spasm is definitely here to stay - it's like a knee-jerk reaction for me. =)

      Oooh, good call on bringing back the cheese for Cinco de Mayo nachos! Now I am getting hungry and cheese/crunch/salty things have always been such a weakness for me... time to go celebrate Cinco de Mayo!!! =D

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  2. I did this race a few years ago and liked the race too. Perhaps I might do it again some other time.

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    1. I vote for you to run it again! The affordability is so good compared to Chicago races! Plus I am told that its course has remained the same all these years - to which I would definitely say if it isn't broke, don't fix it, right? It'll be fun to run it again with some knowledge of the course!

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  3. Congrats! Sometimes it's nice to run a race and not push super-hard for a particular time. You get to just enjoy yourself. And you still managed a strong finish time!

    As for the cheese theme, count me in! I love cheese!

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    1. Thanks, Amy! It really is nice to run a race just for fun. It's actually a little addicting to just take it easy - I may never push myself very hard at a race ever again, LOL. And yay for all of us cheese lovers!!!

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  4. So much fun seeing you and hanging out this weekend! You did great. I know how that goes when after you are done you know you could've pushed yourself harder but sometimes its nice to just enjoy yourself and have fun than really trying to focus on a certain time. Great job! Your "easier pace" is about where I will be working to get to in the next year or so...whenever I have time to train. :)

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    1. Kayla, it was so good to see you and catch up this past weekend, too! You did great at the race, too, and I can't wait to read your race recap! Considering that neither of us felt like we trained as much as we wanted, I'd say the race was a huge success for both of us. And keep on wearing those fabulous running skirts, too - they are such a great way to find you along the course. =)

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  5. Congrats on a great race! The guy in the cow suit did the full marathon. I saw him a few times on the course. Amazing people can run in costumes, I can barely run in running clothes:).

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    1. Congratulations to you, too, on your fantastic marathon finish!!! I can't wait to hear more of the details. You must be enjoying a chance to relax today, yes? I am also amazed that people can run in costumes (and I've seen some insanely uncomfortable ones, too, like a hockey goalie mask for example). I am definitely someone that is challenged just by running in running clothes, too. =D

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  6. Replies
    1. I grew up in Lindenhurst, IL and went to Antioch High School!!! It is halfway in between Chicago and Milwaukee. I did many family trips to Wisconsin with my parents when I was growing up!

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  7. WHOO HOO!! Congrats on another 13.1 :) I am happy to hear this race seemed much easier for you than ones last year. You definitely did the right thing by taking it a little easier- youve had a rough time with the injury and the cold. And I love that spastic race photo of you! Seems like a great race- maybe next year it could make my list :)

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    1. Thanks, Xaar! Yay for additional spastic race photos to add to the collection, and for running races more just for fun once in awhile. =) I definitely vote that you run Wisconsin next year - I think you would really enjoy it!!! And CONGRATULATIONS again to you on your new 5K yesterday, WOO HOO!!!

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  8. So, I freaking adored this race, and the only thing I am sad about is that I missed seeing you!! Congrats!

    (that dude in the cow costume beats me EVERY YEAR. sigh)

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    1. Oh! and I ran with the dude in the business suit for a minute! he had the hugest smile on his face and said, "you gotta have FUN with it!"

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    2. Bobbi!!! I was so bummed to have not seen you at all yesterday, too - and I wanted to give you an in-person birthday greeting from last month! Unfortunately I missed our 6:30 AM photo meetup by just a minute or two. =( But I am really excited to read your race recap and hear more about your experience yesterday!

      Oooh, I didn't know that the cow runner is a repeat runner in Wisconsin! I look forward to seeing him again next year. And that is so awesome that you got to chat with the guy in the business suit - he made quite an impression on all observers! What a great way for the spectators to be able to pick you out of a crowd, eh?

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    3. The cow guy is in my triathlon club --- I'm trying to find out who he is exactly!

      Emily - so great to see you and hang out at dinner & after the race! Redemption races when we're in better shape later this summer!

      I loved this race and the signage and overall good organization!

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    4. Lauren - please do get the scoop on the cow guy! I am curious if there's a story behind the cow costume. =D It was so great to see you and to hang out at dinner and afterwards, too! Your Pringles were a LIFESAVER and I am going to steal your trick of checking salty snacks in my gear check bag. =D And indeed - bring on the redemption races! (In the meantime, congrats again on your new PR!)

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    5. Loved the pringles idea! they were perfect! Lauren=genius :)

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    6. Lauren = genius, indeed. Too bad I can't put a deep dish pizza into my gear-check bag... =D

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  9. All of the cheese has me convinced that I need to do this race one of these years - what a fun theme! In addition to the cheese, I like the smaller size! I'm glad you had a good race! Taking it easy sounds like a good strategy after not training as much as you would have liked.

    And I finally got to see what Katie looks like! It's kind of funny that we worked together for years but never actually met (it's weirder that there's people in my building that I can say that about).

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    1. (PS - if you check my "race recaps" tab, I got a good body spasm photo at the IL Marathon last week!)

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    2. Anne! For sure, I think you would really love this race and its laidback vibe. Maybe next year you'll be up for it!?!?!?

      It is weird when you finally get to put a face to the name after working with someone over phone/email for a long time. At my prior company, they used to put our headshots on our instant messenger system so the pictures popped up when you IM'd them. That was nice, but then you also realize that a lot of people look different in person than in their headshots (especially if the pictures are old). =D

      WOO HOO for your body spasm photo at the IL Marathon!!! I am ALL about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    3. Maybe! I'm between that and the half at the IL Marathon, so I guess it depends on timing. Or my legs will have fallen off by the, who knows :)

      Pictures are optional on our IM system. I worked for a very small company that came around with a camera on your first day to get your picture, and that went up on the intranet. I liked being able to put a name to a face, though I did feel like it put me at a disadvantage sometimes because I was obviously a lot younger than people I was arguing - I mean, brainstorming - with ;-)

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    4. Anne, I am right there with you on the wondering when my legs will fall off question. =D And I am also right there with you regarding the comparative experience levels of the people that I've argued, er, uh, had animated discussion with, in the past. Incidentally, I had an old coworker who had this thick New Jersey accent and sounded like a real badass on the phone. But then when I met him in person he was this petite little guy that couldn't have been nicer. I enjoyed that discovery. =)

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  10. Congrats on the finish. It was probably good you did not push yourself given your runny nose and cough! Main thing is you had a great time! Congrats again! :-)

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    1. Thanks, Pete! It's funny how I was happy to not push myself during the race, but immediately after I saw my results I wished that I did. Obviously we can't have our cake and eat it too, but still. Maybe I should just not look at my results on those races where I don't push myself!

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  11. Yay! I'm glad you had a good race. Although you left out how AWESOME the volunteers were. Ahem. :-)

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    1. Ahh, I thought that it was obvious how awesome the volunteers were when I said that the race was so well-organized! =) But just in case anyone had any doubt,

      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!
      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!
      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!
      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!
      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!
      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!
      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!
      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!
      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!
      THE VOLUNTEERS WERE AWESOME!!!

      (You, of course, take the prize for being the MOST awesome of ALL the volunteers!)

      =) =) =)

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    1. Thanks, Maggie! Hopefully you are feeling better now from your weekend stomach bug - and I am excited to hear what new half you select in the coming weeks!

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  13. Congrats on the race there is no better feeling than to finish a marathon.

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    1. Thanks, Robert! However, as much as I would like to take credit for finishing a *full* marathon, alas, it was only a half marathon. But it's still a great feeling to cross that finish line. =)

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  14. I am so happy you came and loved this race like I do! I just wish I could have hung out with you more. Stupid visiting family. *cough cough*... what?!

    And that is awesome that you found this much easier than you would have last year! :)

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    1. Kim, I take your recommendations very seriously and you were so on target with this one. I really wish I could have hung out with you more, too - but we will definitely find another time to get together VERY soon!

      By the way, Anne is so lucky that you'll be pacing her at her first half. The last half I ran was with you, and you pushed me way more at that race than I was able to when running by myself this past weekend!!!

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    2. Thank you! It means so much to me when people value my opinion :)

      And yes! Soon! I keep hoping you will come up to see your parents... and stop by here? Hee hee.

      Aww, thank you! I had a lot of fun during our HM! I hope we have a chance to do something like that again!

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    3. I will be up north visiting my parents for Mother's Day and my mom's birthday soon! I'll let you know once I know more specifics - hopefully you'll be available, too!!!!! And I am really looking forward to running another race with you soon!!!!!

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    4. Cool! I hope I am around! I know I am free this Mother's Day night. I hope something works since I am being such a pita about the other idea you had :(

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    5. No worries on your schedule - you are quite a woman in demand for very good reason!!! =) =) =) I would love to come out and attend one of your fitness classes in person, by the way. Will have to get more details on your teaching schedule!

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    6. That would be great! Right now I only teach Monday nights at 6:30 but I want to do a one-time weekend class if people want to come... once I have a free weekend! :)

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    7. Please do keep me posted on your weekend class! I will be the first in line and excited to get buff via your expertise. =D

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  15. I love all the costume pics!! And the suit guy??? He must have been hurting after, lol

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    1. I seriously wonder what the story was behind wearing that business suit. I am uncomfortable wearing a suit while just sitting in an office chair, let alone running a half marathon in one. Yowza! At least he wore running shoes, though.

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