Tag Archives: wisconsin marathon

My First Marathon: Wisconsin Marathon 2012

14 May 318268_648819334207_51601164_32895865_1576860562_n

That’s right: I DID IT! I completed my first marathon! I finished in 4:17:13, which is faster than my ‘non-goal’ – to finish (in 4:30).

We did it! 26.2, done!

Amanda gave a good rundown of what the race was like; the marathon followed the same out and back loop as the half marathon, then added on another out-and-back loop. I’ll have to agree with Amanda – even though it was a small race with sparse crowd support, it was so nice to be able to pass racing friends. I knew quite a few volunteers, as well. They did a really great job cheering us on!

Thank goodness Sarah Stanley was with me for the race; she wasn’t kidding when she said I’d really need her at the end. I felt great for the first 16 or so; we had a great time chatting, laughing, and high fiving people. The nice thing about having Sarah there was that I just didn’t worry about my time – I let her look at her watch and make sure we weren’t going too fast. My Nike+ tracking was off (clocked in 28 miles rather than 26.2), so I’m not 100% sure on timing, but I probably did the first half in 2 hours or so.

We did a lot of smiling, waving, and high fiving during the first half

Giving my husband, Mike (running photographer extraordinaire) the thumbs up!

Between miles 16-20 was when I started to mentally break down. I just wanted to be done, and knew I still had 8-10 miles left. I started to get some strange shooting pains, and my body started aching. My mile 19 chip time was 2:59:18. I stopped to walk a little at 21 or 22, and then started back up again. I was fine to run through the pain. Mile 23 was when you took the turn to the ‘home stretch’, heading back towards the finish line. Trust me, “only a 5k left” wasn’t much consolation at that point;)

I stopped in that last stretch once – was losing my breath as we headed directly into the wind coming off of Lake Michigan. Yuck! I’m assuming in those last 8 miles I probably ran over 10 minute miles, especially with the walking.

The finish was great – felt a lot of emotions – only felt like crying for a brief moment. I was so happy to be done! You know I gave it my all since I couldn’t even bring myself to have a post-race beer. ;) I could barely walk once I stopped, but after a warm shower and a long nap, I felt pretty decent on that night.

It was harder than I expected, and I’m glad I’m already registered for the Chicago Marathon. No way out; no excuses!

My ‘recovery’ has been quick. The morning after the race, we left for Napa, CA vacation. We did a lot of walking during the trip (and I did a lot of stretching), so that may have helped my recovery, but I was really only sore for 2-3 days after the race, which surprised me. I haven’t run (or worked out for that matter) all week; I am meeting a friend for a light run this week and I’m going to start doing some cross training, but I’m trying to keep the running to the minimum this week as well, then try to start up on some shorter runs next week. I really want to give my body some time to recover and give myself a mental break from training!

Any other post-marathon recovery tips out there?

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The Cheesiest Half Marathon

6 May Wisconsin Marathon and Half Marathon 2012

Wisconsin Marathon and Half Marathon 2012More than anything this year, the one running goal I had in mind was to beat my PR from last year’s Wisconsin Half Marathon. My time then was 2:11:52.

With my previous half marathon times this year being 2:21:58 (Livestrong Half, 2/19) and 2:15:35 (South Shore Half, 4/7), squeaking out a 2:11 seemed like a far way off. I knew I could get close, but I just wasn’t sure if I could get all the way there.

Last year, I was able to train injury-free for months leading up to the Wisconsin Half Marathon. This year, however, I battled some injuries and couldn’t push myself too hard until about 6 weeks ago. And as far as running 10 minute pace long runs? I was able to hold up that pace for the first half of my long runs, but by the last few miles, I would always slow down a lot and really feel the burn in all of my body. I was worried that if I couldn’t hold that pace in a training run, how could I hold it during the race?

I was crazy nervous right before the run started – muscles jumpy, stomach tight and churning, and mind racing. Could I do it? It would be hard and maybe suck a little, but I thought I could do it. Thanks to pep talks from the boyfriend about how hard I have been working, some inspirational videos online, and the happy crowd and friends’ cheering support along the way, I started the race with the 10 minute pace at the top of my mind and really believing in myself.

But, I was nervous after the first mile… I felt like I was going at a comfortable pace, but I was also boxed in with the race crowd, so my time ended up being about 10:30. Crap. I was going to have to make up that extra 30 seconds somehow during the race.

My right leg was also super tight, and my right quad felt like lead. I told myself it was just weird nerves and that the tightness would go away after a few miles, but it never loosened up. Finally at mile 5, I told myself that the crappy feeling wasn’t going away and I would just have to deal with it. So that’s what I did.

The race course looped around the downtown of Kenosha’s harbor and then up north by Carthage College along the lake, where you turned around and ran the same route back. I kept my eye out for some faster friends on their turn back, as well as my sister Brandi, who was running a 9:30 pace ahead of me. It made me happy to see her and my other friends, as well as some familiar faces cheering along the side of the road, so those distractions helped me get through the next couple of miles on pace and without thinking too much about how hard I was running to make sure I got my goal.

Cheering friends

Thanks friends for cheering me on!

When I got to mile 9, I looked at my watch and realized, with 4 miles left, that I could get my PR if I kept up the pace and then picked it up a little bit for the last two miles. I got to mile 11, where one of my work friends did a jig in the street for me, all the while cheering me on. At this point, I was so focused that all I could do was watch and smile, but it helped so much! I had 2 miles to go, and this was where I had to make my move. I picked up the pace a little bit more and kept chugging along.

I got to mile 12, where you turned around and headed back to the finish line for the final mile. Accelerate! I picked up the pace even more and started passing people left and right, hoping that I wasn’t starting to kick too early. I got to the last quarter-mile and just gave it everything I had. I ran by my boyfriend and bro-in-law as they screamed at me that I had to get going to get my time. I heard some other people I knew cheering for me but I didn’t even look around – I kept staring forward at the finish line and ran as fast as I could.

Sprinting to the finish of the Wisconsin Half Marathon 2012.

Sprinting it in the home stretch!

Beep. I crossed the finish line, stopped my watch and looked down.

2:11:05.

Hello, PR.

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Pre-race Ramblings

5 May

Today is the day!

I write this as I sip my coffee and listen to the rain pound on the roof, while I wait for Brandi & husband to arrive before we head to our race: The Wisconsin Marathon & Half Marathon.

For me, it will be my third half marathon this year…and the one I want SO badly to PR at! I am pretty certain I can get a PR for this year, but what I would love to do is beat my time from last year’s race. It was 2:11. To do that, I need to run around a 10:05 pace or under…and that is a tall order from my last half marathon, only a handful of weeks ago, where I ran a little over 2:15. But, for the first time all year, I have been able to run the last several weeks injury-free, allowing me to finally push the pace, do more speed work, and pour myself into hard runs. We’ll see if the work pays off!

For Brandi, this is her first marathon. I know she is nervous, but I think she will do awesome (of course). She is one of the strongest people I know, and if anyone can beat a marathon, she can. Wish her luck over the next several hours as she keeps calm and runs on! As soon as I finish my half, I plan to track down her devoted husband and cheer her on the rest of the way in to the FINISH.

I can’t wait to get out there and run. I think this rain will pass – fingers crossed. The sun might not come out, but that’s okay. I feel sunny and excited on the inside. :)

(And come on, this IS Wisconsin, so can I say I am a little excited about the free beer & brat at the finish line?)

Here we go! Let’s get cheesey.

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Gearing Up for the Wisconsin Marathon

30 Apr marathon-gear

It’s marathon week! I can’t believe I’ll be running 26.2 miles next weekend. It has been a long journey, but after my 20-mile run, I feel ready.

I can’t wait to run with Sarah Stanley as the first step in the 12×12 Project, crossing the finish line at the marathon.

Now that my training is over, I’m left worrying about the details. What should I wear? What should I eat and drink during the race, and when? Should I stick with tried and true, or try something new? Should I sleep at my house and get up early to drive to the race, or stay at Amanda’s house, closer to the race? You get the picture… :)

I’m sticking with tried and true.

  • I found these comfy Roga running shorts by Oiselle that don’t chafe and have nice pockets.
  • Of course I’ll be sporting my running club’s club colors, since I credit them with inspiring me to run this marathon. Thanks Alpine Runners! Depending on the weather (forecast says low of 49, high of 66 and sunny), I’ll wear a t-shirt or tank. A Lululemon sports bra is a must!
  • My feet are most important – I’ve finally got a great formula to minimize blisters (a problem I’ve had my entire life). Thanks to the local running store, I now run in Brooks Adrenaline shoes and Thorlo socks.
  • To keep me going through the race, I’m going to stick with my favorite – Sports Beans, and something new(ish) for me – Enduralytes.
  • Lastly, I’ll be tracking my run with my new iPod Nano so I don’t have to carry my iPhone with me.

The only thing new for me will be waking up much earlier and having a longer drive to my run than usual – so I’ll probably eat a little more than normal, stop at the bathroom when we pick up Amanda, and then be good to go.

I can’t wait to conquer 26.2 – wish me luck! ~ Brandi

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