I’ve been looking forward the the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon all year! I have a soft spot in my heart for this event…it was my very 1st marathon back in 2007.

Friday night I attended the race expo located at the famous Lambeau Field. This location does not disappoint. The atrium is massive with lots of space for vendors to spread out. Runners can tour the grounds, visit the Pro Shop, and grab a bite to eat in addition to picking up their race packet. The layout is designed to get runners in and out with ease. All packets are on the upper level and the vendor booths are on the bottom floor. I arrived at 4pm just as the doors opened. Event staff had set up ropes to organized runners that come to the stadium early to retrieve their bibs. Many Luv2Run coaches were there to get their youth team shirts and bibs for the Saturday 5k. I was impressed with the speed at which the waiting runners were able to get upstairs and back down to move through the expo. Within 30 minutes all those waiting had made their way to the packet area and the congestion on the lower level disappeared. The volunteers were amazing. As you arrived to the top layer of the stadium I was greeted by staff to get my bib number, I then headed into the ballroom to get my actual packet. Everyone was cheerful and friendly. The Green Bay Running Club had a booth inside the packet area making it super easy for members to renew their membership. The whole process took me 10 minutes from start to finish. At 7pm the expo closed down. Runners could also pick up their packets on Saturday before and after the Kid’s Run & 5k events held in the morning. I did not return on Saturday, but was told that the expo was bananas busy.

I had been closely watching the weather prediction for race day. The hot topic among many runners at the expo on Friday was the impending heat on Sunday. Last year was hot too, which is typically not an issue for me, but like last year I did not have an opportunity to train in warmer weather. To combat this race organizers prepared to stock the aid stations with additional water, Gatorade, and ice (which was a life saver for marathoners).

Sunday morning I picked up a friend at 5:45 am to make the 7am start on time. We chatted on our drive in which helped to ease my nerves. After parking a few blocks away from the start line at the stadium we walked in. Construction at the stadium posed a parking challenge, but it was not awful (maybe added 5 more minutes of walking). The morning air was a little brisk, but quickly warmed up as the sun came out. Cindy visited the bathroom and I met up with fellow Oiselle birds who were also running. We caught up for a few minutes, took pictures, and got ready to head to the start. I meet up with Cindy and Katie after they got done at the bathrooms, the lines were shockingly short this year…props to the race director for increasing the number available and also staggering the start – 1/2 marathoners started at 8am.

I settled into my corral. I moved up towards the 4:30 group and snuck in behind the pacers. Again props to race crew we started on time and the corrals were moved up and out quickly. The temps were on the rise and by mile 3 we were all feeling the full brunt of things. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the wonderful volunteers at the aid stations, they were full of energy and kept the vibe positive from mile 1-26! Each station had plenty of items and the ice was a nice touch towards the end...never underestimate the beauty of cold ice when you are roasting.

The course was really interesting. A mix of city streets covering both the West (start/finish) and East side of Green Bay. We were able to also jump on the Fox River Trail for a few miles, travel through the famed City Stadium, and finished running through Lambeau Field. There are a few hills, but for the most part this is a flat. between miles 20-21 there is a bridge to climb, but you get to stay on the pavement and not cross metal grates (which are popular in WI and hard to remain stable on).

Race swag was spot on this year. Full & 1/2 marathon shirts were high quality (New Balance) orange tech fabric, but a different shade to differenciate between the two events. Currently we are in year 2 of the 3 year medal theme. When all is said and done the 3 put together complete a design of Lambeau Field including the iconic Curly and Vince Lambordi statues. Food and drink were plentiful after the race with live music to keep the party going.

Until next year! I need my 3rd medal to complete the series. #BeHappy #BeKind #BeActive

A few months back I was contacted through Twitter to see if I would be interested in running the Door County Half Marathon. A runner could no longer go…would I want her her bib? Even though Door County is right in my backyard (roughly 40 minutes away) I have never run this event. It was very kind of her to offer and I had the weekend open so why not give it a whirl!

2016 is about trying new races and challenging myself. From what I could gather pre-race this course was going to be a challenge. Door County is known for its beautiful hiking areas, which translates to a course with lots and lots of hills. Scoping out the elevation of the area I was able to confirm that my calves were going to get a workout. The early prediction did come with a chance of rain and cooler temperatures to start. With a later start time of 10am all signs pointed to awesome conditions for 13.1 miles.

Race morning went off without hitch. I was able to meet up with a few friends to drive to the shuttle locations. The course was uniquely laid out through Pennisula State Park, but due to the park being open for campers and hikers the parking lot could not hold all of the runner’s cars. There were several locations for runners to park and shuttle to the park. This has become common practice for races to cut down on the congestion at the race site. I was shocked at how well organized the shuttle system was run. We were able to get on the bus immediately which helped to keep us warm. The morning was brisk at 45 degrees and many runners were sporting goose bumps pre-race. We had hopped on the shuttle at Gibralter High School and had about a 20 minute ride to the park. Our driver was a hoot! He was able to fill us in on all the hidden gems of the area as we snaked through the park entrance to the start/finish line. Interestingly enough this would be the 1st year that beer would be served at the finish line as the town the race was held just voted to end their “dry” status. In previous years our driver mentioned that runners would have to take a beer token to local bars to claim their post-race spoils. Who knew?!?!?

Once off the bus we were escorted by volunteers up a set of stairs to the race village. We noted that there was a line of porta-potties at the shuttle drop off and contemplated making a stop as this can be a time killer at the start to wait in long lines to go pre-race. In the end we chose to go pick up our bibs and come back if needed. Much to our surprise as we came up the stairs there as an even longer line of prota-potties for runners and there was zero wait to get in…score! (This never happens, the lines are usually packed with people.) With tons of bathroom options we held off on our stop and headed to the packet pick up tent. This was the only area that was chaotic. The organizing letter to know which line to get in were on the buckets that contained the packets and you could not see them since runners were standing in front of them. I ended up standing in 2 wrong lines. Good thing we still had plenty of time to get ready otherwise this would have put my pre-race nerves on edge. After grabbing my packet we stripped down and checked our bag. It was still chilly out, but it was time to dive in as the announcer asked us to move to the start.

Like a dutiful group of cattle the group followed instructions and headed the 300 ft to the start line. The 1st wave to start would be the half marathoners with the 5k runners starting approximately 10 minutes later. We were greeted by a cheerful announcer to welcome us to the race followed by a beautiful rendition of God Bless America. There were numerous pacers sprinkled throughout the starting line with clear, visible signs making it very easy to slide into a group. In addition to their signs the pacers also had colorful shirts on – I have joined several pace groups throughout my running days and sometimes you lose them in a sea of runners, that would not be the case with these pacers…they stood out.

The gun went off precisely at 10am and we were headed out. As we turned our 1st corner 10ft from the start a bag pipe player serenaded us as the gorgeous scenery opened up before us. This by far was the most amazing course I have ever run. The beauty of this park was awesome, I was really glad that it was along paved roads and not a trail so that I could look up often and take in the blue skies, foliage, and open waters.

I had started with my friends and we stuck together for 3 miles or so. It was great to catch up and chit-chat taking in this wonderful course, but I with my hydration strategy to use my pack on the hills we ended up separating after the 1st water station. Even though we started chilly the weather warmed up and turned out to be the perfect conditions to run in. By the time we finished the temp had settled in the low 60s and the rain clouds were no where in sight. We lucked out for sure!

I had debated running on feel versus using my watch prior to the race starting and ended up going without since my GPS would not connect at the start. I usually don’t “zen run” but today was about having a good time and putting in some miles. I actually enjoyed not focusing on my splits and just settling in to a pace that felt comfortable. There were a few tiny hills and one major killer climb prior to the nice gradual down hill finish.

All in all this was a great race and I cannot thank Lisa enough for the bib. I’m not sure why I have not run it in the past, but I know for sure I will be registering in the future. The Door County Half Marathon truly is a hidden gem in the Northeast Wisconsin racing circuit. There were several runners that camped on site at the park prior to the race…might even try that next year too.

Here are a few more details…

Race Swag: long sleeve tech t-shirt, reusable gear bag, coupons
Medal (aka bling): huge, shiny, & well constructed
Pre-Race: water, vendors, tents to hang out under
Porta-Potties: lots and lots (zero lines to wait in at the start)

Post-Race: basic food (tons of cookies), water (but no water bottle, just paper cups which quite a few ended up on the ground), beer (the line was way too long to wait in – kind of annoying but not the end of the world), live music (the band was GREAT)

Oshkosh will always hold a special place in my heart. I have many wonderful memories from my days at UWO and jumped at the chance to run through the streets to for a moment relive my youth when my good friend Katie suggested we register for the marathon this year. I had run the 1/2 marathon a few years back, but had not tackled the marathon which was added in 2015. I had heard great things about the course and its use of the Tribal Heritage Trail. I was pleased to see that registration costs were reasonable ($80 at the time I signed up), there was day of packet pick up, and the distance from Luxemburg would not require overnight stay...winner, winner chicken dinner - sign me up!

The morning of the race we were able to quickly find a parking spot and walk over to the packet pick up area in the Best Western hotel (aka Oshkosh Convention Center). We both commented that there were a lot of people in the hotel, more so than either of us remembered from previous runnings of this event. Grabbing our race bibs and goodie bags was a seamless, quick process. There was very little fanfare in the convention center so we headed back to the car to finish getting dressed and head to the porta-potties. The lines were quite lengthy so Katie had on an expedition to find another location inside the finish area.

With about 5 minutes to the 7 am start we headed the 500 feet from our car to the start line and located our corral. Katie is much faster than I am so she headed up to the start. Pacers were used to segregate of the runners, but the 1/2 and full marathoners were mixed together. The start was a bit congested and confusing. Full marathoners were suppose to start 1st and 10 minutes later the half marathoners were to take off...this did not happen. The announcer came on and counted everyone down and off the whole group went. The first mile was slow going as the mob headed down Fraternity Row (Algoma Street). What a trip down memory lane! I was able to check out all the changes that have occurred since I was an undergrad student. Much to my surprise my sorority house was no longer in the same location. The Alpha Xi Deltas now are across the street from the place that I lived my junior year. Times have sure changed. The campus looked amazing with renovations to many buildings and the addition of a new Union area. To be young again and back in college. This little tour did not last long as we snaked our way through town and onto the trail.

We spent about 2 miles in town before we met with the Wiouwash State Recreational Trail and eventually headed onto the Tribal Heritage Trail. We would stay on the trails for the next 8 miles or so before being turned around at mile 10. This by far was my favorite part of this event. The sights and sounds to this area were amazing. We traveled over several wooden bridges (which were thankfully flat in nature) and got to take in the beauty of the area. The weather held around 45 degrees throughout the day and the rain stayed away until roughly 11:20 am. It was a great day for running.

The trails were a bit squishy from the previous days of rain, but not bad. I could feel the effort that was put in on the uneven surface and my legs were tired by mile 20. Knowing that we eventually would need to head back into the city I thought the concrete would be a welcomed change. What I did not anticipate was the last 4 miles of turns! We traversed through several streets turning A LOT. On tired legs this was tough and reminder that 26.2 miles is a distance to respect. Add on top of the turns we also experienced rain in the last few miles and a bridge to climb, it was a difficult finish and unique finish (more on that in a minute).

The Oshkosh Marathon was my 1st full marathon, but it did bring about a few 1st time occurances. Let's start with the awesome experience - Katie ran an a 3:33 which is the 1st time she has run a Boston Qualifying time! She has worked so hard over the last 9 years to achieve this lifetime goal. I am beyond proud and happy for her. Now for the not so cool 1st - I vomited at mile 23 in a porta-potty. Yuck to say the least and not something that I would like to EVER repeat!

All in all this was great race. In the future having more porta-potties at the start of the race, a stronger expo the day before (without a speaker & a lot of vendors we did not feel the need to travel down earlier to get our stuff), and a clearer start for each distance - I can see myself running this race again next year. I have passed these suggestions on to the guys at DuTriRun who are always receptive to suggestions and put on many quality events in Wisconsin.

Race day did not disappoint. Upon showing up to the packet pick up the snow flakes were massive and beginning to collect rapidly on the ground. Just to reiterate Spring has officially begun - or not! At the start of the race there about an inch of snow cover made for wet conditions. Prior to the gun going off we sang the National Anthem as a group which was a nice touch. Before I knew it we were off and the miles began to pile up. The temperature throughout the morning hovered around 30 degrees, not to shabby. Thankfully I grabbed a hat before I left home and was able to keep most of the flakes out of my eyes. Sadly though my shoes were soaked before we even finished the 1st mile.

This was one of the more interesting and diverse courses I have every run. We began by running down several cities streets within Waukesha for a few miles then turned onto a paved path. This was a nice surprise - I love not having to worry about cars, however, with the falling snow it was difficult to see what was in front of us so we have to keep our guard up at all times to not stumble on the cracked pavement. All in all there was about 3 inches of accumulation, but it melted with the consistent temps and runners moving through the area. I will say even though snow is not ideal it sure was beautiful as it coated the trees along the path.

Around mile 12 we turned abruptly to the right and headed down a ditch to emerge onto the famed Ice Age Trail. This is where things got TOUGH! With the snow the trail was a muddy mess. Each step required careful placement and constant awareness of our surroundings. There were a lot of tree roots and rocks to navigate around. The most challenging part was the squishy mud. To push off to take another step you 1st had to pull out your foot. Several times I wondered if my shoe would pop off and remain in the mud, luckily I had tied my laces tightly. After 2 miles we emerged from the trail to a set of stairs, yep...I said stairs. You would think that what goes up must come down which eventually it did but not before we had to climb a watch tower. Now I am deathly afraid of heights, like panic attack type of fear! Time to suck it up and get moving. The awesome volunteers at the tower had a ton of refreshments and food prepared for the runners. I was super glad that I wore my Orange Mud HydraQuiver vest and could easily drop off my bottles to get filled before taking on the tower to ring the bell. Being the big wimp that I am I grabbed the railing, closed my eyes, and put one foot in front of the other as fast as I possibly could. At the top I did not mess around...one picture to prove I made it up there alive and back down I went. This point in the race was a little over half way, which was a awful realization...I was tired and there was a lot of miles left to cover. Returning to the Ice Age Trail was harder on the way back now that several runners had covered the same route. Sloppy was an understatement. One mile took 20 minutes. The paved path was a welcomed friend, but by no means easy. My legs were tore up and sore! The last 1o miles were a struggle that required lots of mind tricks and games to keep moving. By mile 20 I was reduced to a walk/run strategy in order to finish. The weather did change around mile 22, the snow stopped but the temperature dropped and the wind picked up.

Water stations were well placed and stocked throughout the course with fantastic volunteers. My fingers were so cold at one of the stations that I could not open my Tailwind sticks to refill my bottle and as sweet volunteer kindly helped me. Each mile was well marked with big orange cones and arrows once we returned to the city streets. Despite the terrible weather this was a really enjoyable, unique race. One runner described it as his favorite "shitty race" - the medals are cheap and the shirts uninspiring (I bed to differ...I thought the shirts were nice, the option of a mug super cool, and the medal comparable to other races). The staggered start (marathon 8am, 1/2 marathon 9:30am, and 5k 10am) aided to keep the course from getting congested or dangerous. The after party was staged in a building feet from the finish line with a buffet of goodness - beer, coffee, bagels, cookies, and so much more.

Tons of runners stuck around and swapped stories after the race, but I cut out after a few minutes due to the unpredictable weather and the 2 hour drive home ahead of me. The walk back to my car was a wake up call, holy cow was I stiff and exhausted! This race beat me up. I typically bounce back after 2 days and am ready to rock. Not so much after the Trailbreaker. I was sore for several days and had to take my time getting back out training. It was a great reality check that trails need to be respected and I have to build up my strength before the Ice Age 50k in May! Back to the drawing board to dial in my training and introduce"Tire Tuesday" to my routine. Bring it Ice Age Trail - I'll be ready for you next time we met...now I know you mean business!

#BeHappy #BeKind #BeActive