Latest reviews by Amy Schlotthauer

(2017)
"Fun event in the middle of winter!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

2017 was the second year in a row that I participated in the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay and it was the second year in a row I had a ton of fun. The race is inside the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, WI which features a 3-lane track, the middle lane of which measures 450 m around. The relay event is part of a whole weekend of races including a 5K, half-marathon and marathon. Laps around counted by a digital counter worn on the runner's ankle. This timing chip counts as your "baton" in the relay and thus you have to transfer it from Runner A to Runner B during the event.

T-Shirts/SWAG: Shirt is a nice, technical fabric long sleeve shirt with unisex sizing.

Aid Stations: During the relay race organizers have a table with large coolers of Gatorade, and water that runners can use to refill their own water bottles. Since this is a relay, you are on the sidelines of the track and can be eating and drinking whatever you want when you are not running. The race organizers also have food and drinks in a large room upstairs in the Pettit Center which features the most amazing homemade sugar cut-out cookies that a woman has been making for the event for several years. These cookies are one of the best parts of the race!

Course Scenery: You are running around a track, so scenery does not vary. However, there are people all around the track cheering for teammates and the race organizers play music during the whole event so it is never boring. They also email registered participants in the weeks leading up to the event to see if you have any song requests.

Expo Quality: N/A

Elevation: N/A

Parking/Access: The Pettit Center has a lot of parking availability.

Race Management: I love this event! It has a very homegrown, friendly and fun quality about it and it is a unique experience. One of the best races available in our city.

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(2016)
"Great race for a PR, BABY!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

I was working on a goal of getting a half-marathon PR and if all things went right, a sub 1:30 half. Finish time: 1:29:18!!!!! I share this because that information goes a long way in loving this race :)

Now it's time for a breakdown.

T-Shirts/SWAG: Shirt is a nice, technical fabric long sleeve shirt with thumb holes and gender-specific. Typically I am a size M in women's shirts and I wish I would have tried this on at the expo because it is small. I would have switched to a large.

Aid Stations: I did not use the aid stations, but they were very visible and the volunteers were really great. I recall them being spaced out nicely.

Course Scenery: The course is really fun. You get a nice flavor of different aspects of the city and never get bored. I thought the course was marked well.

Expo Quality: The expo was good but SO CROWDED. The space did not seem large enough. I had to stand in line twice because I was given the wrong bib. Luckily I looked at the bib before leaving. The range of vendors seemed good. All vendors should be better marked. I participated in some marketing promotion and had a lot of trouble finding the booth to fill out an experience survey. They had some fun activities for kids to do which my kids enjoyed.

Elevation: There was one large hill in the beginning and a gradual incline up Wisconsin Ave. Overall, a fairly flat course.

Parking/Access: I thought the parking was a little annoying. I found a street spot FAR away from the start which was fine for me because I used the walk as an warm up.

Race Management: I could tell that they were trying very hard and it was only the second year of the event. There were still some mishaps. The race start time kept getting changed, which was annoying. It didn't seem that there were enough porta potties, especially since I was in line until the VERY LAST second before the start. The fact that gear check, porta potties, etc were all on wet, muddy grass was unfortunate. My toes were wet despite walking weirdly through these areas so as not to get my feet wet.

As far as the "festival" portion, it would be so cool to use a local beer as the sponsor instead of Coors.

I loved the bouncy house and rock wall climbing as it offered my kids something to do while my family waited for me at the finish.

The food trucks were fun, but to be honest, I didn't really feel like eating from them at the end of my race (around 8:45/9 AM).

FREE RACE PHOTOS!!! Super awesome touch!

I loved how the age group awards were given out right at the finish and that I didn't have to wait for an "awards ceremony". As someone who loves having her family, including two little kids (ages 6 and 3) at the finish, it can make for a long experience having to wait for awards.

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(2016)
"Great event!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

We got to the race about 30 minutes ahead of the start - plenty of time for me to get a warm up in. Except that I didn't. I still felt tired and out of sorts so I decided that I was just going to do the race and let it be what it was.

We started up at the finish when a woman next to me asked how fast I was going to run because she wanted to gauge where she was in line. I told her that I would maybe run it in the mid-upper 19s. She tried convincing me to move to the front but I stayed where I was (still near the front but not at the line).

The gun went off and I started running. I was grateful that my ear pain was nonexistent as I was wondering if the pounding during running would affect it. About halfway through the first mile, I found myself running with another woman. We were the lead females. The pace felt comfortable, but at one mile, my watch beeped: 6:04. Ok, so that is too fast. My goal for mile 2 was to stay with the other woman if I could. I was able to do that and our second mile was 6:25.

I felt really tired and hot by the time I was running the third mile. I just wanted to be done with the race. I ended up pulling ahead a bit and I didn't have any idea of how far back the woman had fallen. I was essentially running by myself - time for some major snot rocket action. Felt so much better to get those sinuses cleared!

I was still really tired so I checked my watch - 2.4 miles. I then checked my watch every 0.1 miles. That last 0.7 miles took forever. You cross a small bridge and turn left right at mile 3 and so I tried to push it in for the final 0.1 mile. I could see the clock ticking as I was running toward the finish...19:49, 19:50, 19:51 and I tried to just get there before I saw 20. My final time was 19:58 and I maintained the first place female spot! The second place female finished in 20:09; the third in 20:35. I spoke with both women for a bit afterwards. The second place female injured her hamstring only a few days prior! She was also in my same age group (35-39). We were commiserating at how hot it was. The third place woman (in 40-44 age group) got second last year with a 19:46 (19:40 won it last year) so we were definitely slower than last year's field. Go upper 30s/lower 40s age group!!!!
My efforts were rewarded with a $50 gift card to Bartolotta Restaurants. Date night is on me, ha ha ha.

The event was really nicely done. 1,048 people finished the race, 552 of which were women. The post-race party included Sprecher root beer floats, grilled burgers and Collectivo Coffee. I definitely plan on doing it in future years. There was a lot for my kids to look at while I was running. While my time wasn't the greatest, I was happy with the race given my coming-off-of-injury, saddled-with-ear-infection-and-inflamed-sinuses status.

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(2016)
"Fun Cross-Country Type Race"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Overall I enjoyed this race. The course is fun and reminded me of high school cross-country, as it occurs on the UW Sheboygan County campus. If you signed up early, you got an drawstring bag filled with samples and the t-shirts are technical fabric. It is a low cost race and money is raised for pediatric emergency transport.

This is one of the few races that I have encountered that offers cash prizes for winners - $500 for the top female and male racers!

The vendor expo was a lot of fun for my kids to partake in while I was running.

The post race food is pretty incredible: bagel sandwiches, strawberry soup and bananas-free to all registered participants.

The only complaint I have is access to the race. You have to drive to Acuity Health, park in their structure, and take a bus to the start/finish/expo area. Therefore, you are dependent on the bus/shuttle system as to when you get there and leave.

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(2016)
"5K PR BABY!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

I got to the start around 8:30 am, parked and set off for my 2 mile warm up. I definitely was nervous, but also excited. My legs felt good and loose by the time I was done. I peeled off my pants and left them in the car and then ventured to the start in my Oiselle singlet, my stride shorts, and a long sleeve. I had about ten minutes until the start.

It was COLD. At one minute to go, I peeled off my long sleeve and ditched it in a bush near the start. Everyone else was wearing long sleeves and pants. I knew I would get hot though and was already warm so I stuck with the tank and shorts.

At the start. I never want to start ON the starting line. I know I should be a little more confident about this. I lined up behind a woman who was on the starting line and she was wearing a jersey from a local running store's team. I hypothesized that she was likely fast. I also saw a woman who beat me at my last 5K attempt, in September. This made me excited. Competition! Bring it!

The gun went off and I started running at a fast pace, but not all out. I ended up in one of the lead packs of men. I had no idea where other women were for most of the first mile. At around the first mile mark, the running store lady passed me. My watch beeped: 6:07. I knew I had to run 6:06 miles or better to break 19. I was happy with that first mile - it didn't feel too fast, but was still on pace.

For most of the second mile, I just stayed with the first place lady. She had a (male) friend that was cheering her on like "you got this"...which I just pretended that he was cheering for me. I didn't know what our 2nd mile was during the race (it was 6:01) but we lost him by that point and then it was just the two of us.

Then I started getting nervous. I felt good, but didn't want to pass her and then run out of steam. Decisions, decisions. I decided to stay with her. Then we came to a small hill. This was like my personal version of Heartbreak Hill. I totally fell apart on the real Heartbreak hill last month and I was NOT doing that again. I passed her on the uphill and then just kept running. I had no idea how far behind me she was (not very) and I rounded a corner at mile 3 (didn't hear my split). I saw the finish line and the finish clock - It was still in the 18s!!!! I ran fast and crossed the finish. My watch said 18:54. I congratulated the second place woman and thanked her for pushing me, relaying that I had been trying to break 19 for a year and a half!

I walked over to the results tent because I wanted to be sure it was official before I really celebrated. I looked up my bib number and there it was. 18:53 OFFICIAL RESULT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Second place was 18:58). EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!

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