Wisconsin Half Marathon Recap

Top of the morning to you lovelies.

So, last Saturday a bunch of us runners had big plans to run the Wisconsin Half Marathon, billed as "The Cheesiest Marathon".  We ran it last year, and had a freaking blast.

This year, I didn't feel super well trained going in.  In fact, I had such small expectations that I didn't even right the requisite pre-race blog post can I/can't I/goals A-Z post.  The horror.

On the 2.5 hour drive to Kenosha on the day before the race, I was feeling anxious.  Super anxious to be away from home, to not be working, to do this great thing I had so looked forward to for months.  Nine runner buds were all meeting and staying in a hotel together, and I couldn't get out of my own damn head enough to appreciate the days ahead.

Eventually, with the help of a Sea Dog and a walk in a driving rainstorm along a glorious and violently crashing Lake Michigan, I finally felt ready to enjoy the weekend. 

After an early night, we woke up on Saturday morning to picturesque running conditions.  Fifty degrees, barely a breeze, and a glorious lakefront course.  Splendid.

As we lined up at the start, I knew I could PR (1:55:30, an 8:48 pace), but I was hoping to just squeak by with miles in the 8:30s or 8:40s.

Mile 1-3 - 8:27, 8:10, 8:05
Rough, rough, rough.  I wasn't looking at my Garmin, so I didn't know my pace was a bit ahead of where I wanted to be, but these miles felt slllloooowww.  I felt like it was a damn eternity between mile markers, and I even convinced myself I had missed the mile two marker.... until I saw it five minutes later.  Ugh.

Miles 4-6 7:58, 7:46,7:57
I ate a little something something (Black Cherry Shotblok, just one) at 3.5 because I was dying for something to make this shitty race feel easier.  I popped in my headphones, jammed out to a little Rage Against the Machine, and miraculously, my pace increased and my effort level decreased.  A lot.  All praise be to sugar and rap metal. 

I glanced at my Garmin just once I think during these miles, saw a 7:20 real-time pace, and decided that was the end of my Garmin looking, because that shit was terrifying.  That's my 5k, verge-of-hurling, gaspy pace.  But it felt OK.  I was going to run by feel, and that was that.

I remember running up a little incline, feeling strong, feeling awesome, when I made the decision to follow Plan Fuck-The-Garmin, and I thought, "This is going to make an interesting blog post." I wasn't sure if I would blow up in a mile or PR like a madman, but sometimes bad decisions make good stories.... which also happens to be my personal motto.  When I'm drunk.

Miles 7-13 7:47, 7:46, 7:43, 7:53, 7:44, 7:46, 7:55
I won't even make this suspenseful guys.  My pace was ridiculously fast for me, and it was strong and steady.  It was a great, great race.

I finished with a 1:44:09.  And that feels crazy.

                               
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Wisconsin Half Marathon

F25-29

 

*** 1:44:09***

7:57 pace

 

Overall: 245/2272

Div: 9/217

Sex: 52/1402

          
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Post-race, we enjoyed brats, and beer, cheering in my super awesome runner buds, and general silliness at a brewery and then a craft beer bar. 

Sub 2s all around.



Sarah, Lish, Kathy, Rachel, me, Matt, Joan, Amy



Our love is majestic.  And a little creepy.



So proud of my mom... half marathon #3!!!



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Something that I did completely differently for this race was fueling.  Normally, I'll take three shot bloks over a five or so minute period at about 4 miles, 8 miles, and maaayyybe 10.5-11 if I'm dying. 

On Saturday, I took one ShotBlok (1/3 serving) at 3.5ish... and then I kept eating.  I pretty much popped one in my mouth each and every time I felt a big laggy.  I went through six, so I'm guessing I took one every 10-15 minutes, and it was awesome

Have you ever screwed around with your fueling strategy?  How'd that work out for you?