Race Report: Quad Cities Micro Marathon (Kids Race)

A few months back, when I signed up for my half marathon, I saw that they also offered a kids race and thought I'd sign Paige up since it was only $10. We definitely got our money's worth and she had a great experience. It was located in downtown Moline, just down from the John Deere Pavillion. She got a great goody bag, filled with all sorts of local donations and a t-shirt.

They offered a really nice pre-race party, which included a dance party, local celebrity characters from Nestle and Happy Joes, balloons, free face painting, free bouncy castles. There were also nice water fountains, that the kids could have enjoyed if the weather had been better that day.

They offered a 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile and 1 mile race. The races were not based on age group, but based on the child's effort level. Paige chose "the middle one", which she felt comfortable with. They started each race one by one. The little toddlers were quite amusing in the first race, as several sat down in the middle of the rode, after they strutted for a few yards. Too cute!





For Paige's race they ran around a paved path and ended back at the start line. It was a nice short race, just enough for them to feel like they've accomplished something. Local "beauty queens" were there to sing the national anthem and hand out their finisher medals.




After the race, they also offered Happy Joe's pizza (which we tried out at a location in Davenport on Sunday -- yum!!!), Nestle Chocolate milk, water, Teddy Grahams, cookies and other goodies. The finisher ribbons were quite impressive as well. Paige had a blast!!

I think it was a great event for the little ones and was a great way to get them active and build self confidence through running

Race Report: Quad Cities Half Marathon

9/27/2009 – Quad Cities Half Marathon (Moline, IL) – 13.1 mile http://www.qcmarathon.org/quad-cities-marathon.html

On Saturday, we drove from Madison to the Quad Cities for my fourth half marathon of the 2009 racing season. It was about a 3 hour drive from our house. We had never been to the Quad Cities, and weren't sure what to expect.

The race started at the John Deere Pavillion in downtown Moline, Illinois. It was a nice "newly urban" area and we were quite impressed. It was right across the border from Davenport, Iowa, another one of the Quad Cities, located across the Mississippi River.

We got to the Race Expo and found my bib number, chip and goody bag.

After that, we headed over to the kids race, which Paige was participating in (another post to follow). Then, we headed back to the (smallish and crowded) race expo. We were happy to see that Bondi Band had a booth!! We purchased three (two for myself and a snazzy one for Jason), checked my chip and were on our way to the hotel. I also picked up my free copy of the QC marathon poster. It really does capture what the event is like and there is the awesome bridge I ran over early on in the race.

The hotel was located near the airport and the area was very unimpressive. The hotel accommodations were nice, but we had trouble finding a decent restaurant and the mall was half vacant. After a bummer of an evening (and adventure with the GPS system), we ended up back at the hotel for a family swim. The kids loved it and Jackson surprisingly went down well that night in the pack-n-play in the living room. Later, he woke up because we were located right off of the elevator and vending and someone was banging around with the ice maker in the hallway. Luckily, he did fall asleep and we got a decent night's sleep. The alarm was set for 5:30 (the race started at 7:30 AM). But, Jackson decided he had a great night's sleep and was up at 4:45. Paige soon followed in our bed before 5:00 and I surprisingly was fine with getting up. I was excited to race! We enjoyed the early continental breakfast that the hotel put out for the race participants and were on our way.

I was having stomach problems as usual, so I of course hit the bathrooms several times. There were about 20 port-a-potties, but the lines were way, way long. I got to the back of the start line as the national anthem was finishing up and there was less than two mins to spare. I was at the back of the marathon pacing groups, which was not ideal. But, at least I had made it there before the gun went off.

Jason and I were really impressed by the elite field at this race. Quite impressive for a smallish-midwestern race. The elite athletes, full marathon, half marathon and 5K participants all started at the same time, at 7:30 AM. There were about 4,000 athletes.



We started off through downtown Moline and under a huge American flag. We headed up the ramp onto the highway. We crossed the gorgeous bridge over the Mississippi River, over to Davenport, Iowa. This was VERY cool, but also VERY crowded. The participants for the half marathon and the full marathon were still on the same course at this point and road traffic was also taking up one lane. It took me over 10:30 to get to mile one (usually I am between 8:00 to 8:30 for my first mile). I thought that the mile marker was either off, or it was just due to the congestion.

There were a lot of hills along the course, which I wasn't aware of. A lot of commercial and residential neighborhoods for the first half of the course. Big bands, high school bands, small bands and singers and musicians lined the course every half mile to a mile. It was very nice. There was also a hot air balloon festival going on, so they had hot air balloons set up at each of these distances, throughout the race, too. It was all a very nice distraction.




The second half of the race started along the pedestrian path, along the Davenport side of the Mississippi River. Around mile 8, a women in front me twisted her ankle and fell down. Two other women stopped with her, so I kept on going. One of the water stations on the path was also not able to keep up with the demand of runners coming through at that point. There were a lot of angry people, not able to get their fluids in. Some of the water stations were also really crowded and you had no choice, but to walk up to tables to get your drinks and dart back and walk through other runners. Enough said. They did have energy gel at two points for the half marathon, which was awesome and I took advantage of them. I believe they helped me out a lot, since I never felt fatigued.

For the last part of the race, we crossed over to Arsenal Island, which wasn't as impressive as I thought for the first part. The second half was nice as we ran along the other pedestrian path, along the Mississippi river and then we crossed a bridge, to get back into Moline.



We came down an off ramp, intown downtown Moline and had about .1 miles to go. As I came down the off ramp, one of the leaders from the full marathon passed me, to head out on the rest of the marathon course (about six miles?). Dude, he just ran 20 miles, in the time I ran 13. Completely crazy!



I heard Paige yelling at me, to my right, as I ran in front of a fire truck. I realized that I wasn't going to get a new PR, but it was going to be my second fastest half marathon to date. And, I hadn't done any real training or true long runs since my last half marathon distance race in late-August. I was completely satisfied.



overall place: 464 out of 1525
division place: 30 out of 124
gender place: 149 out of 833
time: 1:57:18
pace: 8:58

The post race party was great, but I didn't feel like taking advantage of all the great eats. Brats or hotdogs, chips, cookies, soda, Nestle chocolate milks, fruit (loved the watermelon at that point!!), bagels and tons of other goodies. They were also doign post-race massage and I noticed that they had the bouncy castles, free for the little ones, that they had at the kids race the day before. The finishers medals were very nice, too.
We stuck around and watched the last of the half marathoners come through for the next 45 mins and watched the elite field come in from the full marathon.

1. Henry Kipsang 2:19:13

2. Jynocel Basweti 2:19:40

3. Geoffrey Birgen 2:20:48


1 female. Buzunesh Deba 2:44:22

Overall, I thought the race was great and had a great experience. The crowd support was great throughout the race and the volunteers were awesome, as usual. However, I don't think I'd head back to this race for quite some time. As there are so many other races to do, places to see and we weren't all that impressed by Moline (except for the downtown area). If we do go back, we'll house ourselves in Davenport or one of the other areas.

Races added to my Calendar for 2009

This weekend, we're heading off to the Quad Cities, where I will be running the half marathon portion of the marathon weekend. I look forward to seeing if I can break my half marathon PR of 1:55:59. Paige will also be running in their kid's race on Saturday afternoon. The weekend is supposed to be filled with fun, with a hot air balloon festival taking place all weekend. This will be my fourth half marathon of 2009.





My sister and I also signed up for the Innaugural Girls on the Run 5k in Waunakee on November 14. I will be starting the race with my sixteen-year-old sister, Kelsey, as she competes in her very first 5K. I'm so excited to be going a race that promotes getting young women and girls outdoors and encourages them to build confidence through the sport of running. I only wish I had discovered such a passion early on.

Jason and I also signed up for the Tyranena Beer run on November 7. I am excited to be doing another half marathon with him this year! He's sure to smoke me this time!! Much of my mom's relation lives in Lake Mills, so I'm hoping to see several familiar faces along the course. Jason is very excited about the post-race spread of and race-side "beer tent", after the race. This will be my fifth half marathon of 2009 and most likely my final race of the calendar year.

So true

My hubby is an Ironman!

He did it, he actually did it! Jason is an Ironman!! He finished the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run in 13:56:31. I am truly proud of him!!!

Getting there ... one step at a time

My mileage for August was quite weak. However, apparently it did not effect my race this past weekend. My marathon time was quite comparable to previous experiences, when I strictly followed my training program. I'm CONVINCED that this sport is 99% mental, especially when you have the "been there; done that attitude".

August: 67.0 miles
Year to date Mileage: 803.7 miles

You may recall from an earlier post that I wanted to drop some weight. I didn't reach my goal. But, despite the lack of mileage, I've lost about four pounds!! We've been watching what we're eating and Jason's been trying to convince to me eat more whole/natural foods. As opposed to all of my "diet" foods. Light and Fat Free don't necessarily mean better for you. I'm trying to take note of what my body is trying to tell me and what makes me feel full and what just satisfies my cravings.

I'd still like to round out my weight loss to the ten pound mark, by my next half marathon at the end of September. I'm hoping that all of Jason's motivation with his final days of Ironman Training will rub off on me. And that I won't cave into (most of) my cravings

Review: Running Princess Technical Shirt

I sparked up a conversation with a woman on the bus at Walt Disney World in January, when were there for Jason's first marathon. It was all because of this awesome shirt. It's made by running princess and was just the cutest thing ever!! I missed out on purchasing one at the race expo (because were there the day before).

The front says:

My Glass Slipper

The back says:

The race is my ball.

My running shoes are my glass slippers.

The finish line is my prince charming.

And the accomplishment is my happily ever after.

Of course I HAD to have this. I ordered it earlier this summer and love it. It fits true-to-size and is super comfortable.

I wore this down to pick up my race packet on Friday and received several fun comments, even one from a little girl! I will definitely be rocking this at the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend in March!!

Madison Mini Marathon

This morning, I ran the Inaugural Madison Mini Marathon, a 13.1 mile course through downtown Madison, Wisconsin. It was a super chilly morning to be walking around in a tank and shorts, but it ended up being a very comfortable run, after I started to break a sweat. I'm not sure my family or the other spectators felt that way though. Everyone looked a bit chilly with jeans, sweatshirts and coats on in AUGUST. It felt more like a late-October morning. A bit crazy, since my back was itchy and peeling from a recent sunburn I got at one of the Wisconsin Dells waterparks just this past Monday! .... Only in Wisconsin!

The crowd support was great and I was able to see my family quite a few times; boosting my energy each time I ran into them! I saw Jason and the kids just past the start line and then about mile 3. I also so my parents and my sister about ten (yes 10!) times. They kept popping up everywhere during the second half of the course; on foot and even in the car!! It was very comical and made me do a lot of laughing throughout the race as they waved their hands and screamed out the mini van doors!!

I hadn't been training much this month and haven't been putting in anywhere close to the mileage this month that I should be. I've skipped so many workouts and my longest runs were 6 and 9 miles.

I've also been battling shin splints still, so I've been trying to take several consecutive days off to let them get better. And, it's worked. I had absolutely no pain or stress in my calves today. And I felt great the entire race.

The cool weather and overcast was a nice change from previously distance races I've competed in. I welcomed the cool breeze and the cloud-coverage.

The course was great, starting at the UW Memorial Union, winding past the State Capitol Square (where the weekly farmer's market was going on), winding through the UW Campus, the zoo, Arboretum and back through the Campus Lake Shore Path. The finish line was back at the Union.

The crowd support and volunteers were great. Each mile marker was marked and they also had the clock available at each station. I believe there were also ten water/Gatorade stations in all. It was phenomenally organized and the post-race refreshments were great, too (water, muffins, cheese crackers, potato chips and trail mix). I will definitely be doing this race again next year.






I did NOT break my PR (personal record) of 1:55:59 . But, I am extremely satisfied with my time, considering the shin problems and my lack of training.

Chip Time: 1:57:52
Overall Place: 1211 / 2430
Gender Place: 445 / 1278
Division Place (age group): 90 / 282
6Mile mark: 52:48
Pace: 9:00/mile

Goals Met and Goals Set

Well, I exceeded my (minimal) goal of running 100 miles last month, but would have like to have run a lot more in July; since I had off 11 consecutive days. I logged 104.6 miles in July; bringing my 2009 total to 738.8 miles to date.

While I was off with the kids last week, I didn't set my alarm to get up early because: a) I was lazy and slept in every minute that I could; and b) Jason has been getting up before work to go to the pool or out for a run so that he can get two workouts in a day some days, for his Ironman Training. No excuses ... I was just NOT ambitious!!

I did manage to do two semi-long runs last week of 9 miles and a 10 mile race.

I was shocked when the alarm went off at 4:15 AM this morning to get up for work. I dragged myself out of bed, put on my running shoes and headed out the door for a 5K, before heading to the office. It's amazing what a difference two weeks will make. Before my vacation, the sun was always coming up over the horizon during the last half of my morning workout. This morning, it was still completely dark when I arrived back home. Dark, or not, I felt great having gotten my workout in before 5AM!!

My last pair of running shoes were purchased back in March I believe and I guess I didn't realize how many miles I logged in on them again. Shin splint started bothering me again (mainly the left) after the Waunafest 10 mile race. Throw in another long run in old running shoes that week and now my shins are in pain. Finally, my new pair of Brooks came in the mail and I'm breaking them in (no time for rest of course!). I'm trying to remember to ice them at night, before bed, too. I'm hoping the pain subsides and that I can focus on increasing my distance again, for the half marathon at the end of August.

With my vacation last week, I ate way too many goodies with the kids (and WITHOUT the kids!). I packed on 4 pounds over 11 days; which I'm sure will come right off, now that I'm back to eating my "daily staples". STILL, I started counting my Weight Watchers POINTS again, as of YESTERDAY. I would love to lose 5-10 lbs by my next half marathon. I think it would make me feel better ... lighter ... faster on my feet. I also need to look great with my very own IRONMAN on September 13th!!! Hopefully counting my points again will get me back on track.

I joined Weight Watchers back in 1998 with a co-worker and have pretty much been on the program ever since. I've always counted POINTS on and off; attended meetings on and off. I reached my goal in 2004 and Lifetime Membership in early-2005. I lost about 30 lbs on my own the first time (1998-1999); gained 36 lbs with Paige (2003); lost 50 lbs after having her (2004-2005); gained 46 lbs with Jackson (2007) and lost about 50 lbs after having him (2008). I've gained about 7 lbs since my weight loss with baby #2 and would like to get that back off by the Madison Mini Marathon on August 29. Wish me luck! GOAL SET!

Waunafest 10 Mile Run

Race Results from this morning's 10 mile race at Waunafest. I PR'd by about 5 1/2 minutes from last year. A hilly course, which I had forgotten about. But it was nice to know where they were this time and plan ahead. I'm pretty happy.


249 out of 424 Overall

division place: 9 out of 28

gender place: 77 out of 190

time: 1:26:30

pace: 8:39

Diva Dash & Paige's First Race

Well, Sunday marked my 29th birthday and I decided to run the Diva Dash 5K again this year. I really enjoyed it last year, as it is primarily women involved and the cause is great. Girls on the run for Dane County: http://www.girlsontherundaneco.org/

Lots of gals dressed up in their diva attire (one even ran with a full martini glass!) and little girls running in tutus. It's a sight to see.

They also had a one mile kids race, which was awesome. I signed Paige up a few months ago. We bought her a pair of "running shoes" (pink of course), got her the ever-so-desired pink running skirt and a matching bondi band (she loves coordination and accessorizing, just like mommy!). We did a few training runs (some with Jackson in the jogging stroller). She did a lot of huffing and puffing, took off too quickly and got tired and did some boughts of walkign, but ended up doing two one-mile runs the week prior to the big day.

The technical shirts they gave out were aweome this year (girl fit, pink and crowns on the front)!

We picked up our bib numbers that morning and her's happened to be pink and mine turquoise blue -- to match each of our running outfits (how appropriate!). The volunteer at the booth thought that was amusing!

I even ended up getting Big #29, which was pretty amazing, considering it was birthday (coincidence?!).

Paige and I pre-race sporting our coordinted bib numbers!

Paige looking so serious right before the race. I have a very similar picture of myself before the Chicago Marathon!

There were only about fifteen kids participating in the one mile race. Paige decided to start out running hand-in-hand. I carried her pink Nike water bottle in my other hand.

It was an out-and-back course. 3/4 of the way to the turnaround, there was a stoplight. Surprised that Paige hadn't asked to stop already to walk and for a sip or water, I told her we'd stop after we crossed the street. She didn't want to, but we did. She took a sip of water and was off again. I did the same thing on our run back to the finish line.

As we approached the finish line, another girl around her age was coming up behind us with her mom. We saw daddy, Jackson and Grandpa Edge waiting there to cheer us on. I told her to put her hands up in the air in relief, and she looks more like she's flying!!

The other mommy and I ran off into the crowd as the two girls raced to the end. Paige actually picked up some speed, which really surprised me!! It took her just under 10 minutes to run the mile race (which I expect was quite a bit shorter).

Paige was soooo excited and proud to receive her first medal. And Jason and I were so proud of her. She said this was my birthday present. I am so happy we did this together.

I was really excited about my 5K race (a standard 3.1 miles), because I had not run any 5k races since I did this exact race last year. I really wanted to see what all of my marathon and half marathon training had done for me and wanted to see my improvements reflected. I was hoping to finish in about 24 minutes. My previous PR (personal record) was about a 26:30.

I was leading the pack in the top 20-30 the entire race. It was really an awesome experience, that I never ever get. I was feeling great. About a mile in, I was thinking that the course seemed a bit different from the year prior. When I got to the two mile course, I realized that my watch read about 10:30, which was WAY short. I felt good, but I knew I couldn't be going that fast!

I approached Jason, near the finish line, and new that the course was short, as my watch read about 19 minutes. Shortly, it was announced that the lead cyclist missed a turn and the course was short and only 2.33 miles (based on someone's Garmin).

Thought I didnt' receive recognition (top 3) in my age group, I did place really well overall:

overall place: 26 out of 155
division place (20-29 females): 7 out of 22
gender place: 16 out of 132
time: 19:31
pace: 8:23

The race director felt terrible and they were really apologetic. In fact, they are running the race again this Saturday. Though, I don't expect a great turnout and it probably won't be chip timed; I will be running it again on Saturday morning!

Miles (or lack of)

One of my running goals for this year was to run at least 100 mi each month (after our WDW trip January) and I fell slightly short of my goal this month. I simply became lazy after my half marathon on Memorial Day weekend. I missed a few "long runs" on Sundays, because of the desire to do other things on holidays or other races and being out of town.

I'm mad at myself, because last year, I would get up at 5AM on the weekends, to get my long runs (which were SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER) out of the way, before my family started their day. I didn't let any schedule obstacle stand in my way .... never! Now, I don't have that same motivation and choose to run while Jackson is taking his nap and hope that he sleeps for an hour or two. I would like to state, however, that I have been getting up between 4:00 - 4:30 AM during my work week on Tues/Wed/Thurs (the days I work), to get my 3.1 miles pounded out on the treadmill, before I get myself ready for work. This has freed up our evenings for playtime outside, walks with Jackson and gives Jason flexibility to workout in the evening whenever he wants. We also get time together in the evening, too, which is nice. The draw-back is that I am down for the count by 10pm. And, then I tend to want to sleep in on my "days off".

Anyhow, I came close, but didn't reach my 100 mile goal for June. I WILL do better in July, as I train for a 10 mile race in July and two more half marathons in the following two months.

I'd like to run at least 1,200 miles this year. Last year was my first 1,000 mile year (which I barely completed).

June: 94.3 Mi

May: 116.1 Mi

April: 131.1 Mi

March: 119.2 Mi

February: 100.0 Mi

January: 66.5 Mi

Proud of you!

I'm so proud of Jason for completing a HALF IRONMAN last weekend. I give him so much credit ... you did it! ROCK ON! 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run

Missing the Marathon

I ran my first (and only to date) full marathon last fall in Chicago. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life! I am not training for a full marathon this season, since Jason is training for Ironman Wisconsin (held in September in Madison) and it is just too hard for both of us to be training so much at once and balance family life with the kids. Although I do enjoy the half marathons I'm doing this year and I do love that distance the best (I'm doing four this summer), I still miss the excitement of training for a 26.2 mile journey.

Chip Time: 4:37:23

Browsing through old race photos, I came across this random video that Jason shot in Chicago. I'm not captured in it, but the stream of miles and miles of runners (hours long in distance), brought me back to the awesome experience of the HUGE crowd support across the entire 26.2 mile course. It was like this almost the entire route ... family members, volunteers and community members cheering on the estimated 45,000 registered runners that day (31,344 finishers).

I am definitely am doing a full marathon next year; just not sure where or when yet.

The official 2008 Chicago Marathon highlight video gives me chills. It is available at:

http://www.chicagomarathon.com/cms400min/Chicago_Marathon/inspiration/video/FeaturedVideo.aspx?id=8301

Hubby's Blog

Here is a link to Jason's blog: http://www.clydesdalerunning.com/



He initial began all of this as a clydesdale triathlete. Well, over the years, he has gotten much more fit and dropped a lot of weight in the process. Not quite sure what he considers himself these days?! :-)

Norski Duathlon

I did it ... and I finished even faster than I planned. http://runningintheusa.com/deforestduathlon/





This was my third duathlon ever. Though the distance covered isn't much and the field isn't usually too competitive, I still get more nervous about these, than the standard road race. The transitions scare me, the fact that I'm still not too comfortable on the bike (or competitive on it) and I only had 50 miles in this year (2 date rides with Jason while the kids were at daycare).


Upon check-in, we were greeted by a nice young lady that Paige knew. She works at their daycare. You can't go anywhere, without her knowing someone! Honestly.


The pre-race talk was pretty brief, but informative. We were told that there would be a brief incline on both runs, while several locals snickered. (I heard people talking about the massive hill in the port-o-potty line earlier.) So that worried me.


I ended up getting towards the back of the pack of 100+ athletes, because I said good-bye to the kiddos moments before the race. Jackson was crying as I walked away.


I made my way out on my first run feeling pretty good, about 3/4 mi into it, the HUGE hill was upon me. I fear and love hills. I run a few massive ones in our neighborhood (called Wyndham Hills for a reason!) and tend to pass a lot of people on the hills in races. Sure, enough I did. At this point, I was pretty warm and grateful I didn't decide to wear the long sleeve shirt I debating on earlier. It was humid. Saw Jason and the kids as I made the turn into transition.

Coming in off of the first 5K run (3.1 mi) (My fastest 5k time yet, by about 2 mins (previous was about 26:45). But I fear that the course was short?! Jason agrees.) 24:43

Grabbed the bike and I was off. Started out with two gentleman beside me and passed the guy on the mountain bike. Headed to the out-and-back route in the country. Felt like I was going faster than usual, but still comfortable. Had to basically stop to do the turnaround, since I'm still not too comfortable with my handling skills. At the turnaround, I realized that I was probably in the last 25%, although I started at the back of the pack. I really pushed it and passed about 20 people on my way back into town. I felt great and was cruising!

Coming in off the 15.5 mi bike ride in the country. I was passing the kids, with a smile and a wave. 56:34


My legs were complete jello as I walked through transition. Returned my Trek to the rack and grabbed some G2. Ate some sports beans on my run out and then back up the darn hill. There was an older lady ahead of me and she was having a lot of difficulty getting up the hill. As I approached her, she started walking. I told her not to give up and she laughed. I told her we'd do it together, so she started running again. I ended up having more momentum some I continued on and she stopped again. I told her that in 10 more seconds, it would be over with and she'd feel better. So she started running again. Made me happy. I saw her at the run turnaround and she said "we're almost there!". Felt AWESOME the rest of the run, since most of it was down hill.

Coming back from the final leg of the race, a mere 2.0 mi run. I was waving at Paige, as I crossed the finish line. 17:17

I ended up crossing the finish line in 1:40:18. This was about 15 minutes faster than I expected and had hoped to age-group. However, I came in 4/6 in my age group of 20-29F. I placed 68/125 Overall.

76/125 on Run 1
74/125 on Bike
59/125 on Run 2 (which makes me very happy!)

While we were waiting for the results to be posted and cheer the final runners coming in, the lady I had cheered on earlier, came over to thank me for motivating her up that incline. We hugged eachother for a great joint accomplishment!

Duathlon Goals

So I'm doing this duathlon on Saturday morning. I only have two other duathlons under my belt. Last year I took first in my age group and beat the other gal by a mere 3 seconds!! Honestly, there weren't too many people competing, but this makes me hopeful for a great placement on Saturday.

Norski Duathlon: http://runningintheusa.com/deforestduathlon/

Forecast for rain is 40%, which scares me tremendously!!!

I'm hopeful that I can do both runs in a total of 45 minutes, a total of 3 minutes for transitions and 1 hour and 10 minutes on the bike. I'd love to be across that finish line by 1:55 - 1:58!!! We'll see ....

I've only been on my bike twice this year (afternoon dates with Jason while the kids are at daycare) and have only logged about fifty S-L-O-W (poor Jason!) miles on my bike. Hopefully that's enough?!

Year-to-date Running Mileage

YTD - 565.2 Mi

June (to date): 32.3 Mi

May: 116.1 Mi

April: 131.1 Mi

March: 119.2 Mi

February: 100.0 Mi

January: 66.5 Mi

Running Princess

Ok ... I did it! I just signed up for the DISNEY PRINCESS HALF MARATHON, scheduled for early-March.

http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/events/eventDetail/detail?name=PrincessHalfMarathonDetailPage&bhcp=1

This will mark my 10th (yes 1oth!) trip to WDW in my lifetime (my family's fourth). I am so excited!! I have wanted to run a Disney race since I started running 5Ks a few years ago. Jason ran the WDW Marathon this past January and it was a blast. I can't wait to run a Disney race of my own now. (and I will be able to walk around well the next day, unlike Jason after his full!!)

I even signed Paige up for their 200m kids race the day before my race. She is going to love it!

Let the planning begin!!

Marathon Mom

I also purchased this awesome (and comfy!) Marathon Mom shirt at the expo.



Check them out at : http://www.runmomrun.net/index.html

Bondi Band Obsessed!

I am now officially Bondi Band obsessed!!

Sporting my medal and polka dot Bondi Band on Sunday!

I purchased three of these adorable headbands at the Chicago Marathon expo last October and have always wished that I purchased more. They have so many bright colors and fun patterns available, including several fun sayings. I love matching my running gear, just like any other crazed runner and these are perfect for accessorizing my running outfit!! They also are an awesome break from a baseball cap.

I purchased three more for myself and a "babes" band for Paige (who is training for her first one mile race this summer!). Looking forward to using my coupon for buy 3, get 1 free online.

Rebecca has also agreed to sponsor our team of endurance athletes. I can't wait to work with them. I unfortunately didn't have the chance to meet Rebecca at the Madison Marathon expo this past weekend.

Check them out at: http://www.bondiband.com/

Shout out to my racing peeps!

A huge congratulations to my other racing peeps that competed in Madison Marathon events last weekend:

Dwight Meyer (full) -- 3:15:16
Casey Zimmerman (half) -- 1:54:18
Kelly Addink (walk/quarter) -- 1:42:58

Madison Half Marathon

I didn't really have any goals in mind on Sunday, except to go sub-2:00. I did this race, my first half marathon, back in 2006 and got a 2:20, which I was really happy with at the time; though now embarrassed about it. But, hey, I finished it, right?!

2006 Madison Half Marathon (2:20:00)

This year, I knew several others running the various distances at this race. I was really excited, and nervous, to be competing because of others participating. You all know that we ALL check out your finishing times!!

The half marathon started at 7:00 AM and we left our home just after 6:00 with the kids in tow. I always get pre-race jitters and an upset stomach, so 30 mins before the race, I knew that I would need to use the restroom. I was already dreading the line for the port-a-potties (or as we call them around here, "Buckys"). Just before 6:30, we were stuck in a loooong line of vehicles on the beltline. There seemed to be a huge backup for the race and were still a long way from the parking lot. We waiting about fifteen minutes (of me panicking!). People started getting out of their vehicles and running down the Beltline to John Nolen Dr. After some debating, Jason decided to take us off-roading and let me off after we exited. I ended up running about a half mile to a row of vacant "Buckys". While inside, I heard a worker say "Hey, these aren't ready" to me and the other runners. No wonder they were so disgusting and there was no line!

I ran to the startline just in time to hear the national anthem. And heard, "two minutes to start". YEAH! We're off ....

This year, the course started and ended at Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center. The course also went in reverse direction. I wasn't sure what to expect, but was happy that it avoided the climb up Basom Hill. I felt great the entire race and absolutely loved the route. A lot of Madison landmarks, lakes, nice paths and great crowd support.

At one point, I passed our friend Jason at a house handing out free beer to the runners. I told him I don't drink beer and didn't think it was wise to start now!

The sun came out around mile 7 or 8 and I was starting to feel it. I loved my rockin' Bondi Band, but wasn't sure how it was going to work out on race day, since it doesn't shield the sun from my eyes. But it was awesome and I loved the break from the baseball cap!

My friend from high school, Casey, passed me around mile 11 and I was trying to use that as motivation to speed up. I tried not fall too far behind, but never did catch back up to her.

I shocked myself, when I crossed the finish line and saw my family just past the end of the race. (Paige stood out in the crowd with her pigtails, cheering for me!) The bigger shocker was that when I stopped my watch, it read 1:56:04!! I was so thrilled!

2008 Madison Half Marathon (1:55:59)

I later told Jason that it would be awesome if my time was actually in the 1:55+, since I didn't stop my watch right away. Sure enough, later that morning, I logged online to look at the race results and it said my chip time was 1:55:59! ROCK ON!