Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Milwaukee

Taken before the race, why not!

30th Marathon or longer race for me! 1/22/12 4:04+

This was a repeat of Wisconsin for the 50 states but it was an indoor winter marathon so I was curious and signed up before it sold out. It is 95.5 laps around the speed skating ice arena where olympic athletes train. The track is a 2 lane rubber track where 1 mile is more than 3 laps but less than the typical 4 laps that equal a mile on outdoor tracks.

There were 2 port a pottys on both ends of the track with 1 aid station. Because it was inside runners were required to bring 2 of their own bottles, have them labeled and volunteers would keep them filled with either water or powerade, whichever they were labeled to hold. As you circled around, when you needed a drink you would yell out to the volunteers your race number and the type of drink you wanted, and then on the next lap they have it ready and would hand it to you. Most people had handheld water bottles and would carry and drink for a lap and then hand them back to the volunteer. Rinse, repeat.

Marathon Maniac Pre race group photo

Start line-up

Aid station during the race

I had not realized they would have this system and just ended up putting my bottle on the "don't help me" table just beyond the main aid station and would just stop and drink as needed. I had HH help me get my bottle refilled and ended up drinking almost 3 liters of powerade. I was worried about dehydration in light of the decongestants I was taking for a cold and focused a lot on hydration. They also handed out vanilla and chocolate gu's at the far end of the aid station continuously after the first hour had elapsed.

Timing and lap counting was via chip timing with several large screens so you could track your progress. Although your name didn't always necessarily appear when you were going by but could ask for a lap count the next time you came by. I had HH help with this task a ways into the race. As I counted down the last 20 laps it ended up that I was one off. For most people the race announcer would say the runners name, race number and laps remaining. However, they must have not been doing it for everyone as I was counting on it for a confirmation. Well, I crossed my finish line and the race announcer said my name and that I was done. I was thinking I had 1 lap to go! The race official at the "finish" did not know if I was finished or not and so I headed out to do 1 more lap, just to make sure! I would hate to stop and have a minute elapse only to be told I really needed another lap. Ooops! Good training for the ultra in 2 weeks, right?

Not sure if I will do this one again but an interesting, well organized race!

1 down, 95 to go!

Tecumseh Trail Marathon 12/3/11 State #21

Tecumseh Trail Marathon is a point to point trail marathon just outside of Bloomington, Indiana where the University of Indiana is located. It goes from one state forest to another. We drove down the night before the race, picked up my race packet and HH registered for the 5 mile fun run. Even though the race started at 10:30am, there was still a 1 hour bus ride from where you park at the finish line to the start line. The race was started about 10 minutes late and we were off. Luckily the first 2-ish miles were on road or logging road so the 700 runners could shuffle and spread out. It was a bluebird sky morning, cool but not freezing, and there had been very little precipitation in the week leading up to the race. It was well run in general, however I felt that 700 runners were too much for the trail, especially one that many people are running trails for the very first time and have yet to develop any sense of trail etiquette (the main one being step aside when you are on single track and holding up people that are running faster than you and bunching up behind you). We were warned to wear blaze orange as we would be running through active hunting areas but only about 20-25% of people actually did this. A few times at aid stations I was told by bystanders "man, you want to be visible today" as I was wearing a blaze orange vest.

Love the area but until the race cap is decreased will not be doing this as a repeat and will stick to smaller trail ultras. No pictures, but I found this link of a video that some folks filmed while running the race this year.

4:50:10 ("chip timed" but there was no timing mat at the beginning, making this a gun timed only event)
Approx 3,100 feet of elevation gain with 3,400 feet of loss (per my Garmin)

Up Next: Jan 22 Indoor Icebreaker Marathon Milwaukee, WI (repeat state, #30 marathon (or longer))

State #20 Route 66 Marathon Tulsa, OK 11/20/11

Headed out on the road at 8:30pm Friday night with 3 other marathoners (2 Marathon Maniacs and 

1 that we hopefully corrupted) to make the 12 hour drive to Tulsa, OK. We were in a 1-2 year old 

hybrid car with already over 100,000 miles on it, with most of the miles from the owner driving 

to marathons (he is on state #40). The only strange thing we saw on the drive down was in Kansas 

City (not sure if it was KS or MO) within a few miles of each other was a car randomly stopped in the 

middle of the 3 lane interstate with a cop behind it with flashing lights and the cop out of his car!!! 

And, a car that had plowed into a concrete support of an overpass with 6 firetrucks and a few police 

cars parked around it working on extrication, with no ambulance on scene.

We got to Tulsa around 8am (expo started at 10am) and stopped by the hotel to see if they would 

let us check in early, and they did! They even still had their continental breakfast out and offered it 

to us, in which 2 out of the 4 people in the group broke down to eat it after trying to fast for the last 

8 hours for the free health screening and cholesterol testing at the expo (they both still had pretty 

descent cholesterol panels). After a 3 hour nap we headed to the expo at noon at the convention 

center. There was a Marathon Maniac booth right next to the 50 States Marathon booth where we 

stopped to get our wrist bands to get entry to the Marathon Maniacs tent after the race.

This race included a 0.3 mile detour at about mile 17 to the "Center of the Universe" and we stopped 
by this spot after we finished at the expo to take pictures and to try out the echo chamber. This was 
a large circular area where if you stood exactly in the middle you could hear an echo, but someone 
standing 1/2 a foot away from you could not hear the echo (also does not work if you can only hear 
out of one ear). This is a very similar echo thing that is in Portland, Oregon at Council Crest Park. Back 
to the hotel for a quick nap before the pasta dinner at Cain's Ballroom, a historic Tulsa landmark.


Up early the next morning to a 30 degree drop in temperature from the day before (almost 70 
degrees when we went to the expo) and low clouds. Got to the start line in plenty of time before the
Maniac picture. The start was in waves, I was in corral B, but did not know how much time had 
elapsed between waves as I had forgot my Garmin watch.

The race started and I noticed that I was feeling pretty good and decided to push the pace as much 
as I could by feel. Chatted with some people along the way but it was either too cold, windy or 
people running at the 4 hour marathon pace are less talkative, but it was generally a quiet crowd. 
Probably another reason why I held a brisk for me pace. Aid stations were well organized, people 
announcing what drink type was first, and they even had people with signs marking speed bumps 
when we ran through campus.

On the out/back section along the river (photo by the famous Dave Mari)

Center of the Universe is in Tulsa, OK. Between mile 17 and 18 of the marathon.

I briefly pondered skipping the detour to the center of the universe but decided to go for it, thinking 
when would I be back to Tulsa? They gave you a commemorative detour coin and had an aid station 
with Michelob Ultra, but I declined the beverage after going for it but being told what it was. More 
hills in the second half than the first half but it is always motivating to know that you are close to the 
finish. Passed by Eric and Rich, two people I carpooled with in the last mile of the race and they 
cheered me in. Once finishing, a volunteer placed a "first marathon" finisher's medal around my neck, 
but I did notice until I was in the line to get my finish time and a lady asked me how I got a gold medal. 
I was able to swap this in the Marathon Maniac tent. This tent was awesome though! It has tables and 
chairs, catered and potluck food, along with the presidents of the club hanging out and talking with 
everyone. But, we cooled down fast and made our way to the car to sit with the heat on and wait for 
the last person in our carpool. 


Once on the road we stopped at truck stop for showers, but they were taking too long to clean the 
showers (as in they weren't cleaning the 2 open stalls during the 20 minutes we were waiting, then 
once we mentioned something, magically they started calling people for showers). So we all got 
refunds and hit the road again. Stopping at a Microtel to talk our way into renting the room for $40, 
the same price for all 4 of us to take a shower at the truck stop, and we were successful. An hour later 
we were on our way. Home by 5am Monday morning, but exhausted and sore.


Checked the results the next day and saw I broke 4 hours when you delete the detour.
3:59:11 with a 9:13 minute/mile average pace.


Next up: Tecumseh Trail Marathon near Bloomington, IN and State #21 (if completed).

Race Medal Holder and Surprise!!

Got my finisher's medal holder (2 wood coat hanger racks from Amazon) re-installed this weekend after moving 3 months ago. Also registered for Vermont 100 miler! It was time to register for my first (attempt) at 100 miles and this will help me get through my first REAL winter. Excited and scared at the same time. Now I have to concentrate on working on a few end-of-term papers for grad school for the rest of the day. 

Let the countdown to July (and VT 100) begin!!!!!!

State #19 11/6/11 City of Oaks, Raleigh, NC

19th State! Gorgeous fall day in Raleigh, NC, part of the Research Triangle of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Ran with Steve Hughes the first 18 miles and alone the rest of the way. He was running his 100th marathon that he had completed between age 60 and 63, his birthday was the next day, the RD gave him the race #100. Well organized race, plenty of aid stations, hilly, nice finisher's medal, non-crowded after race food area, plenty of parking. (Photos credit Steve Hughes)

Next up - Route 66 Marathon Tulsa, OK November 20, 2011, state #20!

Chicago Lakefront 50/50 10/29/11

The Chicago Lakefront 50/50 is a combination 50 miler and 50k race on the lakefront bike path south of downtown Chicago. The 50 milers start at 6:30am and do 4 out and back segments (about 6 miles each out) of the path. The 50k runners start 2 hours later at 8:30am and do 3 out and backs of a slightly shorter segment of about 5 miles each out (and thus back). I ran the 50k. It was a bit chilly until the sun rose over the lake but it was gorgeous when it did.

There is a similar race that is held in the spring. I started out as usual at the back of the pack and started out at a "coasting" pace and see what the day held. As I warmed up I gradually sped up through the first out/back segment. Runners costumes I saw were superwomen with yellow hair, raggedy ann, and a guy with a racing singlet that was muscles like out of a anatomy book. It warmed up quick and as I completed the first section I ran to my car to drop off my gloves and long sleeve shirt. I was able to continue to maintain my speed, chatted with runners along the way although tons of people had their headphones in which messes up the whole talking thing. My true goal for this race was to meet local ultra runners. At the halfway point I realized that I would be able to break 5 hours if I maintained the pace, and luckily I was able to stay mentally strong and push myself to accomplish the goal I set mid-race. I had also promised myself that I could take the day off from school work and I could get a large frappachino from the Starbucks at the Oasis (rest area with several restaurants along the tollway for those that do not live near a tollway) on the drive back to Milwaukee.

With less than a mile to go I very slowly had caught up to a lady running and I tell her when I get to her that "if we keep our pace we can break 5 hours." We start running side by side and keep our pace, and I immediately in my mind concede that I will let her pull ahead at the end (I was at the edge of puking at this point). Well, on the last tiny uphill before the finish I pull ahead and that was that. Just after the race guy pulled of my bib tag and the lady put the finish medal around my neck I turned and took a few steps away quickly and threw up the liquids (half water half gatorade at that point) from the last 6-8 miles. I went to sit down on the side walk for a few minutes, then headed to my car to head home. Once in the car I always get to be reminded that I drive a stick, which is always very apparent after a long run. 

Slow traffic in downtown Chicago (this is about 2pm on a Sunday) but once I cleared downtown it was smooth sailing. I ended up stopping at a Culvers (burger and frozen custard place that is all over the upper mid-west) instead for a pumpkin spice milkshake. Got home, showered, put the legs up in the lazyboy chair, dinner at Beans and Barley. 

Great run, great weather, great people, great run!

Time (not chip timed) per Garmin 4:57:40 (official race results not yet posted)

Next up, City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh, NC on Nov 6! If I complete the race it will be State #19!

Fox Cities Marathon Appleton, WI 9/17/11

*This race was about 6 weeks ago and I am just now getting motivated to write a brief race report after a good few weeks of running.*

Fox Cities Marathon was a Marathon Maniacs' reunion run. Despite that this was a repeat state I figured this would be a good race to pull me out of my typical low-mileage-due-to-very-hot-summer routine. I did not know how this race was going to play out but I knew I would be able to finish. Not to be confused with the Fox Valley Marathon held on the same day nearby in Illinois. Nice course, well organized, small confusing expo, good frequent bus shuttles from the finish area to the start of the race. The two best things were the Cottonelle TP (as Kimberly Clark is a main sponsor of the race) in ALL of the port-a-potties (!) and the Marathon Maniac race medal in addition to the marathon completion medal. I also loved that there were several people that had run the North Face 50 miler and 50k in Wisconsin the previous day and were up early for another long run.

I drove up to the expo the night before and back in time for dinner, then drove up that morning for the race.

Chip Time 4:36:50, Pace 10:34

I completed the Chicago Lakefront 50k 2 days ago, race report to follow. Next up is City of Oaks Marathon next weekend in Raleigh, NC.