Fit Milwaukee » events

Stride & Glide for IndependenceFirst

Anne — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Now that the Indoor Marathon relay events are over, you’re just itching to get back to the Pettit for a run, aren’t you? I know we are! We’re looking forward to the Stride & Glide at the Pettit, and this year they’ve added an outdoor 5k next door at State Fair. Read on for more information about the events:

Stride & Glide at the Pettit

IndependenceFirst is hosting our third annual Stride & Glide on March 3, adding an outdoor 5K at Wisconsin State Fair Park to our indoor family-friendly fun run/walk/ice skating event at the Pettit National Ice Center. Both options support the services and advocacy that IndependenceFirst provides for people with disabilities.

You can participate as an individual or with a team! Participants can pay a fee or raise pledges to support IndependenceFirst. All participants receive a commemorative long-sleeved t-shirt, or a cool, moisture-wicking tech shirt may be substituted for only $10 more.

Registration fee: minimum pledge or contribution of $25 for adults (ages 12+) before Feb. 17, 2012 ($30 after Feb. 17) or $15 for youth (ages 4-11). Kids 3 and under are free (strollers welcome at the indoor portion of the event).

Saturday, March 3, 2012 Stride & Glide Schedule

8 a.m. – 9 a.m. 5K Registration (Register in the Pettit Center)

9 a.m. Outdoor 5K Wheelchair Start

9:15 a.m. 5K Run Start

9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Indoor Fun Run, Walk, Wheelchair Roll & Ice Skating Registration

10 a.m. – Noon Indoor Fun Run, Walk, Wheelchair Roll & Ice Skating

Register online by visiting www.StrideandGlide.org and clicking on “Register.” To register by phone or e-mail, please call (414) 226-8386 V/Relay or e-mail mhupfer@independencefirst.org. Please register by February 17, 2012.

Join Team FitMKE at the Fight for Air Climb

Anne — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Have you ever considered climbing to the top of the US Bank building? You know, the tallest building of Milwaukee’s skyline? Well it’s time to climb!

US Bank Center

The Fight for Air Climb is 8 weeks away and Fit Milwaukee has started a team. We have 8 weeks to train!

~~~~~

When I first started running a few years ago, I thought running was everything. After exhausting nearly every type of running event from fun 5k to trail marathon, I decided this is the year to try some other ways to stay fit. The first thing on my radar is the Fight for Air Climb at the US Bank Building.

The Climb is a challenge you can take on as a team or individual, and it takes place on March 17 this year. The event has you climb 47 floors of the US Bank Building, which is 94 flights or roughly 1,034 steps. They say if you can walk a mile, you can do this event.

Fit Milwaukee has started a team and we want you to join us! In order to sign up, head over to the Fight for Air Climb registration page and search for team “Fit Milwaukee”.

Training

In order to prepare for the challenge of all those stairs, you’re probably wondering how to train. Here’s what I think will work best for taking on such a climb:

Make a page/card/spreadsheet/whatever works for you, with three columns:

Strength
Speed/plyometric
Endurance

Then, under each column, list potential workouts (or pieces of workouts). Plot out one or two days a week when you can visit some stairs. Your endurance and strength don’t necessarily need to be done on stairs, and when they are, they don’t need to be the tallest stairs in the city, just enough to be able to do a few flights at a time. When that day comes up on your schedule, you can pick/choose what you want to do from the list.

Mark your calendar off for these training days, alternating which type you do. You can rotate through the types of workouts in a 1,2,3 pattern, or mix it up. I feel that as long as you have the endurance down, the rest will come with a few sessions. You may be doing some of the stuff already!

1. Strength

This workout isn’t “explosive”, just repetitive strength movements that you should be able to do for 30 mins or more. Mix up a good routine of squats and lunges to build up your leg strength. Of course, strong abs and upper body will help you pull yourself up using the handrail, so pushups, dips, and planks will help you there. Try a bootcamp, build your own workout using Gain Fitness, or challenge yourself to the 30 Day Shred.

2. Speed/Plyo

This workout will give you fast feet, and it won’t take long. Start with 2-3 mins of explosive work (surrounded by a warmup/cooldown). Each week, add a minute or a few flights of stair sprints.

Stair stuff:

Run stair repeats: run up a few flights as fast as you possibly can, then walk/jog down. repeat for 10-15 minutes. (do a warmup and cool down)

Other stuff, do for a minute at a time and build from there:
Jump rope: (regular, on one foot, alternating feet, double jump rope, or rock star jumps)
High knees: Think of it as running in place, bringing your knees up to about hip level. Tilt your pelvis forward and push!
Butt kickers: Run in place but literally kick yourself in the butt.
Hackey sacking: Run in place, but kick your foot up and in, toward your opposite hip, and tap it with your hand. Alternate feet. It will kind of look like you’re playing the drums.

3. Endurance

Hit the stairs, just climb. A lot. Up, down, up, down, up, down. The endurance stuff SHOULD take you 30 minutes or more. If you’re a runner, your long runs cover some aspect of endurance, but you still want to get your body used to the repetitive climbing. So find some stairs, climb up, and alternate between taking the elevator down (better for the knees) and walking down (it’s good to do the opposite motion of climbing, for balance in your muscles). Now climb up again. Take your time, find a nice even pace. Worry about speed only on the speed days, and your climbing will gradually improve on its own as you become more fit. Once a week should do it for this endurance workout.

~~~~~

So, do you feel confident that you could climb 1,034 steps by March 17th?

Sign up here with Team Fit Milwaukee! —-> Fight for Air Climb registration page

Tips for the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay

Anne — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The big day is coming up: the Milwaukee-area runner’s reunion that we refer to as the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay! Here are a few tips to get you through the day… sort of like an FAQ from what we’ve learned in previous years.

Team Pit Areas: When you arrive at the Pettit Center, once your team captain has picked up your team’s race bag, you will be able to claim a spot for your team along the side of the track. Before the race starts you can place your belongings, warm ups, and water bottles here, and during the race it will serve as your ‘home base’. This is where you can cheer for your team and swap out runners, or you can find another location along the track tag in and out. Although these areas will not be pre-assigned, Fit Milwaukee will have a tent/area roped off for our teams to gather near. We’ll believe we’ll be set up near the northeast corner of the track.

Chip timing: Your chip will be attached to a velcro strap that you will fasten around your ankle. DO NOT wrap the strap around your wrist! Your time will not be recorded this way. During the relay you should switch chips by stepping off the track into the pit area. Please move fully off the track so you won’t get run over by other racers passing by! We’ve found it’s helpful for the person wearing the ankle strap to come fully off the track and place their foot out, while the person about to run grabs the strap from their leg and places it on their own. And, GO!

Lanes: The track at the Pettit has two lanes. If you are a slower runner make sure you keep to the outer lane and always pass on the inside. Doing so will prevent collisions and keep the flow of runners moving without bunching up. Many runners use the term ‘Left’ or ‘Passing’ to indicate to a runner that they’re about to pass. You should always attempt to ‘check your blind spot’ when you are going to pass a slower runner ahead of you.

Dividing laps: This is purely up to the teams to decide how to divvy up the laps. Some four-member teams may simply decide to do four legs of 6 1/2 miles each, while others may break it down further in hopes of being able to run faster for a shorter amount of time. A good option might be to have each person run twice for about 3 1/4 miles each. This way each runner will be able to rest for a fair amount of time before having to run again. Some teams don’t like this choice because it offers too much time between legs to cool down in the 55 degree arena, and choose to run something like 4-10 laps at a time. Of course you can break it down even further but remember if you are a competitive team, you may lose seconds each time you move off to switch the timing chip.

What to Wear? It is approximately 55 degrees inside the Pettit Center, but it’s dry and often feels cooler than that. For the average runner, a long-sleeve shirt, shorts, and a light hat and gloves should be fine. Spectators might want to wear heavy coats, hats and gloves because it can get cold sitting in the stands. Remember, there are no headphones or earbuds allowed on the track.

What to Bring: Please remember that there will be no cups on or near the track or serve water/Powerade in cups during the race. You should bring your own bottle for your hydration needs. Consider keeping water, gels or snacks in your team pit areas so you can refuel in-between turns on the track. Remember, you’ll also want to bring warmer clothes to wear when you are not running. When you’re switching from running to standing around, you’ll wish you were wearing winter coats and mittens like the spectators are!

Lap Counting: Help your teammates out! It can get easy to lose track of how many laps you’ve run amidst all the excitement of race day. A good idea is to have designate a lap counter to back up each of your runners while they are out on the track in case they end up feeling a bit lost. As you near the end of the race, the number of laps you have remaining will be announced so there’s no need to keep an overall count for the team. Some people use their Garmins with their GPS turned off. Some choose to count using rubber bands that they move from one arm to the other. I’ve used the ‘ABC’ method in the past, thinking of a word that starts with each letter as opposed to remember the number you’re on. In any case, it will help everyone on the team if two people are communicating the number of laps until the runner tags out, shouting or holding up how many laps you have remaining when you’re getting ready to make that switch.

For more information, check the race director’s blog: indoormarathon.blogspot.com

Hopefully you found this helpful, and if there are any more questions please ask in the comments and we’ll address them there!

Rock ‘N Sole: Under New Management

Tracey — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

The following may be a bit of a controversial statement:

I am super excited for this year’s Rock ‘N Sole Run at Summerfest!

No really. Before you guys start, I know what happened at last year’s race. I didn’t run it, but I saw all the tweets coming from the course about the lack of water. I read the race recaps about dehydrated runners and lack of general organization. Oh, and I watched the local news reports. I’m painfully aware of how everything went down last year.

So when I got the opportunity to meet with the race’s new management team, I went in with a positive attitude matched with a healthy side of skepticism. Sure, I expected to hear about how the race was going to be totally different this year. I don’t believe anyone would make the water mistake two years in a row. However, I had a bunch of other questions as well. For example:

What about the congestion at the finish line?
What about having actual rock n’ roll at a race called Rock ‘N Sole?
What perks are they going to add in order to bring back all the people who swore NEVER AGAIN?

I have to say I was impressed with the answers I got. I also appreciate the fact that they took the time to meet with people from the local running community to open a direct line of communication as to what people are wanting out of this event. So without further ado let me give you the general rundown on what I think will be most important to all of you who may want to participate.

First, get this part out of the way: WATER WILL BE PLENTIFUL! The half marathon will have 10, count them, TEN aid stations along the course as well as 5 misting stations to keep you cool.

Now that we’ve got that part settled, I was excited to hear that in addition to the half marathon, there will be a quarter marathon to replace the 10K (that’s 6.55 miles) and they’ll also be introducing a 5K. I love the fact that shorter-distance runners will be given the opportunity to participate as well. As for the course, the two longer race routes will still take runners across the Hoan Bridge and back (along with a new, less congested turnaround point) while the 5K will take participants just to the top of the bridge before coming down again.

ENTERTAINMENT. Yep, we’ll get our rock n’ roll. There will be 15-20 entertainment acts acts along the course, including local bands, school bands and cheerleading squads. The acts are yet to be announced but I think this is something a race of this size and caliber really needs and it will only make running 3, 6 or 13 miles a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

NEW FINISH AREA. To clear up any problems with congestion, the finish line has been moved to the south Summerfest entrance gate to provide a wider, more comfortable finishing area for all the runners, along with a larger space for spectators. There will also be live music at the post-race party and a special VIP area complete with free parking, private massages and other neat perks like a post-race brunch and beverages- including beer!

PACERS. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they are adding pace groups to this year’s race. I know so many first-time half marathoners who chose this event last year and having a pacer who is experienced at completing the distance in a certain time window can be very helpful- whether you’re a first-timer or a more experienced runner trying to run a PR.

MEDALS. We all know that one of the best parts of finishing races is the bling. Medals will be awarded for all three distances as well as free general admission to Summerfest for any day in the festival. And for those of you who enjoy an extra challenge, if you register and complete the Madison Mini Marathon on August 18th, you’ll receive an ADDITIONAL snazzy medal. (Can you guess what is on my to-do list now?)

These are major points that stuck out to convince me into signing up this year. I’ve felt strongly for a while that Milwaukee really needs another big, successful running event like this one and it seems that the 2012 race is on the right track to be just that. With the addition things like seeded corral starts, a two-day health and fitness expo and a pre-race pasta dinner I’m hoping that this is the year Rock ‘N Sole starts becoming a Milwaukee tradition.

What do you guys think? Are you ready to let bygones be bygones and give Rock ‘N Sole another shot?

Two Events, Two Charities. Something for Everyone!

Tracey — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I have to say I find it a bit strange sitting here in the middle of a 40+ degree January day writing about indoor events to escape from the cold weather. I feel as if winter hasn’t even started yet so talking about “getting away from the frigid temperatures” seems a little… awkward. However, a couple of upcoming events have popped up on my radar that I’m going to share nonetheless- events that should be a good time wither it’s 15 or 150 degrees outside.

Milwaukee CureSearch Walk (Saturday, February 11th)- We talk about running on Fit Milwaukee A LOT. I realize running isn’t for everyone so I wanted to mention an event that not only supports a great cause but also gives those of you just wanting to get started being active in the community a chance to get involved as well. CureSearch walks across the country are family-friendly, short in distance (around 1 1/2 to 2 miles long), and the Milwaukee walk takes place indoors at Brookfield Mall. Registration is only $10 and the event celebrates and honors children from the Milwaukee area who have been affected by cancer. The day will include prizes, music, food, and fun activities for the entire family. Fundraising isn’t required but participants are encouraged to set up their own page to raise money for lifesaving collaborative research towards curing childhood cancer.

Check out the Milwaukee CureSearch site for more information on how to participate or donate to the event!

And for those of you looking for something more on the competitive side there’s this:

Fight for Air Climb (Saturday, March 17th)

Participants will run/walk/climb/crawl up 47 floors (that’s 1034 stairs!) to the top of the US Bank Building in downtown Milwaukee. Sound tough? How about assembling a team and climbing together? There is a fundraising minimum ($100 for individuals/$200 for teams) and donations go to the American Lung Association, the leading organization working to improve lung health and prevent lung disease. The Fight for Air Climb encourages families, individuals and teams to join together and raise awareness for the 35 million Americans who suffer from asthma.

When I first heard about this climb I was a bit hesitant. Stairs are very different from running on a (relatively) flat surface. However after careful consideration I decided that the mere fact that I was a bit scared of training for this is a sure sign that it’s something I should do. So if you see me running up and down the stairs at Lake Park Bistro or South Shore park in the coming weeks, you’ll know the reason why! I suppose I should be thankful for the lack of snow on the ground right now.

All you need to know about the Fight for Air Climb can be found here!

Have you heard of any fitness-realted charity events taking place this winter? Share them below in the comments.

Meet the Milwaukee Running Group

Tracey — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

One thing I tend to hear a lot from runners of every level is “I wish I had a running buddy or a group to run with!” I’ve been lucky enough to find a core group of friends that I really enjoy training with but I also remember how long I ran by myself before finding them. Running with a group is great because the time seems to fly by when you have people to chat with and push you along. Plus, you’ll be less likely to bail on a run if you know you have friends waiting for you. Accountability!

Recently I came across The Milwaukee Running Group. They just got started a couple of months ago but already have regular runs throughout the week at various places around the city. I met up with a few runners from the group yesterday at Alterra for a 5-mile lakefront run and I’m hoping to come back for more. There are runners of all levels and paces in this group so a lot of times they’ll break off into smaller groups or pairs according to pace. Still, everyone meets up at the end for high fives and a stretch.

The Milwaukee Running Group has a page on Meetup.com where they arrange all of their group runs. Right now they are asking a small fee of $5 a year to join up. You can check out their group on Facebook as well. If you’re looking for some friendly company and encouragement while you run, this is a great place to start.

Important Information for Indoor Marathon Relay Teams!

Anne — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Attention, Fit Milwaukeeans!

Important news about the Fit Milwaukee Indoor Marathon Relay:

1. If you are already registered:

We want to feature YOU on the site! Here’s how it works: have your team captain ask the team 3-4 interview questions, and then send us the responses along with a picture of each team member to anne@fitmilwaukee.com. Then, over the course of the next two months we’ll feature each team on our site. See the team profiles from last year for inspiration.

Here are some sample questions (but you should get creative with yours!):

How long have you been running?
What is your favorite place to run?
What was the last ‘big’ race you did?
What is your favorite Milwaukee running event?
Tell us about the very first race you ever did.
What is your favorite piece of running gear?
Do you listen to music when you run? Name three artists or songs that fuel your runs.
What other activities do you do to stay in shape?

2. If you are not registered yet, and need a team:

Fit Milwaukee will match you up with a team. Just fill out the form below with your information and we’ll pair you up with other FitMKE’ers! We will match up teams starting the week of November 21st, so hurry up and sign up if you’re interested!

Match me up!

3. If you have a team ready, but have not registered yet:

Please fill out the form as fully as possible for each member of your team:

I already have a team!

When you are ready to register, you will need the following information from your teammates:

*Full Name
*Address
*E-mail
*DOB
*Shirt Size

**You’ll also need the discount code – which we’ll send to you once you sign up as a captain on the form!

RACE DAY:
When race day comes, we’d love to have all the Fit Milwaukee teams together so we can mingle and get to know each other (and have a HUGE cheering section when our runners come around the track!). So make sure when race day comes to look for FitMKE and join the fun!

* * * *

Ten Reasons to do the Indoor Marathon Relay:

It’s going to be cold in January, so running inside makes perfect sense.
This is one of the premier indoor races in the country!
This race has some of the best volunteers and of course, an awesome tshirt!
You get a chance to participate in a marathon-distance run, even if you are not a marathon runner!
Choose a few of your closest friends and make an unforgettable team (and come up with an unforgettable team name!)
Meet lots of fellow Team Challenge alum and Fit Milwaukee friends – we come out in great numbers for this event!
Running in circles makes you faster – that’s not scientific, but I’m pretty sure it’s true.
Have your friends and family cheer – they can sit comfortably and you’ll run by them every few minutes, as opposed to most races where they have to follow you along the course
High five your team every time you run past for a boost of energy!
You can get a $20 discount through FitMKE!

We hope you will join us!

What’s Your Next Destination?

Tracey — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

So… I’ve finished my “big” races for the year, but that doesn’t mean I’m not already making plans for 2012! The great thing about a post-race high is that it tends to erase whatever pain and drudgery you experienced on the journey to the finish line. I ran the Chicago Marathon this past weekend, and even though the unseasonably warm weather made it a more difficult race than I had anticipated, by the time I got back home to Milwaukee and hung my medal on the wall I was already plotting my next marathon finish. (I like to compare it to having babies. You forget about the excruciating pain in the afterglow of giving birth and find yourself saying, “Hey, that wasn’t so bad! I’d do that again!”)

But how do you make running the same distance over and over again exciting? This is a question that’s been on my mind lately. Sure, you can always shoot for beating a previous time. I’m a big fan of always competing with myself and I find a lot of motivation in trying to shave seconds off of a personal record. When I found myself staring at my 2012 calendar though, I realized that I was plugging in the exact same races and events that I participated in this year- and a couple from even the year before that. I won’t deny I’m a creature of habit. I find comfort in routine and I generally dislike change. But I realized there was a whole other world of experiences out there that I’m ready to try- and I’m talking about “destination races.”

I love Milwaukee. And I love Lakefront Marathon. But this year I opted to run Chicago instead (and cheer for my fellow runners at Lakefront, naturally). I was sad about not being a part of LFM this year but when I crossed the starting line in Chicago I realized I was in for something completely new and unexpected. And I liked it. Although I used to live in Chicago, I realized I had never seen the city from this perspective. As I ran through the streets and the cheering crowds, it was like I was seeing everything with fresh eyes. I was taking in a race in a way that I never had before.

Team Challenge participants at the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon, 2010.

Anyway, so I came home on Sunday night and I immediately started looking up races in different destinations. I thought what a great way to experience a new city! I looked at races in Portland, San Francisco and even Hawaii. (Ok, I admit I was getting a little bit crazy with that one.) Traveling is expensive, I know. But I figure why not try to plan one trip next year around a destination race? It doesn’t even have to be that far away or be a grand affair with 45,000 runners like in Chicago. Just getting away for a weekend and a race in a new place sounds fresh and exciting to me.

Although, if we’re putting all our cards on the table I did look wistfully at races in London and New Zealand. Maybe someday??

What race would you travel to if you could go anywhere?

Indoor Marathon Relay Time- Entry Giveaway!

Tracey — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

It’s that time of year again! I know it seems hard to believe that we’re already making plans for January races but that’s exactly the case. The 2012 Icebreaker Indoor Marathon will take place the weekend of January 20th-22nd at the Pettit National Ice Center. Events will include a full marathon, half marathon, 5K, and of course our personal favorite, the marathon relay. Fit Milwaukee will there in force once again for the relay on Saturday, January 21st- and we have TWO free team entries to giveaway (a $120 value each!) All you have to do is post below in the comments for a chance to win one of them for your team. How about telling us what you enjoy about running relays or what your team strategy might be? Maybe share a funny team name you’ve heard? You have until midnight on Thursday, the 20th to enter and we’ll announce the winners of the two free entries on Friday, October 21st.

In addition, FitMKE readers can get a $20 discount off their team registration fee by entering the code Pettit20 when they register! We’ll be featuring relay teams here the site as race day approaches to be sure to check back for more info on getting your team profiled on the blog.

The marathon relay is always an exciting event so start building your teams today! We hope to see you there.

A few of the 2010 marathon relay participants

Geocaching – This Sunday

Marty — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:15:58 +0000

Photo by Ed Goodwin

As promised, we will be geocaching this Sunday afternoon. We’ll meet at the Goerke’s Corners Park and Ride at 2pm, and will hunt for a few different caches. Dress as you would for a hike (comfortable clothes, appropriate footwear, etc) and consider bringing some small trinkets and maybe a camera. We didn’t pre-find these caches like we did last time, so have no idea what we’ll see along the way.

We will have a few GPS devices for use, but please bring any that you might have as well. Feel free to download the official Geocaching.com app for iPhone or Android if you would like (the app isn’t free, but is well worth it if you plan to geocache more often). Also, just like last time, we will practice Cache In Trash Out so feel free to bring a trash bag.

Please don’t forget to RSVP to this event, or we may end up getting started without you. Send a quick email to marty@fitmilwaukee.com letting me know that you plan to attend, and we’ll do our best to make sure to wait for everyone (but, the geocaching starts at 2pm, so plan to arrive a bit earlier so we can get started on time). Happy hunting!