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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.

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?

Strides for Crohn’s

Amy — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Here at FitMilwaukee we love to highlight local fitness events. Frequently, we share news of 5ks and other local races. Today we have something a little different.

Strides for Crohn’s is a 2(ish) mile fun run/walk on November 13, 2011. The event, which benefits the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, is not a race. It’s a fun run with some cool people for a great cause.

What’s a fun run? It’s NOT an organized race. It’s just a group of people getting together to run or walk. No one’s timing you, so there isn’t pressure to go fast. The point is to have fun and help out a local charity.

WHAT: 2(ish) fun run/walk, raffles, food, beer, etc
WHEN: Sunday, November 13. Packet pickup begins at 11 a.m., fun run to start around noon.
WHERE: Horny Goat Hideaway (2011 South 1st Street, Milwaukee, WI 53207)
HOW MUCH: $25 before 11:59 p.m. November 6th, $30 thereafter.

Space is very limited for the fun run/walk. Visit www.stridesforcrohns.com to register.

(Disclaimer: I am one of the event organizers.)

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

Fall into Fall Races

Tracey — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:41:24 +0000

Oh my gosh it’s fall! Here come the cozy sweaters, hoodies, tall boots, caramel apples and pumpkin spice lattes. Oh, and of course, fall races and events. After a summer of sweating and training extra hard (and for some of you runners, your longest miles to date) it’s time to start thinking about how you want to spend the “off” season. If you’re running a marathon this fall you’re probably still at the peak of your training schedule, but it’s not too soon to think about what you might want to sign up for once the leaves turn and the cold weather running tights start to emerge from the closet.

When I think about fall races I think about 5Ks, Turkey Trots and other “fun” runs. It’s time to step back and reward yourself after a summer of hard training in pursuit of a PR or a new distance goal. Anyway, I thought I’d take a look around and compile a list of upcoming races to help you guys as you try to fill out your fall schedules. Many of these are races I’ve done myself and others are events I’ve heard good things about. If any of you have other recommendations for other events taking place in the Milwaukee area, let us know in the comments!

Photo by VanCityAllie

TosaFest 5K Saturday, September 10th. (This weekend!)

Briggs & Als Run/Walk Saturday, September 17th. 8K run/3 or 5 mile walk to benefit Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Fox Cities Marathon Sunday, September 18th (Did you know there’s also a 5K and a marathon relay as well? Well now you do.)

Free to Breathe 5K Run/Walk Saturday, October 8th. Lakefront 5K or 2 mile walk in support of lung cancer research and awareness.

Panther Prowl 5K Run/Walk Sunday, October 9th – Run through the UWM campus and Lake Park in support of the UWM Alumni Association programs and student scholarships

Lake Country Mud Run Saturday, October 22nd. 8K. Mud. Costumes. What else could you ask for?

Lakefront Discovery Run Saturday, October 29th. A great middle distance race (15K) that always has a rockin’ t-shirt. Also: prizes for costumes this year!

Tyranena Beer Run Saturday, November 5th. Choose between a 1/6 barrel run (4.4 miles) or a 1/2 barrel (13.1 miles). A lovely, scenic route in Lake Mills, WI.

Badgerland Striders Prediction Run Sunday, November 6th. No watches or Garmins allowed. No mile markers. Predict your finishing time close enough and you’ll take home a turkey! 15K or 2 mile run.

Whoa. I’ve just barely reached the Turkey Trots. I’ll save those for another post. But this should be good start, right? Also, Running in the USA is a fantastic resource if you’re looking for even more options than the ones listed above.

What is your fall “must-do” race?

Dirty Girl: Achievement Unlocked

Tracey — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:48:43 +0000

Remember when I was talking about how popular mud runs were getting? Well I finally went out and conquered one of my own. This past weekend I participated in the Dirty Girl Mud Run in Johnson Creek, WI. Held at the Milford Hills Hunt Club, the race covered three miles of trail with a bunch of fun obstacles thrown in along the way.

This event was all about Girl Power to say the least. From the “No Dudes Allowed” sign at the start to the mini-cosmos handed out at the finish, it was a great place for some quality female bonding. And the color of the day? Pink, pink and MORE pink. Pink tutus, pink knee socks, pink fluffy headbands. A portion of the races even went to the National Breast Cancer Foundation so I saw pink ribbons and survivor shirts as well. Clearly, the ladies were representing today.

When I was approached to write a series of training blogs for Dirty Girl, I was excited about getting a team together for the event but a little bit apprehensive about conquering the obstacles. I mean, I’ve heard all about the Tough Mudder and frankly it kind of frightens me. How am I going to get my butt over a big wall? Luckily it turned out that this event was less about overcoming crazy hard obstacles and more about having FUN! I had assembled a crew of three other girls to be a part of Team Honey Badger and we had agreed beforehand that 1. We would all stick together and 2. We would get as filthy as possible. The fact that it started to thunderstorm on the drive out of town would make the second requirement easier than ever.

So… how did it go? First of all, I don’t know why I ever worried about the obstacles. They were meant to make the event more challenging but not make it overly difficult or impossible. We had to do things like climb over a mountain made of bales of hay, hop through tires, and scale a big cargo net. And the wall I was nervous about climbing? It had footholds on the sides so it was way easier than I thought it was going to be. My absolute favorite though was trudging through the pools of muddy water. I could have run through the course again just to do that.

The surprising thing about the race was that the most difficult part was the trail itself. Because it had been raining, the already muddy path was really difficult to navigate at points. There were a couple of stretches were it felt I was going to slip and fall with every step. I had visions of me sliding on my backside down an entire hill. Eventually I just gave in and started crawling on my hands and feet like a bear. It made it more interesting to say the least. At one point we decided to play “slip n slide” on our stomachs. The more mud we could plaster onto our bodies, the better.

The verdict? I liked it. It was nice to have “no pressure” race where you could just let go, be crazy, and have a great time. No Garmins, no splits, no competition. I would definitely be interested in doing a race like this again, although now I have to admit I’m considering maybe trying something like Tough Mudder. Maybe.

Sorry for the blurry photo. Also, it was taken by a BOY.

Have you ever done a mud run before? What was your experience like?

For all you Great Milwaukee Racers!

Tracey — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:00:08 +0000

It’s here! The 2nd annual Great Milwaukee Race is TOMORROW. The event is officially sold out so thank you to all who have registered. We’re hoping to provide you guys with a very memorable event. With that said, here is some helpful information for our participants:

Packet Pickup – Team captains or a designated team member have two opportunities to pick up the team packet: Friday, June 17 at Performance Running Outfitters, 4401 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; or on race-day at AJ Bombers from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Each team will receive one packet with all shirts and other goodies. They will also include waivers for each team member to sign. These waivers must be turned in on race-day at the registration table.

Race Day –
The race will start and finish at AJ Bombers, 1241 N. Water Street, Milwaukee. Try to arrive by 8 a.m. if you have to pick up your packet or 8:30 a.m. if you have already done so. Participants can park in the large parking lot directly across Water Street from AJ Bombers (near the Kern Center) for a discounted rate of $3 by entering the code 1241 in the pay location. There are also plenty of long-term meter spots in the area, but this will likely cost more than $3. We will be meeting in the parking lot behind AJ Bombers. There will be a registration table for packet pickup and waiver drop-off. The race will start at 9 a.m. sharp, which is when we will hand out the clues and passports.

You may want to bring a few dollars to purchase refreshments along the course or to use for public transportation. We will provide water at one clue location and there is a drinking fountain at two others. It is also helpful to have a smart phone or a friend with Internet access in order to solve the clues and find the locations. It is against the rules to get rides; we will have volunteers watching for this. Violators will be disqualified.

The course, if completed in the most efficient manner possible, is approximately 7 miles long. This is slightly longer than it was last year when the average finish time was between 1.5 and 2 hours. The clue locations will close at 1 p.m. Remember to be extra careful when crossing the streets; your safety is our number one priority.

Post Race – When you have finished the challenges, return to AJ Bombers. We will then determine your final time. The top 10 teams will receive awards. The ceremony will be held around noon in the lot behind AJ Bombers. We will be holding a post-race party with food and drinks for purchase. There will also be some free appetizers provided by AJ Bombers and pizza from Streetza Pizza. Final race results will be posted on our website.

Our Sponsors Rock!!! – We have assembled a great group of sponsors this year. Our presenting sponsors include Performance Running Outfitters and AJ Bombers. Clue location sponsors are Lululemon Athletica, the WAC, The Lift Pilates, Roll Mobile and Milwaukee Makerspace. We would like to thank our sponsors for making this event possible.

Charity Partner – This year we are partnering with Team Challenge, which raises money for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. A portion of the proceeds from the race will go to this worthy cause.

See you tomorrow! It’s going to be a great day for a great race.

The Great Milwaukee Race Team

A Little Competition

Tracey — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:29 +0000

Photo by Cr4nberry

What does it mean to be competitive? Is it sprinting to the finish line to beat the girl in front of you? Maybe it’s besting your previous personal record at a race? Racing can mean something slightly different for each individual. I’ve been in many races where my goal has been “just to finish”. But there have been other instances where I’ve definitely been bitten by the competition bug. Overall though, I tend to think that I’m mostly competitive with myself. These days I usually have a time goal in mind for a race and I zero in on it like a hawk. At most races I find myself trying to shave precious seconds off a previous recorded time. Over the past three years those seconds have added up and I have to admit it’s been rewarding to watch my name climb in the standings. Even though I’ll probably never win a race, it’s incredibly satisfying to set a goal, work like crazy towards achieving it, and then have that goal come to fruition on race day.

As long as I’m being completely truthful, there have been times when I’ve felt a little bit of competitive spirit towards other runners. Usually it comes in the form of me picking somebody who appears to be at my level up ahead and saying to myself, “I want to beat THAT PERSON.” It’s nothing against them, and I’m sure they’re totally nice in real life, but it helps to have that extra reason to push when you find yourself losing focus. Sometimes I’ll keep picking new people as I’m running so that I always have that new incentive in front of me. (Also, at the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay this year, there *may* have been a little bit of smack talk between a couple of the relay teams. I believe the word “destroy” was bantered about? It was all in good fun though. At least I think.)

Finding a healthy way to be competitive can be a bit tricky. It can be hard if you work so hard for something and then fall short of that goal. Sometimes no matter how prepared you are, it may just not be your day. I worked for six months to break a 1:50 half marathon last year and I kept missing it again and again until I finally broke the barrier in December with a 1:49:59. (Yes, it was by one measly second but I worked darn hard for it so I’m taking it!) Because that particular goal was harder to achieve it was that much sweeter when I finally got it. Again, I wasn’t racing anyone particular out there, but it was rather me against the clock.

In the end, I feel like the most important thing about being competitive is to keep it positive. It’s less about beating someone else and more about bringing out your personal best. How many of us are in the running to actually win races anyway? I may out-sprint a random girl at the finish but odds are there were dozens- in some cases hundreds- of people who crossed that finish line way ahead of me. If that short burst of competition down the final stretch clinched me a coveted PR though? Then maybe I owe that girl a beer.

Do you consider yourself to be competitive?

The Great Milwaukee Race Wants YOU!

Tracey — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:00:23 +0000

Let me put it to you straight: We need your help. We’re currently in the process of creating challenges for the Great Milwaukee Race. In the midst of a brainstorming session we realized that our Fit Milwaukee readers probably have a wealth of neat ideas. We want to make this year’s race bigger and better than last year and we’re sure some of you have some expectations, wishes, and hopes about what you want to see be a part of the event. This is your chance! Tell us your wackiest, craziest idea for a challenge and maybe, just maybe we’ll make your dream come true. We will choose one challenge idea and make it a reality on race day. You’ll get your name plastered on the location and everything. You’ll essentially be the challenge’s mayor! The winner will also receive a comped entry to the race for their whole team AND some FitMKE merchandise. It will be hot off the presses.

Some examples of challenges from last year’s race include:

Bean Bag Toss
Word Search
Potato Sack Race
Three Legged Race
Word Scramble

Keep in mind:

It must be something that people of all ages and fitness levels can complete.

It can be either physical OR mental.

It will be taking place outdoors, somewhere around downtown Milwaukee.

That’s it! Think your idea is golden? All you have to do is click here to submit your ideas. (If you’d rather send it to us via email, in the comments below, or even tweet it at us, that’s fine too.) We will announce the winner on race day. We seriously can’t do it before then. No spoilers allowed!