On Saturday April 6th, I ran the 2019 Milwaukee Marathon.  Up until two weeks ago, I wasn’t sure if I would run it, due to some course drama, but I am so glad I did.  The race was a blast and I enjoyed every step.  Read on for my 2019 Milwaukee Marathon race recap!

Training and Race Goals

Most readers of the blog know that my spring focus was not the marathon.  I focused on a few 5ks and the Shamrock Shuffle as my A races because of Nike.  However, me being me, I figured that as long as I was going to be training through the winter, I might as well run a marathon.  Plus, the Berlin Marathon this prior fall was in the middle of injury rehab and recovery. I wanted to run a marathon, in a healthy state, so I knew I could complete the distance again.  

That, admittedly, sounds insane, given that the Milwaukee Marathon was my 14th marathon (not including 4 ultras).  But I felt the need to get a marathon out of my system, see where my body was at, before planning out the rest of my year.  Runner logic, man.  It makes no sense.

For the Milwaukee Marathon training had been…. mediocre.  My hamstring injury (knock on wood) was healed and didn’t bother me except for a few flare ups here and there.  Weekly mileage hovered in the 40s and 50s, peaking at 58.  I was improving my 5k time with short and fast speed workouts with the team, but my longer tempo efforts and any marathon pace runs eluded me.  Numerous times I pulled out early on tempo runs, or turned long runs into slow steady runs instead of pace workouts.  Not ideal for developing sustained speed.

Given how training was going, I had no idea what my body would be capable of on race day.  Ideally, I wanted to run a Boston Qualifying time.  That would open up Boston 2020 as a possibility. If it were a good day, I planned 3:25, a not so good day, hopefully 3:28.

 

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Un post condiviso da Becca Menke: MEd|Blogger|Coach (@rabbitfoodruns) in data: Feb 4, 2019 at 6:13 PST

Course

In order to run Boston 2020, I had to run on a certified course.  AND there was drama with this course. In early March, my friend Kaitlyn forwarded me an email from USA Track and Field.  They oversee the certification of courses.  As of March, Milwaukee’s course had not been approved.  That put the brakes on my plans.  If it’s not certified, should I even run the race?  Some other November Project friends and I must have emailed the race director at least twice a week leading up to the race to check for updates.  The week before the race it was FINALLY certified.  Race on!

The course started downtown and toured the lakefront neighborhood where I used to live.  The first 10 miles were with the half marathoners and then the marathoners continued west.  We ran out to Washington Park and then began a series of out-and-backs. Runners were to make 180 degree turns around cones on the road.  The course was similar in that sense to races I have done on the lakefront trail.  That meant I would see all the other athletes during the race.

That’s what I was most excited about.  I draw so much energy from seeing other runners and cheering. Even better, I was lucky that I would know so many people running the race.  Between November Project, EDGE, other friends from the Chicago running community, I would know at least 20 people out there on the course.  It would be a party!  I couldn’t wait.

Race Eve

On Friday, I drove to Milwaukee after work.  Packet pickup was at the Fiserv Forum, where the race was to start.  There were a few vendors there, and I recognized Supernola from Expo West.  Otherwise it was pretty small and took five minutes to get everything.  This race gave us double the swag with a technical tee and a fleece long sleeve!

I was able to convince my parents to come cheer me and spend the night in Milwaukee.  We met at the hotel and then headed to dinner.  I ate a vegan sweet potato burrito at one of my favorite Milwaukee restaurants, Beans and Barley.  The evening was low-key after that.  I laid out my outfit and nutrition.  Then made a cup of tea and put CBD drops in it to relax, along with a face mask (a gift from an athlete I coach) and a running magazine.  Perfect pre-race relaxation!

Race Day

Before a race, I normally eat toast with nut butter and fruit. However, the hotel buffet was not open and there was no kitchen area.  Instead, I used the coffee maker to make instant oats. Improvisation!

The race began at 7:00. I planned to meet Evelyn, a friend and athlete I coach, in the lobby by 6:10 to head over.  On the way down, I shared an elevator ride with a couple also heading to the race.  They offered to give us a ride there, how sweet!

The weather was PERFECT.  Low 40s.  Cloudy.  Very little wind.  Almost identical to the good weather at Shamrock Shuffle two weeks ago.  I wore shorts, a singlet, arm sleeves, thin gloves, and Nike 4%s.  After warming up, I met November Project for a pre-race bounce to get some good vibes before the race.  Then headed to the corrals!  I was in the elite corral, right at the front.  Can you spot me in the picture?

Memories from the race:

• Because I was in the elite corral, I went out way too fast and blew right through my “let’s ease into the race” plan. Whoops.
• During the first three miles I chatted with two older gentlemen who were doing the half.  We joked about leaving each other in the dust on the monster hill that was coming at the 5k.  Both of them tore up it and I plodded along… but I caught back up with them by mile 6 because they were spent.  Patience wins the day.
• On the first out and back around mile 5, I heard Erica, who was running the half, shout “Go Becca!” and then had other people join her in cheering.  It made me smile and laugh.
• Approaching the November Project cheer station just before mile 10 made me feel like a rockstar.  I rode those high-five vibes for the next few miles.

• During the next mile, I met and chatted with Andrew.  He recognized me from the blog and EDGE (that was super cool), and we talked a bit about injury and running.  Then he sped on as the half marathoners turned towards the end of their race.
• After the half turned away, it was pretty desolate.  But then I spotted a familiar figure sauntering down the sidewalk up ahead.  JEREMY!  I broke out into a huge smile and shouted to him.  Apparently he had woken up at 4:30 in the morning to come up and cheer and run portions of the course with everyone.  Nez was trying to qualify for Boston (sub 3 hour), and Jeremy was pacing him for different stretches.  He hopped in with me as we headed towards my parents at Washington Park.

• Around mile 15, I spotted my dad standing on top of a rock with his iPad filming us approach.  I laughed at how adorable and reminiscent of high school soccer games it was.  My mom was standing on the side and we swapped out my handheld bottle.  My parents really are the best.  Jeremy stayed with them and waited for Nez to return and I was alone again.
• The course was hillier than I expected in this section.  There were some good rollers, but I liked how it varied the course.
• On the next two out-and-backs, I gave Nez a high five, tested my footwork in hopscotch at a cheer station, offered to pace another runner who was struggling, and continued to cheer for everyone I knew (and didn’t know).  My legs felt great, and I think the cheering and conversations took my mind off the run.  Jeremy snagged this picture of me as he ran by with Nez. I’m just having a blast.  Doesn’t everyone give air hugs during a race?

• Saw my parents again at mile 21 on my way back into the city.  This part was probably the most challenging of the course because there were some long, steady inclines before a descent to the finish line.  I was very pleased that my quads held up on the downhills that late in a race- signs of strength training!
• Coming into the city I saw my friend Hayley cheering – totally unexpected – before making my way to the final November Project cheer station.  I was so happy to see them, and get some final high fives before the last half mile.

My final time was 3:21:14. Better than I expected and a HUGE confidence boost given how I treated this race as more of a fun run and not trying to race it.

For me, the Milwaukee Marathon turned out to be very significant, and I’m really glad I ran it.  It was the first marathon that I have run healthy. Not only healthy in the physical, recovered-from-injury standpoint.  Also the mental side.  It was the first marathon where I did not have an eating disorder.  The first race where I fueled myself well – both leading up to the race and during the race.  AND.  Looking at my historical April marathon times, this was the fastest.  When I look at all the spring marathons I’ve raced, this was third fastest, but the other two were mere seconds faster.

And that, for me, is the biggest reason to smile.

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Happy running,

Becca

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