In little,
unincorporated Sugar Camp, there is the Polish Square Run/Walk that goes around
the country block that is 6.9 miles in distance. It is a non-timed, low-key event that’s
started off by the firing of a shotgun.
There isn’t a distinct start line, there are a couple unmanned water
stations, and most of the participants walk.
Some even pull wagons of beer with them.
Afterwards, there is a polish smorgasbord of food inside the bar. The entry fee is cheap ($20), and it gets you
a sweatshirt and food. The money raised
goes to a local charity, and the top 3 male and female winners get a polish
sausage. Did I forget to mention that
one house along the route also set out a beer station and there were Shorty’s
at the finish line? Yes, this really
does exist.
The baby belly at 21 weeks.
Andy ran
and won it last year (by a solid 5 minute margin of victory).I had stayed inside with Baya, figuring I
shouldn’t try and run hard again only a week post-marathon.I probably could have handled it, but I
didn’t’ want to push it.This year, I
assumed it would be too late in my pregnancy to run, though I was just waiting
and hoping I could.By 20 weeks last
time around, I had developed pelvic pain that kept me running no further than 4
miles, and my paced had slowed.Sure, I
could have joined the walkers, but that’s not really my style, and well,
despite being 20 weeks, I still wanted to be the Top Female Finisher (despite
it meaning absolutely nothing but it being an issue of personal pride).
Andy said
that if I ran, he’d run it with me (at my slower pace).We started off being led by a couple of
others, then passed one, but still had 2 ahead of us for quite a length of
time.We got in a spat after a mile or
so had passed.Ideally, I thought I
could still run faster than what I was (closer to a 7’ pace versus our current
7:30 pace), and we weren’t in first (he said he didn’t care if he didn’t win –
but let’s face it, he doesn’t care about as much as I do).After we passed the leaders he felt
better.(And why did I say I thought I
could run faster?!)I think that I like
to believe that despite being pregnant, I can just keep going like normal.Pregnancy is a slow thing, a long process,
but at some point along the way, you are bound to slow down - you just don’t
want to accept that it’s happening.
We finished
together as overall victors, the husband-wife duo.Twenty weeks and still going (albeit a little
slower now I guess).
October 11,
2014 marked the 1st Annual Three Eagle Half Marathon & 5K.This was a dream that had started more than a
year before.Andy and I were renting in
Three Lakes, and we would often run the trail, usually the “boring” part
nearest Three Lakes.Then I discovered
that after 3 miles it turned back into the woods, then Andy found it too.So we biked the trail to DQ as a family, and
I ran its entirety many times in training for my marathon (with Andy and Baya
biking beside me).We talked about how
it should have a race on it – it was near the perfect distance for a Half
Marathon.
I ran the
Ashland Marathon and was disappointed by their trail – it had nothing on
ours!I got home and told Andy that we NEEDED
to do a race on our trail.I contacted
the President of the Foundation of the Three Eagle Trail and got his full
support, then gained committee members, and the rest is history in the form of
months of planning and work to see the dream come alive last weekend.
A race
director has my absolute respect, especially one of a race that is well
organized and run.If it goes smoothly,
it is because of an awesome director, committee and volunteers that made it
happen.It doesn’t happen on its
own.It’s the attention to detail, that
if forgotten can make things disastrous.Sponsors, porta potties, aid stations, marketing and publicity (design
work all thanks to my hubby), supplies, volunteers, and communication is
tops.Don’t forget a single detail – pins
for race bibs, cones, signs, medals, shirts, food, water, nothing.
Of course
there were glitches.After all, this was
our first year!We had a shortage of
Finisher Medals, and some of the Half runners went off course near the end - my
apologies for these things!We worked to
remedy them as best and as quickly as possible.We were over 20 Finisher Medals short (5 weeks prior when we had to
place our medal order, we had no idea that registration would grow THAT much!),
but many who received an award medal (as well as some other generous finishers)
turned their Finisher Medal back in to be given to someone else.There were moments where I felt almost
overwhelmed by people’s kindness and generosity.As soon as I heard one person had gone off
course, I immediately sent a volunteer down to the turn where some had missed
the arrows and cones, to make sure that no one else would do the same.I feel bad for those who went astray, but we
worked as quickly as possible to resolve it.
We also ran
short of cookies, but we had lots of other food left, including quarts of
chocolate milk after the finish line that the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
donated (we wanted to provide the best)!The Three Lakes High School Fab Lab students made our Top Finisher
awards.Buses were provided by the Three
Lakes Winery, all of our printing was done by Cole Publishing, we had to
increase our shirt order, we provided Race Staff shirts, we set up crossing
guard training, we painted pumpkins to count down the remaining miles of the course,
and we coordinated with T & H Timing Company, and also with Advanced
Therapeutics for post-race massages.There
are many moving parts in putting together a race of this size.
We were blessed with perfect
weather.Over 200 ran the entire trail
for the Half Marathon that morning, and over 100 additional covered the last 3
miles for the 5K.Over 350 had
registered.Minds blown.We were asked multiple times, “And this is
your FIRST year?! Wow.”We credit Andy a
lot for the professional website and social media work that he did.We credit the people of our small town for
their incredible support, and word-of-mouth about our “hidden gem” of a
trail.I credit my race committee for
all their work in spreading the word.
We did have some negative feedback,
but very little in comparison to the positive feedback, such as….
“The
race as a fun one to run, on a well-organized, enjoyable course. I felt
good!”
“I was
happy to help. It was a great way to promote the Three Eagle Trail. Thank you
for all your work to make the run super successful. It was a very well
organized and promoted event.”
“Count
me in for next year!”
“I
loved the race!!! Very nice course. Staff was friendly and helpful.
Eagle River restaurants had very good food, everyone in town, and on the
race course where friendly!!! Thank you for putting together a wonderful
event!!!”
“I ran 5 half marathons this year in the Midwest, and your
course was the best one!”
“That
course will be extremely hard to top. I loved it!!!!! The weather was perfect.”
“Great
job! Course was beautiful! Can you order up the same weather next year?”
“It was
a totally awesome day! I can't wait till next year!”
“The
pumpkins were fun to see along the trail! It was a delightful day for a
race.”
“My boyfriend and I did this half marathon as our
first half marathon together. We both have been active in different events from
Ironman to half Marathons to 5Ks. Out of all the events that we have done, we
both agree that this was one of our favorite events and we will be running it
next year.The trail was absolutely
beautiful and there was always something to look forward to. We both cannot say
enough wonderful things about the run and how well it was put together for your
first year.”
The night before the race, I found
out that one of our assigned aid stations fell through, but a local family
agreed to fill-in and take it on at the last minute.I was also able to be at the finish for most
of the Half for giving out the medals, and after one lady finished, her friend
hugged her with tears in her eyes and told her how proud she was of her.It was the first Half for some, maybe a first
5K, but I hope that we gave everyone an incredible experience and they’ll want
to return again next year – with all of their friends, and that we grow into a
community of active living and healthy lifestyles.Did I sleep the night before?Hardly.But for all the stress and anxiety, there were all of these beautiful
moments.Driving back from the start
towards the finish line area, I saw over 100 5K’ers on the trail and it brought
tears to my eyes.It was beautiful.It was worth it.
Although I did feel like Baya in this video for the full week after the event....
It is my
honor and privilege to announce that Timber Land Chiropractic is my newest
sponsor! I’ve been impressed with how thorough
the patients are treated at Timber Land Chiropractic - checking posture,
alignment, range of motion, and even doing x-rays in order to get a full
picture in understanding the structure of each one’s body.
I first saw
a chiropractor when I was about 6 years old.My family had never used chiropractic services before, but when I was in
a sledding accident, and it hurt to move, we gave it a try.The first adjustments were painful, as my
body was so out of line.After he looked
me over the first time, though, he could not only tell that I would get a lot
of ear infections, but he could also tell me which side was worse.Up until that point in my life, I had lived
on antibiotics every winter for my ear infections.My mom said she always knew when I had
another one when I would fall down the steps again (as it affects balance).After seeing the chiropractor, I never got
another ear infection again.I am
definitely a firm believer in chiropractic care.
Through observation
and the use of the x-rays, Dr. Wendy could tell what areas were not
balanced.She could immediately tell I
had injured my shoulder at one point (2 years ago in the bike accident), and
that I had also sustained a neck injury (most likely from the pole vaulting
mishap from about 5 years ago).Working
to realign my body over time, I should see results in my power output as I
become more evenly balanced and can work more efficiently, and also hopefully
avoid injury and uneven wear on the body.About a week before my first adjustment, I had pain in my lower back on
one side that suddenly came on while sprinting with my volleyball girls.It was severe enough that I had to stop.After that initial adjustment, I was able to
sprint again without pain.Due to now
having a baby belly as well, I am finding I am getting tight in the lower back
a lot more as my body is adapting to the shift in weight.Dr. Wendy has been keeping me going though,
while also minimizing discomfort.
In
addition, Dr. Wendy is also giving me more nutritional guidance so I can train
and perform at my best.She is licensed
by the State of Wisconsin to provide Nutrition Counseling Services.I record my diet, and we work to adjust it
knowing that proper fueling plays a critical role in performance.I look forward to the added benefits that result
from regular chiropractic care and proper nutritional adjustments!
1)Injuries: Given enough time, something is bound to
happen.I’ve had my share of
injuries.In High School I sprained my
wrist at volleyball practice.In
college, I sprained my ankle twice while pole vaulting, and that was also when
I first had problems with a tight hamstring.Shin splints used to be common back in the day when I wasn’t a regular
runner too.In college, I learned the
importance of icing tender areas to keep them from getting worse.Ice cups are great for the shins, as they
massage and ice at the same time.The foam
roller is awesome for self-massage and loosening up tight muscles.I discovered the power of the foam roller
when training for my marathon – and I think that’s the only way I got through
training without taking time off for any full-blown injuries.Take care of things immediately and take time
off early on if needed, so you can return to training sooner and keep the
injury from becoming even more serious.
2)Fitness.There
is general fitness and more sport-specific fitness.I would run some in the off-seasons of
college track (summers), but I never had any type of structured training, nor
was I very regular about it.I remember
once being pleased that I ran 12 miles in one week one time.Like I said, it’s all relative, and I didn’t
know anything.I didn’t know I would
eventually run more than 45 miles in a week, or running more than 30/week for
weeks on end would be normal.I didn’t
know the great benefits that cycling could bring to me in making me a stronger
athlete.I always had the mindset that I
didn’t like running very much, and I was just never any good at it (and I guess
that means I never would be?).I wish I had
done cross training during my summers, more running, cycling, swimming, or
whatever!It would have taken my overall
fitness to another level and better prepared me to take my sport-specific
fitness to another level as well.
3)Off-Season Training.In high school in my day, in my little hometown, my sports had one
season.Sure, I would attend a
volleyball camp in the summer, but we didn’t have open gyms, clubs weren’t
common, and so I focused on my sport during that season mainly.I remember only one winter (I didn’t play
basketball so winter was an off-season), where I stayed after school some days
and either ran or lifted (we didn’t have treadmills, cross country, or any type
of solid distance program, so it was outside on my own in the snow and
ice).Otherwise I would just go home
after school.I ran distance one year of
high school – my sophomore year I ran the mile at most every meet.My fastest mile was a 6:44.I recently ran my first timed mile since
those days (more than a decade later), and I did it in 5:59 with no competition
around me.This ties in with overall
fitness as well of course.My point is
though that now I train year-round, even in my off-season, and it makes a
drastic difference.If I had been
running year-round back then, I could have started making my gains in running
much, much earlier.
4)Pacing.I had my
first experience of good pacing when I was a senior in college when we had to
run the timed 500m for testing during the pre-season. Every year I used to be sick to my stomach
thinking about running it, but this year I decided to not go out as hard as all
of my crazy teammates.I didn’t get
nervous, and I kept calm.I started off
trailing but then caught up to and passed some people because they had hit a
wall, and I hadn’t.It felt great!Pacing is really important in triathlons, as
they are an endurance race (especially the longer you go).Even pacing for an event will make the race a
lot more fun, doable, and rewarding.It’s
always refreshing to have a little left in the tank for a great finish instead
of falling apart and crawling in.
So there you go – some of the
things I have learned over the years that I would love to go back and tell my
former self.But alas, you live and
learn, and you get to keep getting better as you age instead!
Andy and I both coach high school
athletes.I am the head volleyball
coach, and he is the head Track & Field coach (and I his sole assistant
coach).We had the high school athletic
experience, but we also had the experience of college athletics.Since then, I also have had the continued
experience of post-collegiate competition.These athletic experiences have taught us a lot.When we look back at our high school sporting
memories, we shake our heads a bit at ourselves.Hindsight shows us just how clueless we were,
and working with high school athletes today, we are continually reminded of
this.I think Andy and I both wish at
times that we could take our level of experience and knowledge and be able to
go back and apply it to our former teenage selves – and kick a lot of butt in
the process.While we can’t do that, we
do strive to teach the student-athletes that we work with much of the knowledge
we wish we could go back and teach ourselves.Here I’d like to share some of our take-aways:
1)What you think is hard, isn’t really all that
hard.It’s all relative.If I had to do college workouts when I was in
high school, I’d have started to learn what hard work really looks like when it
comes to training.It took me 3-5
college years to acclimate to the college level of training, but the rewards
were phenomenal.Somewhere amongst those
college years, I actually became a real athlete.Now a lot of my training is a lot longer in
duration, but it can still be super intense.I have learned to dig deep and suffer like I never have before.
2)Lifting will turn you into a beast.I mean this in a good way.It can really transform the type of athlete
you are and take you to a whole different level of athleticism.The benefits of a good, consistent weight
training program are immense and should not be overlooked.
3)Sleep has ALWAYS been important to me. Even in
college, when it was bedtime, I just went to bed.I never pulled a single all-nighter. However, some athletes do not understand just
how important sleep is in the recovery process and getting the body ready for
the next training session.Having a kid,
whether newborn or sick, makes one really realize how much of a difference
sleep makes.Make sleep a priority.
4)Nutrition.While I know proper nutrition is important, I didn’t know how big of an
effect proper fueling and refueling could have.Proper fueling gets your body optimally primed to train and
compete.Proper refueling helps your
body to not only fully reap the benefits of your workout, but it also aids your
body in rebuilding and repairing so you can recover faster and be better
prepared for the next training session.I grew up on a dairy farm, but since we got our milk straight from the
bulk tank, we didn’t ever buy chocolate milk or drink much of it (except at
school where it was available).Fortunately, I married young to a man whose second love is chocolate
milk, and it has since been a staple in our house.Chocolate milk is being marketed as a
top-of-the-line recovery beverage because of its ideal ratio of carbohydrates
to protein.The carbs refuel your body,
and protein repairs and rebuilds muscles.On top of that, chocolate milk also provides calcium, potassium, sodium
and magnesium.Some endurance athletes
consume salt tablets or take magnesium supplements (to increase energy and
endurance), but with chocolate milk, you get both.Many athletes (including me still), tend to
eat a lot of bananas for the potassium to help prevent fatigue and muscle
cramping.Calcium is also important to
build and maintain strong, dense bones.With chocolate milk, you get the benefits of all of these elements – in
one place!It doesn’t get any easier (or
tastier!) than that.
