Haunted Hustle Results

Oh my gosh!  I had a great time.  This was the first year of this local race and it was wonderful.  I will definitely sign up again.

My goals were to

Have a fun time!

Take pictures - somehow I am taking my camera with me.  It just fits into my handheld pocket.  

Keep a good pace - under 10 min miles

Have fun!
And I accomplished all of them - especially the double fun! 

I was up early - to eat and get ready. The race started at 7:45 and I arrived and parked by 7:10. I headed over to use the port-a-pottie . . . . which was NOT easy with this dress on - I was worried about exactly where all of the material might be located at any given moment while using the port-a-pottie. I was very careful to make sure I knew exactly where my sleeves were! When I first arrived at the race I didn't see many people in costume and was actually a little bummed out about it. It was actually quite breezy at the start and I decided to walk back to my car and wait a little while longer before heading to the start. Well I guess the costumes all arrived as I was waiting in my car - YEAH!!!! I headed over to the start at about 7:35. Here are a couple of pictures. 

Me at the start!

 People in front of me!

 

We headed out - 1/2 marathoners and marathoners! Costumes and no costumes! Mile 1 - 3 flew by. That was really the only part of the course that was hilly and other than one relatively steep hill - it was mainly just rolling neighborhood streets. I knew that Kerri - from Running for Life! HERE was working the water station at mile 3 and 23(of the marathon). As soon as I approached I started yelling Kerri - one of the water station people said she was further down the line. I hollered Kerri again and there she was. I stopped and had a photo op with her.
I love her green hair - it would have looked nice under my witches hat! 

After mile 3 - we headed into the Pheasant Branch Nature Conservancy - a beautiful area to run. Because it was an out and back - it was a little difficult to pass people - you just had to scout ahead to make sure there were no oncoming runners and then make a dash. There is where I first saw Jamie, from Running Diva Mom, HERE. She saw me first - I think the witch hat gave me away. We cheered for each other and then continued on. She had already turned around in the conservancy and was headed out - while I was just headed into the Conservancy . . . dang she is fast - she got another PR today - AWESOME running Jamie! 

As we approached mile 7-8 (I think) I knew I had an opportunity to see Jamie again. Runners were going both directions on the path and I figured I would get my camera ready (out of my pocket on my handheld - which I have to say actually worked pretty good - it was a snug fit - but it fit) - and watch for Jamie.  Sure enough - there she was - running strong.  Here is an action shot of Jamie. 

Looking Good Jamie!

Next up was mile 8. A co-worker lives really close and she was going to be at the turnaround on mile 8. I kept my camera out and there she was with two of her three children. 

Thanks Angie for showing up - having this to look forward to seemed to make the run go faster!

Now onto the last 5 miles. Nothing special - I felt pretty good - I walked through the water station at mile 9 to make sure that I had a good drink of water - I have Gatorade with me - but had just eaten a GU and wanted water to wash it down. These miles brought us back into town with more cheering and more activity (I love activity to distract me). 

As we headed into mile 12 - I got a side-stitch. I just kept telling myself - it wasn't much further and before you know it - there was the finish! 

Race Results  - 2:07:41 (personal record), average pace 9:51.......Yea!!!!

I had a great time.  

Here are another couple of photo's from the race

The Hambugular - the guy carried a McDonald's bag - it was pretty funny!

These two were near me for quite a bit of the race - but I finished in front of them ;-)

The Haunted Hustle - AM

:WEATHER DATA:  Temperature 43 - 46, with winds from the SSW at 12 mph - temp feels like 37 - 41.  That pretty much sums up the weather for the race.  So I THINK I will be OK as far as having my costume on and not overheating.  I am currently going back and forth between capri's or shorts  and long sleeves or short sleeves . . . I have the capri's and a long sleeve tech shirt on - but I think I will change into the shorts and keep the long sleeve shirt.  I am planning on taking both with me so that I can change my mind.  ;-)  

So here are my goals for this race.

Have a fun time!

Take pictures - somehow I am taking my camera with me.  It just fits into my handheld pocket.  

Keep a good pace - under 10 min miles

Have fun!

Check back for my post race report!  

Witch me luck!

Hump Day

Hump Day update:  I started the day with a two mile run with Sophie.  I pressed the snooze a couple of times this morning and just wasn't going to get out of bed in time to get any distance in this morning.  2 miles was going to be it.  The Haunted Hustle 1/2 marathon is just over a week away - and although I did get an almost 12 mile run in last Saturday - I really want to get a mid-week run of 5-8 miles in.  So today I decided to run at lunch.  It actually worked out great.  The run went really well - if only I could keep this pace up for longer than 5 miles . . . I ran 5.1 miles with an average pace of 9:13.  I don't usually run at lunch - but really need to consider this more with winter coming.  As I have gotten older I really don't like running in the dark on potentially slippery surfaces.  I bought a head light a couple of weeks ago and have only used it in the evening for a walk.  I actually didn't need it this morning . . . because I slept late and wasn't out there running in the dark.  Oops!

Last night I finally did some sewing.  I had some pants that needed to be taken in - and hemmed.  I wore these pants last winter with pins in them - yuck - and finally got around to getting the sewing machine out and taking them in.  They were also too long to wear with my "comfy" shoes - I could really only wear them with heels - and that just doesn't work very well.  My feet complain so much after I wear heels - I almost always wake up at night with toe and foot cramps after I have worn higher heels ( and trust me these are not that high).  And the reason I needed to do some sewing last night was that I stopped at Chico's and did some shopping after work.  I have never been to a Chico's store . . . but found 2 jackets, three shirts / tops and a belt . . . and everything except the belt was on sale.  I figure that the middle of October is past the time to put away my summer khaki's and get back into wearing my fall and winter clothes and needed these pants to wear with the new clothes.

Rest of the week is pretty busy - for me.
Thursday evening I am attending a dinner in town for A Fund for Women - a fundraising event which  support grants to women and girls in our community.
Friday evening a co-worker is playing in a polka band at Essen Haus - a German restaurant/bar in town and some of us from the office are attending.
Saturday my hubby's brother will be in town visiting and we need to watch the BADGER game.
Sunday - last long run before next weekends Haunted Hustle 1/2 marathon.

Peace and have some great runs out there!

Autumn Leaves and Haunted Hustle Half Marathon!

Autumn in Wisconsin . . . The leaves are changing and dropping like flies.  After Monday mornings 4 mile run with my partner Sophie I was sitting out on the front porch brushing her and trimming her nails - it is our Monday morning ritual - it sounded like it was raining . . . the tick tick tick of leaves dropping to the ground.  This last week we have seen the trees brighten to an almost glowing state.  My living room windows over look this tree and last week the room glowed.

Now - a mere one week later - the tree is almost bare.  On Sunday we racked and blew and racked but will need to do it again.  Even though the weather has been beautiful - winter is just around the corner.

Here is a picture of one of trees in our front yard.

White Ash

Oct 7 - yellow / purplish - glowing in the sunlight

Oct 10 - dropping on the lawn

Oct 14 - one week later the leaves are all on the ground!

The leaves are pretty much raked - there are still a couple of piles in the yard that need to be moved to the tree court.  We even rake the leaves back from the street -  we are very conscience of letting things (including leaves) travel through the storm sewers since that simply flows into our lakes!  

Running Update - afterall - this is a running blog!!!!!                      Reading about all of you fellow bloggers running marathons this fall got me wanting to run another half marathon this fall.  I was on a waiting list for a half marathon - the Haunted Hustle on October 30.  I just got the news last week that I was accepted.  Yea!!!!  Two weeks to get ready - YIKES !!!!    I have continued to do at least one long run on the weekend - anywhere from 7 - 10 miles . . .  but this weekend I am going to commit to running 11 + miles.  It might not seem that much further - but for me it will be a challenge.  

This morning I ran 2 miles with Sophie and then ran home from work, which is 6 1/2 miles.  So 8 1/2 miles for the day at a 9:40 pace - that distance doesn't usually happen during the week, usually I just don't want to get up that early in the morning and I hardly ever will run after getting home.  So running home after work was a good way of getting an extra 6 1/2 miles in.  It was a beautiful run home - temp was around 60 - perfect running conditions.  

Tomorrow will be a rest day - I'll take the dog for a walk in the morning - but no running.  

This weekend is the UW Badgers vs Ohio State football game and we have 50 yard-line tickets!  So hoping the Badgers can pull out a win.  It is a 6 PM game and I am so looking forward to it.  

Go Bucky!    

Peace - enjoy the day!