Green Bay Recap

The Green Bay Marathon was the 4th marathon I've competed in and the 3rd marathon I finished. I ran Twin Cities in 2008, Columbus in 2009, and Chicago in 2010. Twin Cities was the first running event I had ever participated in and I dropped out at mile 19 which haunts me in every race I've done since then. After the battle that was Green Bay though, I think I'll have a lot more confidence in future races.

Describe your training going into the marathon: I started using the Less is More plan thinking it'd be easier to do 3 runs a week in the middle of winter. Plus, I'd read that this plan can help you really increase your speed and my goal was to break 3:50 at Green Bay. But I kept getting injured so I cut back to a plan that had me running more often, but less aggressively. This worked out well, but my long runs were a constant conundrum. I had Lasik surgery in January and couldn't be outside in the cold for very long or I'd get terrible dry eye. So I did all my long runs on the treadmill until March (unlike many runners, I don't mind treadmills, and in some cases I think they can be really beneficial tools for training). By the time my eyes had fully healed I was itching to get in a good long run outside, but MN weather made most of my runs snowy, icy, or just cold and wet. I also don't usually train carrying water; I've always planned my long runs on routes that have water fountains. But the fountains were all shut off so I had to carry a bottle (dislike) and there were times I did not bring enough. Oh, and then I got really sick (which never happens) and had to take a week off at the end of my training! It was not ideal, and I worried I was undertrained going in, but it was definitely a learning experience and I think I'm a better runner. Spring marathons are a whole different beast than fall marathons, that's for sure.

What were your expectations going into the race? Since training hadn't gone as smoothly as I had hoped, I knew I wouldn't make my goal so I decided to focus on keeping my time under 4 hours. And if nothing else, I needed to just finish.

Highlights from the marathon: For the last mile, we got to run through the tunnel the players run through and around Lambeau Field. After all the wind (the wind was so insane!), I was feeling ultra lousy, but this made the whole thing worth it. Only runners were allowed on the field (who feels special?) and my boyfriend (a huge Packers fan) and his friend were in the stands cheering for me. It was just the lift I needed to get across the finish line.

Best thing you ate in Green Bay: Cheese curds obviously! Also, a strawberry milkshake and french fries from McDonald's. I don't mess around after a marathon.

Would you recommend Green Bay to another runner? I would if they are a Packers fan or even just a football fan. I have to say though, it was probably the least scenic marathon I've run. There was a straight 7 mile stretch on a path along the river where the wind was almost constantly pushing you back. Even without the wind though, there are mostly factories along the river so the view wasn't super.

Finishing time: Originally it was 3:58: 56 (a personal worst) but then they discovered that the course was 800 ft. too long so the times were recalculated. My recalculated time ended up being 3:57:34.