Let The Season Begin

The state of Wisconsin has a weird way of toying with your mind. One week, you think Spring is right around the corner as 30-40 degree weather gives you a glimmer of hope to hit the open road on a training run or bike ride. Only to be quickly reminded that Winter in Wisconsin never seems to go away. The relentless chill in the air, combined with perpetual snow that blankets the tough terrain make for a long indoor training season!

This past Saturday was no exception. Many Northeast Wisconsin athletes took to the roads of De Pere to participate in the 14th annual Seroogy's Valentines Run. What was a chilly morning start turned into a wonderfully sunny and motivating day. Roughly 1,100 participants started the 8 am run at approximately 8 degrees (450-15k and 650-5k). And the course did not disappoint.

While it only took 2-3 miles to finally warm up and get blood flowing down to my toes, the road conditions were nearly perfect. A quick run through De Pere's St. Norbert Abbey trail lead to a long and winding run to Green Aisle park. With many spectators along the way, the run was peaceful, sunny, and challenging.

I set out with two goals for this first race of the season. Goal #1 - finish the race without having walked at all. A pretty ambitious goal given the longest distance I had ran all off-season was 6 miles, and the longest duration 45 minutes. Despite the formation of a nasty blister on my right foot, I can happily say I accomplished my first goal - NO WALKING. Goal #2 - finish the race in under 90 minutes. This was a bit more of a lofty goal. Anyone that has followed my blog, or knows me, knows that I do not know what it means to run slow! Yet, each time I wanted to rest or saw another pace guide pass me, I quickly reminded myself that goal #1 was more important - FINISH.

I decided early on I wasn't going to check my phone for my time until I finished. It was the first race of the season and I didn't want to become disappointed. Low and behold, I crossed the finish line 81 minutes and 2 seconds...an 8:45 per mile pace. While perhaps a bit slower than my normal mid-season pace, I was really quite ecstatic about finishing in under 90 minutes. My legs were burning and my blister was ready to pop.

While running, I was often reminded of why this sport is such an inspiring and motivational endeavor. Spectators cheering for all athletes, young children holding their hands out in anticipation of a high-five, fellow athletes providing words of encouragement, local law enforcement stopping traffic, race volunteers cheering you on, and the endless support and excitement at the finish. Where else do you find all of these components at a sporting event? Where else can you feel so included no matter what your ability level, speed, or skill? The running and triathlon circuit is such an inspiring place for anyone to feel accomplished, no matter what goals they set!