Run with Jess: Quad Cities Marathon

Showing posts with label Quad Cities Marathon. Show all posts

Monday, September 24, 2012

Quad Cities Marathon: Cheerleader Style!

This past weekend, I packed up the cowbells, made the signs, ~~had a good cry,~~ and then rallied myself to be the best cheerleader possible at the Quad Cities Marathon.

First up was the Happy Joe's Mini Marathon for the kids on Saturday. My girls absolutely love running this race. They literally talk about it all year long. With bouncy houses, trampolines, mascots, and loud dance music, the entire atmosphere is just fun. Both my girls ran the 1/4 mile race and Big Girl went one more in the 1/2 mile race. (There is also a 1 mile race.) Kids can run one or all. The announcer does a nice job beforehand teaching the kids about race etiquette and proper attention during the National Anthem.

Little Girl is my fiesty competitor... she's only 4 years old and ran a great 1/4 mile race!

I'm giving her the thumbs up here as she heads to the finish line.

Big Girl always runs with a smile, but takes her own sweet time.

Both of them are super pleased with their medals. Now that they each have 2 medals, they want a medal display rack on the wall... just like mommy.

That evening we met up for dinner with some friends... the pre-race pasta feed. It felt weird to be amongst this crowd (all clearly excited for the upcoming race) and I wasn't running. I couldn't shake this feeling of being a third wheel, like I didn't belong all of sudden. So I drank beer...

Sunday morning, we awoke early and watched from our hotel room as the starting line came to life. We had thee best view from the Radisson's 6th floor of the courtyard below, the Mississippi River and the starting area. My hubby was running the 5k that morning, so in another twist of events, I was in charge of the kiddos while he prepped for this run.

We met up with the Sole Sisters for a group photo before the race began. They were all so excited... so many "firsts" happening that day. Lots of hugs, high fives and photos.

There were many more Sisters that ran, but didn't make it to the pre-race photo.

As the runners made their way to the starting line, I took my "cheer crew" and headed down the street. We set up shop in front of the Subway, which was a great decision since every one of the kids had to use their bathroom in the short time we were there.

My cheer crew!

It was pretty neat to watch the start of the race, since I normally don't see the elite Kenyans in the front. Yup, they're fast! I held my sign high for the Sole Sisters, hoping they could see it as they passed by in mass. I couldn't believe how long it took for everyone to go by. My arms were killing me. Chalk up to a good bicep workout!

After hubby finished his 5k, I adored his medal ~~with great jealousy~~. It was a whopper for their 15th Anniversary! After running his first half last weekend, he said the 5k felt... short. Ha!

Then we hopped in the car. I was hoping to make it out to the 8 mile mark before the Half and Full split, so I could catch everyone at least one more time. I didn't think ahead very well, realizing I didn't even have a course map when we got in the car. After running the full last year, I was pretty confident I knew every turn in the course. Sure enough, we managed along just fine off my memory.

As we drove along the course, hubby and I rang the cowbell out the car window like mad. Runners waved and waved at us. We must have looked crazy to those drivers who had no clue there was a race in progress. We found a parking lot near mile 8, jumped out and set up "shop". My girls lined up to for the High-5 station, hubby on cowbell duty, and me holding the Sole Sister sign, handing out Kleenex (cold mornings = snot!). While we were cheering there, I was thrilled to see and catch up with Amanda (my Ragnar buddy!). She had run the 5k (took 2nd in her age group!) and was also on the run trying to cheer on friends in the longer distances.

On the go, we bounced back over the bridge (ringing more cowbell as we drove), and caught my friends Emily and Patty at mile 12 of the full marathon course. I wished them well and promised to catch them again when they came off Arsensal Island (no spectators are allowed on the military arsenal). We were so busy cheering for runners that I didn't snap one picture. Bad cheerleader.

More Cowbell Please!

We headed to back to downtown Moline, where all the runners exit Arsensal Island. The Halfers turn right to head for the finish, while the marathoners turned left for additional 6 miles. As you can imagine, it was a very festive area... and lots of fun! (Much more so than the previous year when the rain scared spectators inside) I was so happy to be able to catch many of my Sole Sisters coming off the bridge as they finished their half marathons.

My family cheering at mile 20

Then we moved over to the marathon side. All the memories of the previous year came flooding back. It's mile 20, you get a glimpse of the finish line, but turn to do a 6 mile out/back. Some runners looked great, and others already struggling. We tried to look at bibs (for their first names) and cheer for as many individual runners as we could. When Patty came down the turn, she was smiling, doing her princess wave, but said she was hurting. We waited for Emily and Steph to make the turn (both doing their first 26.2)... they were smiling and happy as can be.

I stood there feeling really bad for Patty, wanting to help my running partner. I knew how hard that out/back stretch was. I turned to hubby and asked, "Can we shoot down the road to give a cheer at the turnaround?" He didn't want to move the car again (great parking spot), but reminded me that my bike was in the back. We unloaded Her Majesty and down the road I went. This was perhaps the most emotional part of the day for me. I saw runners excited to finish and those in despair, trying to put one foot in front of another. I could totally relate to every facial expression and weak stride I saw out there. This final stretch is truly the battleground for marathoners. There are few spectators and feels like forever before the turnaround. I tried to offer motivational words to everyone as I went in search of my friends. I bounced around from friend to friend, trying to offer a momentary distraction or friendly face.

As each one of my marathon friends came down the final stretch, I was so utterly happy for them. 26.2 miles is such an awesome achievement! My girls even jumped out there to run with Patty in the final mile...

While I was really sad to chalk up my first DNS, by the end of the day, I was just as exhausted as if I would have run the QCM myself. This cheerleading thing is a lot of work! I have a new respect for my hubby, kids and parents who always come to my marathons and cheer for me. Thank You!

Congratulations to all the Quad Cities finishers!

See you there next year, when I will be running!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Quad Cities Marathon: Giveaway!

The Quad Cities Marathon will always have a special place in my heart as it is "the home" to my very first full marathon. {race recap here} It's the perfect mid-sized racing event, especially if you're looking for a PR or BQ. With an intriguing course and top-notch race organization, the Quad Cities Marathon (QCM) ranks as one of the top picks for the fall race season. Mark your calendar for September 23, 2012 to run with me in the heart of the Midwest.

www.qcmarathon.org

Whatever your distance, age or fitness level, there is an event for you at the Quad Cities Marathon...

The Marathon presented by The National Bank

(individual or 5-person relay)

Ruhl & Ruhl Half Marathon

Palmer 5K Run/Walk

1 Mile Walk for Prostate Cancer

Happy Joe's Kids Micro Marathon

Running the banks of the Mississippi River
during the 2011 Quad Cities Marathon

UNIQUE COURSE

The QCM is nestled between Illinois and Iowa with a course that captures the essence of the Midwest with a constant connection to the Mississippi River. The flat course is intriguing as it covers 2 states, 4 cities, 3 bridges, and an island. The gun starts off the marathon in Moline, IL and runners are quickly given grandous views as they cross the Mighty Mississippi into Bettendorf, IA. After a nice tour through residential areas, the course connects with the riverfront trail, offering amazing views of the river, cities and bridges. The half and full marathon split at about the 8 mile mark, but reunite later on the Arsensal Island that rests in the middle of the Mississippi River. The full course runs nearly 7 miles on the historic, yet still active, military grounds. The scenic route along the river and through the golf course are extremely peaceful. As runners exit Arsensal Island, the halfers turn right to finish line, while full marathoners head left for a 3mile out and back. All races finish back in Moline with a straightaway stretch of cheering crowds down River Drive.

BEST VALUE

The QCM is absolutely spoiling their racers with an abundance of perks in 2012. No matter what your race distance, everyone receives a Leslie Jordan micro-fiber long sleeve shirt and finisher's medal. (Kids micro-marathon shirts are cotton tees.) Stepping things up for their 15th Anniversary, the QCM has upgraded to long sleeve shirts. The finisher medals have also been enhanced... picture a stained-glass piece of art dangling around your neck. You won't want to miss this unique bling!

To celebrate the 15th running of the Quad Cities Marathon, all race participants will receive an additional two bonus gifts... anniversary edition Gloves and a Race Belt! I had a chance to see these items firsthand recently. I loved the feel and fit of the running gloves, which feature each of the four cities on the fingers. The race belt is perfectly sized so that I can fit my key, gum and iPhone in the compartment and a couple GU gels on the strap. Perfect for long training runs!

Also included in your entry fee:

Commemorative Race Poster by world renown artist Ralph Laccarino
Special edition newspaper (with race results). It was a nice surprise last year to get this in the mail the week following the race.
Miller Lite Post Race Party with great entertainment and refreshments (pork chop sandwiches and chili are on the menu for this year!)
Pacers provided in both the marathon and half marathon
Bands and entertainers along the course
Medical and Aid Stations along the course - providing water, gatorade, vaseline, GU Energy Gel, fruit stations and more. (I fondly remember oranges present 3 times on the backhalf of the course!)
USATF Boston Qualifier Course
Championship scoring and timing

With all those perks, I think you'd agree that the QCM is a steal at only $70/$45/$25 for the Full/Half/5K respectively for early bird registration (until June 29). New this year is a cap of 5,000 runners, so don't delay your race registration (here). They also honor a military discount for our service men and women.

EXTRAS

Fundraising... The QCM benefits two worthy causes - prostate cancer research and screening (www.ustoo.org), and the Erika Kate Foundation, which helps families of children with life-threatening heart conditions.

Even the kids race has a scenic run along the Mississippi River!

Event Activities... The weekend kicks off with Saturday's children's race, the Happy Joe's Micro Marathon, which is the best kids race event I've ever seen. Read more about last year's kids event here. There is a good size Health & Fitness Expo, as well as bus course tours, and an evening pasta dinner. This year's guest speaker is running legend Frank Shorter.

WIN A FREE RACE ENTRY!

The race director of the QCM has graciously offered one FREE RACE ENTRY

to one of my readers for the race of your choice. Choose from the marathon,

half-marathon, 5K, 1 mile walk or (2) entries into the kids micro-marathon.

Giveaway contest closes to new entries on Monday, May 28, 2012 (Memorial Day).

Random winner will be selected via Rafflecopter and announced on May 29, 2012.

Already registered for the Quad Cities Marathon?
Please leave a comment below as to which race event you are already registered for. You will automatically be entered into a secondary giveaway for a Quad Cities Marathon tech shirt. Note, you may still enter the race entry giveaway too - encourage a friend, a spouse or your kids to run by winning them a free race!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, October 3, 2011

Race Recap: Quad Cities Marathon

Me & Hubby in the starting chute

It's taken me a good week to digest that I am now a MARATHONER. The Quad Cities Marathon on September 25 will forever be a special race day in my heart.

It was a rough night's sleep, but I awoke that Sunday morning ready and rearing to go. I wandered down to the hotel lobby for coffee and a weather check, which initiated a last-minute wardrobe change. It was low 40's and I decided to go with the full leggings rather than shorts. I downed an easy Marathon bar (appropriate for the day!), and I walked out the door by 6:45am with hubby by my side.

Walking up to the start, the photographer
stops me and says, "You look fun!"
Damn Right!

The starting line area was buzzing and fairly empty for a 7:30am start, but it filled in quickly. I jogged a little bit, just enough to warm up the muscles for an easy stretch. We chatted away with runners in the starting chute, finding quite a few from my town. I joked around with the 4:40 marathon pacer not to pass me today. (My goal was between 4:35-4:48, a finish under a 11:00 min/mile pace.)

The 5K, half-marathon and marathon all started together, so I got to line up and run the beginning with my husband. He's been such a vital part of my marathon journey that it was pretty neat to have him by my side as the race began. The gun went off and it a took a while for the mass of runners to move. The official race clock had already ticked past two minutes by time we passed over the starting line.

The starting chute (which also doubled as the finishing chute and post party area) was somewhat narrow. Once past the starting line, our roadway doubled and immediately relieved any congestion. I was in a super good mood, waving at spectators like I was the queen of the parade of something! No one could wipe the smile off my face. We saw a couple dressed up as Elvis, several marching bands and even a little Darth Vader!

That my Big Girl in there! My mother thinks up the best costumes & signs!

After about a 1/2 mile, I gave my hubby a kiss and off I went. The 5K runners went straight while the marathoners split to the right to make the climb over the bridge. As we crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa, I mentally went over my checklist for the day...

Have fun!
Encourage others along the way.
Thank volunteers
Take in the scenery and spectators.
Don't go under the 10 min/mile pace in the first half.
Enjoy the journey... I've worked 4 months for this day.

Miles 1 thru 3 - 10:21 avg

Mile 4 - 9:40

The first four miles had some gradual inclines and rolling hills through neighborhoods. There was decent crowd support and I chatted away with fellow runners. Everyone seemed to be in great spirits, joking around with me over my outfit. It was Sunday and the big Packers-Bears football game was later that day, so my Packers outfit initiated lots of comments and conversation throughout the day. I remember one guy coming up on my side, saying "You have great spirit. I like your attitude. Your outfit is really cute, but you've got the wrong team..." I'll take that as a compliment, thank you!

Mile 5 - 9:57

Mile 6 - 9:59

Mile 7 - 10:12

Mile 8 - 10:03

Just before mile 5, we came out of the neighborhoods and curved onto the riverfront trail, following the Mississippi River along the Iowa side of the Quad Cities. This four-mile stretch was by far the best part of the race. Beautiful scenery - I love running alongside water! Everyone was finding their groove by now, so not a lot of passing back and forth. For awhile, I ran with a 9 year old boy and his dad. It was the boy's first half marathon and by golly, he was keeping pace with me! Another group of guys kept me entertained, especially when they tried to lube their inner thighs without stopping. The spectator support through this stretch was nice too. Lots of music and bands.

Mile 9 and 10 - 10:43 avg

Now came the tough part began... the half marathoners split off at Mile 8 and the reality set in that I was in for the long haul. It suddenly got really sparse out on the course. I longed to turn right with the half-marthoners (I was having so much fun with them!), but I took a deep breathe and forged ahead. Today I become a Marathoner. Onward!

I passed under a bridge that was lined with spectators and gave a wave.
This was pretty much me the first half of the race... I was having a ball!

Inside mile 9, there was a short out and back stretch, which was fun as runners bantered back and forth. As I turned down the final stretch on the Iowa side, a little yellow jersey caught my eye... my Little Girl! My family was up ahead! This was the first time I saw them since the start because they waited for my hubs to finish the 5K. Little Girl came running out to give me high 5's. I gave a thumbs-up and turned to head over the Mississippi River once again.

I hit the mile 10 marker at the top of Centennial Bridge. What a view it was! I downed a GU Chomps, gave some waves to the honking cars, but felt pretty alone at this point. I remember turning around to see if there was anyone behind me. As we came off the bridge back onto the Illinois side of the race, I was thankful to see lots of cheerleaders, bands and spectators waiting.

Mile 11 - 12:17

Mile 12 - 10:35

Coming through downtown Rock Island was neat - spectators making lots of noise! I made my first water stop to refill my hand bottle and drop in a nuun. My family was waiting for me once again at about mile 11.5. This time Little Girl ran out to give her momma hugs! I stopped there to lube up my inner thighs that were starting to chafe. I hadn't worn these compression tights since last winter and something was rubbing wrong.

Mile 13 - 10:41

Mile 14 - 10:57

Mile 15 - 10:48

Mile 16 - 10:52

Mile 17 - 11:33

Mile 18 - 11:26

Mile 19 - 10:50

Mile 20 - 10:49

We crossed over a small bridge onto Arsenal Island, which is a U.S. Army foundry, closed to the general public. Almost 950 acres, the island lies in the middle of the Mississippi River between the Illinois and Iowa shores. I was prepared for this stretch to be fairly lonely without spectators, so until now, I hadn't used my ipod. I flipped it on and settled into a pace.

The morning had been pretty darn near perfect. The weather was cool and overcast, but perfect for running. Suddenly I looked up to see a very dark horizon. The rain began to sprinkle at mile 14 and by time I hit 16, we were in a downpour. This was not a fun portion of the race. Runners were pretty spread out, so it was easy to feel all alone out in the pouring rain. I slowed to a walk in mile 17 to take a GU and refill my water bottle. Everything was soaked, my feet got heavy and the chills rippled through my body. To make matters worse, we had rejoined with the half-marathon course. However, at this point in the race, most of them were walking, which made it incredibly hard to keep my legs running. To top it off, the volunteers were yelling, "Keep going, only 2 miles left..." Yeah, right.

At mile 18, I actually said out loud, "I hate you marathon." I didn't mean it, but I was really frustrated feeling tired so early. The only thing that got me through was knowing there were oranges waiting for me at mile 19. It's so funny as I think about it now, but while I was running, it was the only thing I could think about... oranges, oranges, oranges! And by golly, when I hit that outstretched plate of oranges, I was in pure heaven. Then my mind shifted to... only one more miles before we are off this God-foresaken island! I silently prayed that my family would be waiting at the bottom of the bridge. In this rain, I really needed my hat to shield my face.

The bridge came in sight and I happily made the climb to exit Arsenal Island. I could hear the crowds waiting on the other side. Low and behold, as soon as we hit the bridge, it stopped raining.

Mile 21 - 10:53

Mile 22 - 11:08

Mile 23 - 11:57

The crowds were huddled under the highway overpasses as we came off the island. My mind was kinda numb at this point... there might have been a band, not sure, but it was really loud. My family was indeed waiting for me. Hubby ran out with me for a short while to see if I needed anything out of my bag. I traded my soaking wet headband for a ballcap, just in case the rain started again.

I was drenched wet, but still managed a smile!

Again, the half-marathoners turned right to the finishline while the marathon went left for a 3 mile out and back. I can honestly say it was the longest 3 miles I've ever run to reach that turnaround. It was a boring stretch with very little spectators. And par for the course, my ipod died right at the time I needed it most. Another one lost to rain! My brain was kind of numb at this point. One step in front of the other. I had to focus myself and started concentrating on my Mile Dedications to distract myself.

The 4:40 pacer came up by my side somewhere inside mile 22. I tried my best to hang with her, but just couldn't hold on. Glancing at my watch, I knew the 4:40 was out, but thought I could still come under the 4:45 if I stuck with it.

Mile 24 - 11:36

Mile 25 - 11:25

Mile 26.2 - 13:27 (11:13 avg)

Once we hit the turnaround, I had a renewed energy, a second wind. My pace doesn't show it, but mentally I started to get excited about finishing. I got this! I am about to become a Marathon Finisher!! I pep-talked myself... you trained, you sacrificed, you're almost home now. You got this!

Now on the way back, I was passing runners on their first stretch out. There wasn't much conversation - but it was easy to read their faces. I felt so bad watching some of them struggle. And then a fellow runner yelled out, "Hey Jess! I read your blog!" That felt pretty neat!

At mile 25, they had the best volunteer at just the right spot. He was yelling at every runner with so much excitement. One mile left! I had waited a long time to see the Mile 25 sign and I smiled with silly glee. As I came into downtown Moline, the crowds and noise got heavy. Oddly enough, the last 1.2 miles went by extremely fast. I saw the finish line ahead and had tunnel vision as I tried to give one last push.

Cruising to the Finish Line!

Little Girl and her bright yellow jersey caught my eye. Ah, my family! I tossed them my water bottle and hat and headed to the finish. Crossing that line felt FANTASTIC!! It was a long summer of hard work and sacrifices to train for the marathon... but in this moment, it was all completely worth it.

Today had been the perfect victory lap.

Yes!! I did it!

Minutes later, my hubby was hugging me inside the post-party area. I've read many times that people immediately say, "Never again". It was definitely a challenge, but not nearly as painful as some of the stories I've read. I turned to my hubs and said... "I'm definitely doing this again! It was awesome!"

Official Finish Line photo

My wonderful mother thinks of everything and had flowers waiting for me at the Finish!

Official time: 4:43:27

(10:49 pace)

Age Division (F35-39): 31 out of 43

Females: 145 out of 238

Overall: 486 out of 655