DreamBig 2012 - #8 Wisconsin

STATE #8 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Summerfest Rock N Sole Half Marathon
Finishers: 3,223

Friday, June 22, 2012
Let me tell you a little story about a friend named Kali. Kali and I met around Feb. 22, 2012 while working in New York City on a ginormous Deloitte project. We often did seat rearranging as they needed more space and the most recent seat change put Kali and I across the aisle from each other. We didn't talk much at first until I went on a juice cleanse and was craving food nonstop. On several occasions during these 3 days, I would awkwardly ask Kali if I could smell her lunch just to pretend I was eating. And sure enough, we became best friends after that. Kali is from Omaha and I have spent many weekends there where I have slowly gotten to know her family and all of her friends. 

So back to the story - Kali obviously knew about my goal and had planned on running a race with her sister, Shari, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since I didn't have a set plan of races yet, she invited me along so I could check Wisconsin off my list. Gotta start somewhere. It was fun because Kali and I would train together for this race in Central Park and around the streets of New York - a very unique experience.

When the weekend came around, Kali had actually just recently transitioned off our New York project in early June so I was excited to reunite with her. I flew into MKE and rented a car and spent some of the day cruising around Milwaukee, picking up my race packet at the Veteran's Center and then driving some of the course. I also went to an outdoor mall and for no reason bought new wedges and new turquoise jeans. I am a pro impulse buyer. 

Kali's parents dropped her off later that afternoon once they rolled into town and she stayed with me at the Aloft. When it was time for dinner, Kali and I walked down to the Hyatt to meet up with her family and I met the first of many aunts and other family members of Kali's. Since Shari lived in town, we decided to do something easy for dinner and met up with her and a few friends at Olive Garden for dinner and then hung out at Shari's apartment before heading back to the Aloft to relax the rest of the night. 

Welcome gift at the ALoft - aka the key to my heart...cheese.

David Ahner - emergency contact who was out of the country

Saturday, June 23, 2012
We hadn't planned out race morning all that well but Kali had purchased me a new Nike shirt to wear so that we matched - she's the coolest.

We ate a little in the room and then the parents picked us up and dropped us off at the start. We had a bit of commotion in the car as it pertains to directions but I just tried to stay calm and let them all figure it out. Eventually, we just jumped out of the car and made our way to the start line. Kali decided to run with Shari and told me to go ahead up front since I had been training (this is always a constant theme over the next 4 years lol). After snapping a few photos, we said our farewells and decided we would see each other at the finish.

Ash - Shari - Kali all ready to Rock N Sole

The course took off and went about 2.5 miles out along I-794 which is basically the highway that runs along the Milwaukee Bay. Taking into account that it's pretty much a bridge over the water, we had some nice strong winds blowing and your normal inclines and declines that you would get from any bridge. Once far enough out, we hit the turn around point and basically just ran back the way we came to start the second part of the race.

The majority of the next part of the race was also along the water but had some MAJOR hills through the coastline parks and up into the neighborhoods. Climbing like it was my job. Along Lincoln Memorial Drive and through the Marina before turning back towards the start again around Mile 9 in Lake Park. 

It had gotten awfully toasty at this point and after starting out pretty strong, I started having leg pains and my body was just dragging. Just keeping going young grasshopper. We made our way back past the Marina along the coast and then down a lot of what seemed like either bike paths or sewer systems, either way - they were not your normal sidewalks.

I saw Kali's parents and younger sister, Bridget, around Mile 11 and gave them a goofy face and thumbs down to show how much fun I was having. We finally spit out on the other side of the fairgrounds under the highway and ran through the deserted, hot backroads before rejoining civilization and winding our ways to the finish.

I didn't have my phone so I found Kali's family in our meeting spot and waited with them until the girls had finished and we all regrouped for several photo opps.

OFFICIAL RACE PIC - 8 states down, 42 more to go! #DREAMBIG

We hung around the fairgrounds for a while and listened to music before going to clean up.

Race #8 for Ash - Race #3 for Kali

Kali.... my poor child

All of the runners in our extended group

Meh...not my best...but I'll take the state!

Later that night we met Kali's family for drinks and dinner and then met up with Cooper who now lived in Milwaukee and his friends for a night out on the town which ended by shutting down the bars while singing Whitney Houston and grabbing some late night dinner around 2am at an all night diner.

8 states down, 42 more to go!
#DREAMBIG