Forums > Racing > La Crosse, WI Half Marathon
This is the first race on my schedule for this year, which I hope to finish in under 3 hours.
Last year is when I started running, with the goal of finishing the IMT Des Moines Marathon. I started training in late March, basically starting from couch potato, and two weeks before the race ran a good 18 miles (planned on a longer run, but it got dark and the rec trail was not lit at night). Should have completed the course in about 6 - 6 1/2 hours, and was on target for the start. Then I hurt my knee at mile 12 and walked almost to mile 15 before it gave out.
I plan to give it another go this year, but I decided a couple other races in the course of training would help make the training easier mentally for me since there were more immediate goals along the way, and would mean a longer training schedule, which should help build strength in my joints.
La Crosse is the only race that isn't in Des Moines (where I live), but I have family that lives just a half-hour away. Didn't plan on the training in the extreme cold though!
My other pass time ....
I'm going to do the full in LaCrosse. We actually live just across the river in Minnesota from LaCrosse and are going to run part of the course this morning.
It's a new race (2009 1st race) put together by a bunch of experienced runners in conjunction with the City set along the Mississippi river. It's got a nice expo, bike criterion (Sp?), bike tour thru the surrounding area, 5K run/walk, half marathon, full marathon.
You can really see the input from the experienced running guys in that they covered alot of details that sometimes get missed for first races. First half of the course has plenty of people .... 2nd half got a bit lonely until the finish. I sucked on the way back last year.
Good crowd for an inaugural race and early signup is pointing to a much bigger crowd for this year.
Tim
I have family in Winona, MN - which is why La Crosse is viable for me. If I have to pay for hotel and everything, I just can't afford it at this point!
I asked them for an elevation chart, which they said they would have in a couple weeks (several weeks ago now and still no chart), but they assured me it was very flat. I asked because even though I was very familiar with Des Moines, I was caught off-guard to the hills that exist along the Des Moines Marathon route. Iowa is not as flat as people think - even those of us who live here! I didn't want to be in that same situation again, so I am training in a bit of a hilly neighborhood. If the course is as flat as they insist it is, it will be a welcome easy race!
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