Madison, Wisconsin is one of my absolute favorite places to run, especially in the summer. It’s a small laid back city with a lot of sights to see. It is also a very fitness friendly town with trails of all types and distances available to the runner and the biker. Add in the lovely weather in the summer and you have a great destination for a runner. It's also where Beer Geek and I plan to retire to eventually. It took me a long time to convince him (umm, close to 20 years...), but he's on board with living there from spring through fall and traveling the rest of the year. Sounds like a great retirement plan to me. 6 more years to go... Here are some of my favorite places to run: Mendota Lakeshore Path - This is one of … [Read more...]
Lifetime Half #61: Wausau Half Marathon (WI)
Wausau Half Marathon August 20, 2016 2:22:16 Temp: Mid 60s but crazy humid (96%) What I wore: hat, tank top, a Skirt Sports Gym Girl Ultra, compression socks, and Altra One 2.5 If I hadn't been going for Mercury, I never would have gone out of my way to run the Wausau Half Marathon. But from an organizational standpoint, it was a nice small town race. Packet pickup was a piece of cake and parking on race morning was plentiful and easy, despite it being Wisconsin roadwork season. I ran into a fellow Skirt Sports Ambassador before the race, but she was pushing a racing stroller with myTeam Triumph, so she started 10 minutes ahead of the half marathon. The race started on time and we headed out of Marathon Park. I knew it … [Read more...]
Five fun things to do with kids in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is truly my home away from home. My parents moved back to their hometown in Wisconsin when Jones was a baby. Since then, I've been coming home 2-3 times a year with the kids. Each time we come up, there are always a few things we repeat, but I try to find a couple of new stuff to try. Go to the zoo - There are quite a few zoos in Wisconsin, plus it's possible to make a weekend trip to Chicago or Minneapolis. Jones' favorite is the Milwaukee Zoo, but the Henry Villas Zoo in Madison is free and it's just enough to entertain for a morning or afternoon. (Perfect if one of your kids is not as big a fan as the other. Fly at the EEA Aventure in Oshkosh - My parents took the boys here while Beer Geek and I were having fun at … [Read more...]
30th Annual Great Taste of the Midwest for the win!
Every August for the last 7 years, Beer Geek and I have had the opportunity to enjoy the Great Taste of the Midwest. This beer festival is hands down one of the top beer festivals in the country. (I'd say THE best, but I haven't been to every festival out there. Yet.) Before picking up Beer Geek from the airport on Friday, I got in a slow, easy 4 mile run. It hasn't been as hot in Wisconsin as the crazy heat in Virginia, but the humidity was all kinds of gross. I've been struggling with some achilles issues, so I was happy that it didn't bother me much. Once I picked him up at the airport, we headed to Madison. I love Madison. It tops my list of places besides DC that I'd love to live. Ah, well, someday. We started out our fun … [Read more...]
Five Wisconsin brands I always buy
Confession: I haven't lived in Wisconsin since I was 2 years old. But I still consider myself a Wisconsin girl. Why? Because growing up as a military brat, it was the place that always felt like home. The family farms were there. All of my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc were all there - many in the same small town. Somehow, I've always stayed a Wisconsin girl at heart. I mean, I can even say "Go Pack" with the right accent. LOL And part of someplace being home is the food that you associate with it. While there are plenty of things I would never look for around here (herring comes to mind LOL), there are certain brands that are made in Wisconsin that I still love. Johnsonville brats - These are still some of the best … [Read more...]
Favorite weekend of the year
Each year, Beer Geek and I attend the Great Taste of the Midwest. It is the best beer festival I've ever been to and each year it does not disappoint. In fact, this whole weekend was pretty amazing. Thursday we took the boys to the local festival, where they rode a bunch of rides like the tilt a whirl and bumper cars. Gotta love small town USA celebrations - rides, junk food, and live music. Fun for all. Friday, after a 7 mile run around the neighborhood, Beer Geek and I headed to Madison. We always stay at the same hotel, so we got checked in and chilled out for a bit before we headed out to dinner with friends. We decided to bike over, which was great, except I was wearing a dress. I may have provided some entertainment for the … [Read more...]
