This was my second half marathon and OMG I loved the scenery! It felt as if I was running on a Zen cloud! I started a bit late due to LONG lines at the port a potty and I could not find the 2:00 pace group. This had me start a little more anxious than I would have liked, but hey turned the corner and caught my first glimpse at the State Capital with the sun rising! Can't complain! I continued to run a little quicker than I would have liked but I set a goal to a 2:00 PR and was on a mission to find my pace group. I eventually did catch up right when we hit Madison Aboretum and between the "I need to catch my breath and even out my pace" I was able to calm my breathing in a cloud of nature! I do have to say I think this is when I was bit by something on my shoulder but didn't notice this till my way home. I was able to stay with my pace group until I needed a drink of water and then it was too hard to catch up. I must say I did finish with a 2:02:10 PR which was 10 minutes quicker than my first half 2:12:38. I cannot complain!

T-Shirt/SWAG: I liked the women tank, very breathable and lightweight (wore it today to cut the grass and no complaints). Glad to get another BMO socks to put on for the ride home to keep my feet warm in the air conditioned car.

Aid Stations: I have to say that I quite enjoyed the ENERGY of all of the Cheer squads at every water station. Talk about helping you get out of your head! You didn't have any cheers through the Arboretum and hearing the cheering when you reached that top bender made me run a little faster to see what was in store! I high fives the Wolverine without a scratch! I enjoyed how I saw medics on bikes throughout the long stretches, it made me feel safe in case of an emergency.

Course Scenery: did NOT disappoint! I cannot wait to run it again! Besides the cheers the scenery motivated me to keep running to see what was in store next!

Expo Quality: I felt that had an even balance of upcoming races to merchandise. However, I am in still search of the booth that sells race bib holder/display.

Elevation: I enjoyed the smaller hills throughout the course and no big ones that made me regret running!

Parking: I have to say there were many parking garages around the start line, just hated the wait to get into one! But very inexpensive, it cost me $5.00 to park!

Race Management: I received many email updates about the race before and even after the race. I even forgot my purse at my pit stop (mom's house) and all I had to do was show the Vision information booth my email and she was more than happy to give me my bib! No questions asked!

Overall: I really enjoyed this race and was a little nervous on how my body would react given the first half marathon (Rock N Sole) I was severely dehydrated. The weather was amazing and post race I was muscle cramp free and I hit a PR! I could not be anymore happier! This is a must run for anyone who loves to run in nature and I still cannot get over the Cheer Squads throughout the course! This was a great addition to the race and hope that Vision continues on with this in all future races!

Ok, lets start with packet pick up, was super quick, organized (even had volunteers directing you in the parking lot) and I was in and out in less than 5 minutes. They did not have any expo set up :(

I have to say this was the funnest pre-race I have ran this year! I was able to take a picture with Chorizo (Which was something I have been dying to do!) and all of the Brewers mascots were super friendly and willing picture participants (Bernie Brewer had his own personal picture taker for us!). Best thing about running at a ball park is there is no shortage of bathrooms! Not to mention the Sausage Haus bathrooms were open and very tidy! (Says the OCD clean freak.)

Race course is great if you are a fan of baseball, since you get to run around Miller Park and even in the last mile, you get to run inside the stadium and see your face on the jumbo screen (which was pretty awesome and I wish I would have stopped and took video/pic I will have my phone out next year!) They had plenty of water stations throughout the course and wonderful cheers.

Post-race, my only complaint is having to walk across a sunny lot to get your water. I tend to give it my all when I see the finish line, so having to walk across the parking lot to get my water was pretty exhausting. Not to mention I usually give away my tickets and if I did I would have been without a water since you needed that ticket to get your free water. I didn't try the hot dog and gave my son the chicken and biscuit (Which he said was the bomb) and not a beer drinker but hey we are named Brew City. I was worried about being stuck in the parking lot (since it's blocked off for run/walkers) but I had no issues getting out.

Overall, I loved the race and would do it again in a heart beat! I loved the atmosphere and the fellow runners were awesome!

So I must disclose this was my first EVER half marathon and I choose one that I knew I would love the scenery (ran the quarter marathon last year) and close to home.

Expo: very well set up and super friendly staff. Packet pick up was quick and easy. I was able to snag free ice packs, balms and gel!
Shirt: I have to say I liked the old school women tank! I wish the colors were a little different so you could notice all of the writing that was on the shirt. Didn't wear it for the run, since I wanted something a little bit more breathable.
Parking: I was totally confused on this one. We decided to park in the Third ward this time and I wish I would have parked in the $5 option. But was afraid I was not going to get in the lot on time before they shut it down. So walking back to my car was NOT FUN and will not do again! (even though I took a seat and my hubby ran to get the car)
Pre-Race: since the starting line was inside Summerfest, you had to pass through security which was insane! But once you were inside it was FANTASTIC! Loved that they made this change this year! Crowd was electric and filled with excitement.
Aid Stations: they had no shortage of this whatsoever! I remembered from last year to grab the bottle of water before heading up the Horn bridge (since the new water station will not be till you reach the top) Oh boy, was I glad I did! I poured that bottle on my head and was I running up! The sun was super hot and with no shade, I was in need of a desperate cool down. I enjoyed the police helping out with the water stations and even helping the frat guys with their beer aid station! The cheers and signs were spot on when I needed that extra push!
Course Scenery: I love Milwaukee and love running by the lake! This is the reason for choosing this to be my first half! That hill by Collective I surely thought was going to kill me... but I survived it! On a hot day like it was, I could totally do without it!

Overall, I would defiantly run this race again! I was super dehydrated after the race and which made me make some pre-race adjustments. Gels and tabs don't sit well with my tummy, so I have been experimenting and found that NUUN is easy to digest and has been keeping me hydrated with all my runs! o tummy issues with their tablets yet!