Richmond Marathon Race Report 2014

As I descended the hill at mile 6, I thought the Richmond Marathon really is America's friendliest marathon.  We were surrounded by trees with colorful leaves, and I could hear chatter and numerous conversations among the collective group of runners.  No traffic nor spectators were here along one of my favorite sections of this race.  Our legs were fresh, and I was delighted to be going down hill toward the river.

This was my third Richmond Marathon because it's a good race, popular with runners in the Raleigh, NC area, and close enough for a quick trip for a destination race.  Runner's World Magazine has endorsed it as America's friendliest marathon, so it must be true.  Bart Yasso, chief running officer,  cheered us on around mile 8 and at 20 or 22 (those miles are a bit of a blur).  I've seen him before at the same spot on the course.  He gave me hope as he called out our projected finish time.

The spectators and volunteers make this a friendly marathon, but truth be told, not as many spectators as usual lined the streets because of the unseasonal, brutal cold.  New since my last running of the race were spectator party zones and designated spots to cheer.  The volunteers, however, were there and did a fantastic job.  Many children helped with this race.  They were there early and for a very long time doing things like handing out gummy bears, teddy grahams and cold washcloths.  I felt sorry for the children assigned to the cold washcloth duty.

This is a nice course that takes you through town, down to the river, along the river, and then through neighborhoods and back up a hill.  It continues through the city and through neighborhoods before ending at a park.  The area by the river is lovely.  The hills are not that tough as far as hills go.  The worst part for me this year was the bridge around mile 17.  It was very cold, and the temperature combined with the strong wind on a very long bridge was brutal.  A man nearby me was cursing about it.  I felt the same way.  The last 8 miles were tough for me, but I recalled certain areas when I passed.  Nearing the end, some mean spirited men in a car yelled very hurtful remarks out the window at the participants - seemingly just to be mean.   Awful things must have happened to them to harden their hearts and to be so cruel to others.

The finish area is a great improvement since the last time I ran Richmond.  The finish is on a long, downhill stretch with easy viewing for spectators, and the finish festival is a nice addition and a good place for family, friends and participants to gather to celebrate.  From the finish, it's a short walk  through the chute to receive a medal and water and to retrieve a dry bag.  The swag at the end was great!  We had already received our shirts at the expo, but we received a hat and a fleece finisher blanket after the race.

When I finished the race, I was cold, exhausted and hurting, and I wanted nothing more than warmth and to be out of a crowd.  I changed out of my wet shirt into a dry one, grabbed a slice of pizza and headed toward the bus that would take me to the Marriott hotel.   My closest friends running the race (and the half marathon) had finished before me and had left the scene for warmth or to recover.  I noticed a McDonald's tent (and a guy eating a burger on the bus) and an area for cold beer.  Neither of those appealed to me at the time, and I had to force myself to eat some of the pizza.  If I had felt better and the day had been warmer, this would have seemed like a great post-race celebration and recovery area.

I highly recommend staying at the Marriott Hotel, which is about a block from the start of the Marathon.  My friends and I took our bags to the bag drop earlier in the morning and then went back to the hotel for warmth and one last bathroom visit before the race.   The catch with the Marriott (as was with the Omni when I stayed there) is the two night minimum stay, which can be pricey.  Splitting the room and the cost with a friend(s) is the way to go.

Typically, I enjoy a night out at a nice restaurant after a race.  I didn't feel like venturing out at all after the race and was grateful that the hotel had a sports bar that served food.  We had a very late lunch there and then returned later for appetizers and drinks later in the evening.

Leading up to the race, I was most concerned about the weather.  I obsessed about the weather as I began checking the 10 day forecast.  It was the coldest morning of the season with temps in the high 20's only to warm to the high 40's.  During training I try out and think through scenarios about what to wear.  I had never run a marathon in long tights and a jacket, and this was a first for me.

I felt great for the first 18 miles, and then I "hit the wall."  I had hit it before during a training run but never in a race.  That is not a good way to run eight miles.  I repeated "just keep moving" over and over and need to revisit better affirmations.  Being mentally strong or having heart gets you to the finish.  That mantra did not make me feel strong.  During the last hour I quit looking at my watch, time and splits.  Only at the finish line did I see that I set a personal record.   I cut it really close.  I felt so miserable that I did not delight in the accomplishment.  When my body stopped hurting, I felt relief that I achieved it and that I had met my goals.

I have felt good after finishing a marathon and awful after finishing.  Participating in this race helped me set new goals for my next race, Boston:
Arrive at the start healthy
Feel good mentally and physically at the finish
Set a personal record
Run a negative split

I also resolved to eat to train, which means I will become more deliberate about how I fuel my body while in training.

My friend Holly and I before the Marathon.  We both set personal records and qualified for Boston 2016.