Last Saturday, I ran Richmond Half Marathon! I had originally registered for the full but it turned out training with a baby was way too much for me, and I dropped back to the half a couple months ago. I am so glad I made that decision because I achieved some huge goals in Richmond!
Jamie and I traveled with a couple of our besties, Wes and Andy. We arrived in Richmond on Thursday and stayed at the most adorable hotel ever, Quirk Hotel. We picked it because it was only a few blocks from the start line, and it turned out to be the most perfect place.
Thursday evening we went for a shakeout run and did some carb loading at Tarrant's Cafe. On Friday, we did some touristy things and went to the expo which was small and uneventful. Later that night, we laid out our flat runners and got to bed early - Emmy went to Grammy's for the weekend so we were able to sleep all night!
We woke up bright and early on Saturday, ready to race!! All 4 of us walked to the corrals together, but the half marathon started one street over. I found my way to corral C and tried my best to keep warm until the race started - it was 24 degrees at the start! My plan for the race was to hold 9:00 pace as long as I possibly could to see if I could break two....
Miles 1 & 2 - 8:57, 8:58
Off to a great start! The first two miles flew by. I was feeling good, although a little cold. There were a few sections of road construction where I had to watch my footing so I didn't fall.
Mile 3 - 8:53
My pace doesn't reflect how I was feeling this mile. We reached an overpass that was our first hill and it took everything for me to not walk. You see, my last double digit long run was about a month and a half before the race, and I wasn't feeling terribly confident in my ability to finish.
Miles 4 & 5 - 9:00, 9:06
The course went through a cute little neighborhood with great crowd support. I kept making deals with myself. I decided to finish my first gu before I would consider a walk break; I started the gu at 4.5 and took about a mile to get it down.
Mile 6 - 9:01
Part of the course did a big loop around a park, so we got to see all the fast runners here. I saw the 1:30 and 1:35 pace groups, and kept my focus on the other runners instead of my own tired legs.
Mile 7 - 8:53
Lots of downhill on this mile!! I was trying to be cautious on the hills because I had a feeling all those downhills meant we would have to go right back up....
Miles 8 & 9 - 9:14, 9:02
UPHILL. Not feeling like running anymore. When we finished the park loop, I focused on the runners just entering the park. I knew I had finished most of the uphills and the course headed back towards the river around mile 10.
Mile 10 - 8:58
I tried my hardest to hang on to 9:00 minute pace. It felt like I was slowing a lot, and I was surprised I was still on pace when I looked at my watch. I started my last gu, which ended up taking me almost a mile and a half to finish.
Miles 11 & 12 - 9:01, 9:09
I did a lot of math the last couple miles to keep my mind busy. What would my time be if I held 9:00 to the finish? Could I break two if I manage 10:00 for the rest of the race? What mile was Jamie at?
I was expecting this part of the course to be obviously downhill, but there were still some rolling hills. Mile 13 - 8:51 and 7:04 kick
A little hill, and right turn, and I SAW THE FINISH. All downhill and I flew the last half a mile! Kick kick kick! I didn't believe my watch when I saw my time crossing that finish line.
1:58:11
I DID IT!!! I went into the race not sure if I could even run the whole thing, and I ended up PRing!! The course was a little hilly (nothing compared to Pittsburgh), but I loved it! I fought so hard for that sub two and the majority of it was mental.
I had to hike back up the hill to get back to the hotel, and took a long hot shower to thaw out after that cold race. The boys made their way back after they finished - a marathon PR for Jamie and Andy - then we went out for drinks and food. The rest of our weekend was mainly focused on food, relaxing, and Cards of Humanity. What a great weekend! :)
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After I posted about where we ran in Vancouver and Seattle, I was planning on continuing to blog about the wonderful places my running adventures take me. Last weekend, we took Emmy on her first weekend trip to Grandma and Grandpa's and went to our go to running trail in the area, Mill Creek Park. I grew up nearby and tend to forget how much of a gem this place is, but luckily I have Jamie to remind me! It's a really gorgeous park along the lake with some neat spots to look at along the way. We started our run on the paved trail near the golf course, and after about 1.75 miles through the woods, the trail crosses the street and runs along Newport Lake. There are some nice rolling hills and it reminds me of running at Griggs Reservoir in Columbus. This section has quite a few Strava segments which meant lots of trophies for me since it's my first time running there not pregnant! Around mile four, we passed Lanterman's Mill, where I have so many memories of playing with my dad and my sisters when we were little!
Just after the mill, there is a gigantic downhill that leads to a fancy silver bridge that was my turn around point. Jamie had gone out a bit further and met me here on our way back.
J is still dealing with bursitis in his hip and is forced to slow down until it heals, so he ran over three miles with me and helped me to run my goal marathon pace, even on the uphills! We passed back through a daffodil meadow straight out of Wordsworth's poem, and Jamie thought it was funny that I can still recite that entire poem. #dork We took a different way back to the car for the last few miles, along the side of a winding road through lots of trees and past the golf course. Every time I've run this way, I always see quite a few animals, especially deer and chipmunks!
I finished with 10.51 miles at an average 9:56 pace! That's my best postpartum long run, and I'm so glad it was in a place with such pretty scenery. We will definitely come back here for our runs when we're in the area!
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Hello, my name is Alyssa!I'm a momma to Emerson Lilly and two fur babies, a distance runner, and just a girl full of sparkle and quirks. I love traveling to races and exploring new places to run! I started this blog in 2014 as more of a journal to keep track of training for my first marathon, and I've continued to post about training, races, and other things happening in my life. Also, I'd like to be your best friend. :) Categories
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