This was my fifth year running Richmond! (2011-half, 2012-full, 2013-half, 2014-full). It's the ONLY half I've run multiple times. I normally would rather run a different race than repeat the same one, but there's something I love about Richmond! For one thing, Richmond is where I started training for my first race. The 6 mile loop from Boulevard to Pope to Brook is a route I ran regularly, and to this day is probably my top favorite running route. There's something nostalgic about running that course again during the race and thinking about how I fell in love with running there.
There's so many more things to love too - the fall colors, the fall temperatures, the beautiful neighborhoods, the downhill finish, the finisher's blankets, and the awesome medals! Richmond is always a great experience and I highly recommend it!
The weather was great this year. It was cold in the morning, but not as frigid as previous years, and once we started running we warmed up pretty quickly. We parked in a parking garage about 10 blocks away and stopped in the Omni Hotel for awhile to stay warm, so we only had to wait out in the cold for about 20 minutes before the race started.
I ran with Tristan and her friend Joy and we kind of took it easy. None of us had trained exceptionally well and we weren't trying to PR, so we went at an easy pace and talked for most of the race. I started to get antsy during the last few miles and wanted to go a bit faster, but figured there was no point since I wasn't going to break 2. So I tried to just enjoy it and take it all in, and honestly there was a certain relief in that. I felt great and it was nice to just run and not worry about pushing for a time.
At the
very end, I couldn't hold back and told the other girls I was going to sprint to the finish. Running down the big hill at the end is always a little scary, but such a fun way to finish. It was one of my slower half marathon times, but was probably the easiest effort I've ever put into a race. I NEVER thought a half marathon would be easy, but this one was!
Official Time: 2:12:12 Pace: 10:05
