Do you know Markel Richmond Half Marathon?

Richmond Skyline from the south side of the James River

Introduction

Every year early in November, the streets of the Richmond, VA are packed with thousands of runners taking part in the Richmond Marathon. The race options consist of the 8k, half marathon, and Marathon.

This year was the 42nd running of “America’s friendliest marathon”! The three races are always held on the same day, with the 8k starting first at 7 am, the half at 7:30 am, and finally the Marathon at 7:45 am. So what is it that makes this event so friendly and special? Well, it could be how the community comes together – from the Sportsbackers, who put on great events in and around the river city – to the volunteers, who devote their time to make sure every aspect of the event runs smoothly – to the party zones, where people offer encouragement when it’s needed most – to the runners themselves, who endured months of training, coming together to compete and complete their goals.

Hometown

Although I now consider Boulder, CO home, I spent 29 years in Richmond, so this city holds a special place in my heart. I grew up just a couple of miles from downtown, attended college in the heart of the city. Over the years I lived in several parts of the city – sharing countless miles and memories in RVA. This event is a good time for me to visit with family & friends, and also allows me the chance to race in the streets I grew up in! I relish on these opportunities, as I tend to get the most out of myself when emotions are involved. This is evident, as both my 8k and half marathon PR’s reside in Richmond.

I have raced the 8k at this event 6 times, running my PR of 24:09 back in 2010. I’ve raced the half 3 times prior to this year, running my PR of 67:49 in 2015. This year would make it 4 times racing the half, and that PR of 67:49 was on my mind. When the timing works out, I’d love to return to my hometown and win the Marathon. Although a lofty goal, I believe this is well within the wheelhouse of my ability. With my dedication to the sport, mixed with a little extra motivation, time will tell.

Race Prep

After racing Imogene Pass in early September, I decided to switch gears and train for another Marathon. If you did not read my race report on Imogene Pass, I recommend checking it out. It was time to get back in road racing shape after training for high mountain races in Colorado this summer. I decided on the Houston Marathon as my goal race on January 20th. I find it important to test myself and have checkpoints in the lead up to a big race.

I had 8 weeks of solid training leading up to Richmond. This cycle consisted of more miles than ever for me ( Avg 90 mi/wk for 8 weeks), more double runs, lots of threshold work, and some Marathon pace efforts on long runs. Since the main priority early on in the Marathon build consists of mileage, consistency, and strength, I had yet to run a lot of intervals or work at subthreshold. Although I felt stronger than ever heading into Richmond, I knew anything under 5:00/mi would be tough for an extended period of time. My goal of running a PR in the middle of Marathon training would be a challenge, but realistic.

Race Day

Race day had finally arrived and it was time to test my fitness. This was my first road race since early June so I was eager to get going. After all these years I still get nervous. This is a good thing because it means you’re committed, and when channeled in the right direction, helps with maximizing performance on race day. We all have moments of doubt, no matter what level you’re competing at. During these moments I remind myself of my fitness – how hard I’ve trained, how prepared I am, and to be the best version of myself. I ask the same thing from the runners I coach. This puts my mind at ease in moments leading up to the start.

This situation was a little different than others as I stayed with my Mom, who lives 20 miles from downtown. My girlfriend Sarah, and good friend Matt also made the trip out for the half. I enjoy having others around, so this really took my mind off racing. With that said, I am all business once it’s time to warm up. The three of us warmed up 50 minutes prior to the start. My warm-up consists of 20 minutes of easy running, a number of drills, then 4-6 strides before the start. The race was off, as I found myself just behind the lead pack. My plan was to run 5:05-5:15/mi for the first 10k, then try to run a negative split over the second half of the race. There was a brisk headwind coming out of the northwest, so the first two miles would be more of a challenge. I came through the first mile in 5:03, but the pack was 5 to 10 seconds up on me. I couldn’t push much faster, as this was already a bit faster effort then I was ready to run. The next few miles were in the 5:05-5:15 range, depending on the direction of the wind, and rolling hills. I was running alone into the wind for the first half of the race, but I stayed calm and ran the pace that my body would allow. It was a long race, and feeling confident over the ladder half was key.