While the SunTrust Richmond Marathon is behind me the experience it self is not. It was only a few months ago when I decided to get off my keister and get back into running. I was over dressed and under prepared as I stood in the third group of the PeachTree Road Race. It did not matter for me though, I was simply determined to finish the race and not walk in the process. Fifty-six minutes and thirteen seconds later I was across the finish line. I had shaken the doubt of under preparation and crossed the finish line determined to make running my life. The feeling of accomplishment that swept over me as I made my way to the reception area was one of greatness. I knew then that I still had the drive and determination that I had as a high school kid on the cross country and soccer teams. Fast forward five races of five and ten Ks to the Runner’s World Marathon Challenge: SunTrust Richmond Marathon. A coworker borrowed me a copy of his Runner’s World and I went through it meticulously (June 2008) trying to see what I could do to step up to the next level. This was the same time that I went online and saw a tab for the Challenge. I clicked it and saw a face that I recognized from one of the articles in the magazine (Rhinos! Glaciers! Nudists! Pg. 82, June 2008). The face had aged since the pictures but there was no doubt that it was the same person. Bart Yasso stared at me on the site just as he did with that ice pack on his chest in the article. This time however he looked a little different and was looking for challengers for the first annual Runner’s World Marathon Challenge. It was August 2009 as I sat there reading the information. I was already behind on time in regards to the four month training but was determined to participate and finish. My first marathon, plus a nice little vacation in addition to a post race massage?! Heck yeh, sign me up! It was motivating to see the goals of the different people: ‘Back to Boston,’ ‘Wants to PR,’ ‘Wants to lose weight.’ I asked myself what my own goal was. Different things swam through my head: ‘Make the (RW) cover!’ ‘Raise physical awareness,’ ‘Make it to Boston (one day)’ and in the end it all boiled down to one thing: ‘Finish!’I signed on for the Challenge and the same day was receiving the Training Peaks Schedule and was on the Loop. I bought a copy of The Runner’s World Guide to Running by Amby Burfoot. At the time I had been using the Fit and Fast 4 Week Training Plan (June 2008) for my running and switched gears to the Marathon regimen. I got in my runs when I could and pushed myself to go farther and faster. PeachTree was behind me the Challenge was ahead of me. Fast forward to the day before the race, my Uncle Leo drove me to the Arthur Ashe center for me to receive my bib and packet. The Richmond rain was still falling but we got to the center with no issue. That crowded parking and people going in and out energized me, I was here! We hurried in and I saw the familiar logo of the RW Marathon Challenge directing us to the booth. Winding through different exhibits we walked around; my eyes aghast with awe as I took in everything. We circled left and stumbled onto the RW booth and there they were; all these familiar faces whom I had only seen on paper until now. Serial Racer, Goes out too fast, and Run/Walk to under four hours. To the far right perched on a director’s chair was the Man with the Plan: Bart Yasso. It was almost as if I had stepped into the group photo and had become the silhouette myself. I introduced myself and he shook my hand. We exchanged niceties, took a few photos and then Serial Racer and another lady pulled my bib and packet: 1514 with my tag line of GoGoGreen. Walking out of the Arthur Ashe center I looked forward to the race and was determined not to let weather or mind interfere with me finishing. At 6:15 AM Uncle Leo dropped me off a couple of blocks away from Broad Street. I trudged uphill to the National Theater and the start line where I was met again by a Marathon Challenge sign pointing me in the right direction. I turned the corner to the theater and was ushered into the theater. I was apparently the second participant to arrive. I sat at a table and met David from North Carolina by way of DC. This was his second Marathon and he too was very excited about the Challenge. We grabbed some food and soon the theater started filling and coming to life. It was a relief to be in a warm room rather than out in the Richmond cold at the starting line. More familiar faces filed in: Wants to lose weight, First Marathon and ITB Issues. Then Bart Yasso got on stage and kicked things off; he introduced the staff and mentioned a familiar name in his greeting speech: Amby Burfoot. My eyes moved around the room to find him and there he was a couple of tables away from me; the same familiar face that I saw at the booth the day before and in my mind Mr. Run/Walk to Under Four Hours. The same Amby Burfoot whose book I had bought a few months earlier! I met other challengers and soon we made our way out to the starting line. I was in Corral Three; making my way through I stood next to a challenger from Kentucky on my right and Laura on her left. She and I had the same shoes and I struck up a conversation, she was shooting for under four hours. A couple of minutes later we were off and the race had begun. For me however it was no race against the clock or anyone as it was competition with myself. I was ready for this, this was my moment and I had not come this far to quit. I started slow pacing myself under my normal pace; I was aiming for longevity not speed. The mile markers came and went, first one then two, soon six and seven. It was around this point when I met Jeff; he was part of the Snot Rockets. We ran together for a good mile chatting and maintaining pace. After a while I fell back and he moved ahead, I kept moving and I felt excellent the whole time. I was in my target heart rate zone and was maintaining it well. Around mile fourteen an interesting thing occurred. I was running with another challenger; who she was I have no idea but we ran together silently for no less than three miles. A couple of times I tried to glance over and see her bib number so that maybe after the race I could say something but I did not. She wore a black knit hat and legging tights down to her knees. To this day I have no idea who she was but I was honored to run with her for those miles and came to view her as a great motivator in my first marathon. When I finally did lose sight of her I looked both ahead and behind me and could not find her. Eventually she made her way ahead of me. Around mile seventeen the cramps started to occur and I had to come up with a way to abate this. I did not want to stop and stretch but soon I had no choice; it was around this point when I hit the bridge over the James River. ITB Issues and First Marathon were running behind me and applauded me. It felt good to get to this point and I was encouraged to get their applause. Before long they were ahead of me and I was running/walking and talking with a guy from South Africa. All I remember is that he was huge and gave me a Clif Shot when I needed one. Soon I ran into a challenger from Jackson, Michigan. I remember his story of fifteen years earlier where he started too fast and burned out around mile ten of his first marathon. He was determined to finish his second marathon this time. Around the mile 20 marker Bart was greeting runners, it felt good to make it this far and see the face that had in a sense convinced me to take the Challenge telling me to hang in there. The next few miles came slowly and were marked by road side stops to stretch. At mile 24 mile 26 seemed to be so far away but I knew that it was almost over and that I just had to push a little further. At this point I felt like I was moving a little faster than walking. People all around me were walking and jogging; there were brief runs but they were few and far in between. After a while it seemed like you moved a few feet ahead and then they moved a few feet ahead. A chill started to grip me and my fists and forearms were cramping; then mile 25. I kept moving and shuffling through the downtown area. I turned left and started the descent to the finish line. In my past races I have pushed myself to find that extra kick to the finish but this time the cramping in my body had overridden that. One foot at a time I kept shuffling amid the cheers on both sides of me and there it was: the finish line. With a good one hundred feet to go I mustered what little strength I had in an effort to pull a strong finish. In the end it felt like I floated over the finish line and there to greet me again was Bart ‘The Man with the Plan’ Yasso. I thanked him as I went by him then I reached out my hand for my medal and blanket. While the SunTrust Richmond Marathon is behind me the experience it self is not. I met some great people and am honored to count myself among them and the editors of RW. I am proud to have been part of the first RW Marathon Challenge and look forward to participating again next year. I look forward to my next venture in racing and my dream to make running my life while educating others about the benefits of physical well being. Last but not least GoGoGreen!
Review (1-5):
Organization: 5.0 Well organized, that is all I have to say.
Course: 4.5 The course was a very good one, it went through downtown and some very beautiful suburban areas. Constantly changing scenery was incredible, if one did not realize they were running a marathon they would simply stop to take it in. Layout was good with few hills and minimal potholes or issues with road surface.
Awards: 5 Nice white technical long sleeve shirt with a great graphic and an amazing medal that was hard earned
Overall Experience: Was simply very proud and happy to run my first marathon. You never forget accomplishments like these.
Recommend? Definitely
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