8k Report

It was a shockingly beautiful day for a run, Saturday, as me and ten thousand of my closest friends lined up for the Richmond Marathon or 8k.

I got into town around 8 Friday night and drove directly downtown to pick up my race packet and see the Expo. I hadn't expected to see so many people, but the hotel and Expo were *packed* and I was double-parked so I didn't get to see as much as I would have liked. I did pick up a Richmond 8k long-sleeved running shirt, and tried to buy an adorable "Virginia is for Runners" t-shirt but they were sold out. Anyway, after that it was time to check in to the B&B and then out with A. for dinner in Carytown. I had half a turkey sandwich and spinach salad, and a ton of water.

Saturday morning I woke up and was ready to go *insanely* early. A. drove me down to the race and left me, so I wandered around by myself and stood against a building in the sun trying to warm up. The marathoners got started at 8, and the 8k at 8:30, and it was a quick start, so I was over the mat in just a minute or two.

Richmond is a city I know and love, and if the 8k is anything to judge it by, I'm sure the marathon lives up to it's reputation as the "friendliest" race. The course was spectacular - up Broad Street and into the Fan district, where I used to live, and in fact the 2.5 mile mark went right by my old house where my best friend sat out on the porch and cheered me on, then around the corner and down Cary Street, up Cary Hill and then a quarter mile drop downhill to the finish line. It was a great race, and I finished in about 53 minutes. My goal was just to finish in under an hour, so that was quite a coup for me!

You know, after the race I crossed the finish line and suddenly had the urge to *sob*. I had to walk to a side street and compose myself because I felt like an idiot. I've read that often marathoners build up such a load of adrenaline during the race that they cry at the end as the body's way of getting rid of the buildup, but could that happen to me in an 8k?? I wasn't sad, really, though I'm sure there were some feelings of pride and relief that I'd done it, but it was an odd sensation - I'm not usually much of a crier and this felt like a very physical (rather than emotional) response.

In other news, ever since I finished the race Saturday I've been eating anything I can get my hands on, and that's left my stomach feeling a mite squiffy. I've had such awful stomach problems today that I'm actually sitting here drinking a Propel water just to make sure I have some salt in my poor body.

Richmond was lovely, and I'm so jealous of the marathoners who got to run by the river that I am considering trying it myself next year. *g*