Love Rox Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Richmond, Virginia
United States
Richmond Multisports
35F / 2C
Precipitation
 		Total Time = 2h 18m 54s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

This race had a 10 AM start so I was able to take my time getting breakfast and getting ready. Headed up to Richmond with my husband and hunted a parking lot. Walked over to the race start. Freaking COLD. I figured I would be okay once I got running, but since we got there over an hour before the race start I hung out in the heated tent and was still shivering.
Event warmup:

Stayed in the tent as long as I could. Then out to the race start. Hung out with various people....
Run
  • 2h 18m 54s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 36s  min/mile
Comments:

She had us start in a field. Evidently the plan had been to start us on a small bridge but that was closed so she started us off in the field. Whatever, it's not a huge race, only had 1000 participant max for the half marathon so it shouldn't have been bad.....but when we finally got on the sidewalks it was congested and we had these tight turns for stairs that got bottlenecked.
Did I mention cold, windy, mixed precipitation of freezing rain, snow and sleet? Trying to avoid the puddles so the feet don't get to wet. Some can't be helped.
Thought I was doing okay, but knew I was slower than my usual efforts. Just didn't have any "pop" today. Maybe I was using too much effort to just stay warm. I don't know.....Wanted to bail at the end of the first loop but the course snaked back out and before I realized it I was at mile 8. I only remember that mile marker because the volunteer there was fantastic. She cheered for each of us like we were her best friend. I told her I loved her because at that moment I needed a best friend to cheer me.
Got to mile 10 and I am DONE mentally, it's just a matter of finishing this mess because all I want is to get warm. I have had it with sleet and freezing rain. Mile 11 had another awesome volunteer with a cowbell cheering us up the hill like the little engine that could.
Mile 12 and we have this turn down a steep hill. It was bad enough on lap one, now it's so freaking slick. Make that one and the next turn leads to another viciously steep downhill. Brutal, I slowed way down on it because it was that steep it felt unsafe.
I had seen the finish from the top of these hills but it sure seemed like a while before I could finally get to the chute.
I was so cold and stiff when I finished. Could not stretch at all because of the cold. Headed into the tent and stood in front of the space heater to eat a little.
What would you do differently?:

Not sign up for any more RMS races. Her run course here is a lot of the same course as Rocket's Landing Olympic and that course sucked in 100 degree heat as much as it sucked in the frigid weather.
Post race
Warm down:

Heated tent
Bowl of chili
Walked to Capital Ale House with Jen, Kristen and my husband for lunch.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

FRIGID temps with mixed wintery precipitation

Event comments:

I will not do this race again.




Last updated: 2013-01-12 12:00 AM
Running
02:18:54 | 13.1 miles | 10m 36s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Below average
Course: A two loop out and back inner city course. Along the canal walk which might have been pretty on a nicer day or in warmer weather....but was not all that attractive. It contained multiple sets of stairs, some turns that were tight onto the staircases and on the stairs themselves and truthfully, just plain sucked.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race? No
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers?
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5]