FALLING IN LOVE WITH RUNNING
Standing on the sidelines at her first Chicago Marathon, Whitney Richman watched as her friend stretched across the finish line. A newfound passion kindled inside her and a love of running was born. With an all or nothing attitude that continues to push her, the very next morning Whitney signed up for the Chicago Marathon.
Fast forward 15 years to today and Whitney has quite the portfolio. Now an ultrarunner, she has run the Chicago Marathon multiple times. In 2012, she returned to serve as a vision guide to aid a visually impaired runner in his goal to complete his 12th marathon in just 12 months. Whitney says it is her most memorable experience as a runner and something she will never forget.
Then in 2017, she qualified for the 2019 U.S. National 24-Hour Team. For female runners to qualify, they must run 130 miles in a 24-hour period. Whitney was just shy of 134 miles. The following year she was an alternate for the United States in the 2019 International Association of Ultraruners 24 Hour World Championships.
“Running a 24-hour race requires you to see the whole race play out before you. You must prepare mentally for the highs and lows that you will face multiple times throughout the race. You must break it down into smaller, one-hour sections. In the end, it’s about putting one foot in front of the other.”
In addition to running over 100 miles weekly, Whitney is busy being a stay-at-home mom to two little ones, coaching the Sports Backers Marathon training team, and setting new records on the Virginia Capital Trail!
SETTING NEW RECORDS
Whitney was making final preparations for an upcoming 100-mile race (that’s right – 100 miles in one run) when the coronavirus hit. Races across the country were being cancelled and Whitney’s race was no exception. It did not take long before all the races Whitney had signed up for followed suit. After a talk with her coach, she decided to set her sights on running the Virginia Capital Trail. She was familiar with Great Shiplock Park and had frequented the trail on several occasions for fun runs with her children. Plus, she was already in top running shape physically and mentally.
“When you invest so much training and time into achieving a goal, time that you spent away from your kids and family, you need to feel like it was worth it.”
She selected April 18th as her Trail debut. Completely self-supported with a hydration pack and a stash of water and Coca-Cola waiting at Herring Creek, she set out from Richmond. In just over 7.5 hours Whitney crossed the finish line to the cheers of her husband and children, setting the fastest unsupported known time (FKT) for the Virginia Capital Trail (one direction) at 7h 41m 22s!
A few months later, the weekend before Father’s Day, she set out again. This time to run the Trail out and back, a total of 103.4 miles. Unlike her previous run, Whitney had a team of friends and family in place to provide support and encourage her along the route. She also added an essential head lamp to her running gear. Every five or six miles she would see a friendly face or approach an aide station where she could refuel. I took Whitney just over 17 hours to complete her goal! With a run time of 17h 32m 22s, Whitney holds the FKT for running the Virginia Capital Trail out and back!
“I enjoyed running through the trees along the Trail. The sections from Dorey Park to the Four Mile Creek Trailhead and from Turkey Island to Herring Creek provided lots of shade. My favorite part of the run was seeing the Richmond skyline. I had started out at 7 am that morning and was exhausted. Seeing the skyline felt like I was coming home.”
UNEXPECTED TURN OF EVENTS
Knowing that she would lose daylight around Turkey Creek, Whitney asked a cyclist friend to accompany her on the last few miles into Richmond. Just as they were leaving the Dorey Park area, there was a small collision. They bushed themselves off, exchanged some laughs and apologies, and they were off again. It was not until the next morning that Whitney discovered she had broken her elbow during the fall. “My friend felt so bad, but it was just a bizarre accident. I didn’t even realize it was broken.”
THE BEST PART OF RUNNING
“It’s the freedom. The freedom of not worrying about anything or anyone. I can let my mind wander, listen to what I want, move my body in whatever direction I desire. It is about getting out and being active, realizing that not everyone can, and pushing yourself. I like to set new personal challenges, to push myself further than I thought possible. For me, a large part of running is about competing against myself.”
Special thanks to Whitney Richman for letting us share her amazing story!
