Last week you read about my first race ever. This week you get to read about Bri’s first race ever.

The story begins two Thursdays ago. My friend Brian asked if I was running Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, Richmond’s big spring run up and down Monument Avenue. I told him I wasn’t running since it since I don’t pay for races unless they're extraordinary deals like my 10-miler was.

Brian: “Do you want to run it?”

Me: “How much?”

Brian: “It’s free. You can use my bib. I have shin splints.”

Internally: Oh, free you say?

Externally: “I’m really sorry to hear that. You could walk it?”