My hometown race. I had done the half marathon several times, so decided that I was going to attempt my first full here. Yeah, it's a hilly one for a first full, but I knew those hills. I've run them all. I've just never run them all at once!

Pre-race - A lot of people complain about the parking. If you get there early, it's easy. Park at Nissan Stadium and walk over the bridge. Easy in and now your car is by the finish line. Easy out. A couple of hotels open their doors pre-race for runners, which is awesome! Much better and more comfortable than portables.

The course: Crazy hilly! The first half is well supported with a lot of spectators. That's one thing I love about this race - the support from spectators. The second half of the race is a little more barren, and that stinks because that's when you need it most. I was well-trained for this one, but still not a wall running up the hill on Woodland heading into East Nashville. Last 5 miles were the hardest thing I've done running.

Swag: I've never been a fan of RnR swag. Medals are ok. Heavy. But I don't know... They're just never my favorites. I can't pinpoint why. I love race shirts, but I rarely wear these. I like shirts that have simple designs, and these always have way too much going on.

Overall, it's a great race, but I would do a few more fulls before tackling this one. And do lots and lots of hill training!