All State 13.1 Marathon – Race Recap

The date was October 6, 2013; the weather was a cool 61 degrees.  My alarm clock was blaring… the time 4AM.  It’s time to get up for another half marathon, this one, the All State 13.1 Marathon Half Marathon.  I’ve ran this race every year since it started back in 2009.  It’s a great event that takes place in Brookhaven, a residential area near downtown Atlanta.  This year being no different than any other I was looking forward to the challenge this course presents.  I met up with my Atlanta Southside Runner (ASR) friends to make the trek to Atlanta together.  The camaraderie of running buddies makes the experience of pounding the pavement much more enjoyable.  I guess knowing that you aren’t the only person crazy enough to get up crazy hours to prepare and run events gives you a sense of togetherness that only another runner can explain.

The race had a scheduled 7AM start time, we got there in plenty of time to use the restrooms, glide up, and get relaxed before the start.  It was pretty nice to see how many of us came out for this event.  We have a pretty tight group.  We chatted for a while talking about crazy things runners seem to talk about, which funny enough never seems to be about running.  After a few minutes we noticed we were getting strange looks from folks – appears we unknowingly blocked a few restrooms and folks were wondering if we were in line.

The start of the race was quickly approaching; a few of us went to warm up and when we finished the group met back up for a stirring pep talk from Nathan, which made the earth move. J  We were ready for battle.  The announcer signaled, telling all the runners to start getting into their corrals.  A singer song the national anthem, which brought the house down (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).  Nothing left but to get our Garmin’s synched with the satellites and wait for the count down.  3, 2, 1… we’re off.

Mile 1-3… It’s dark out here… why oh why do I run these events??  After going through my customary self-reflection I gathered myself for the task at hand.  Fritz and I were running together through much of the first part of the race.  This was kind of cool because it made it easier to get settled.  Unfortunately through all the turns we got separated.  Oh well, the race must go on.

Mile 4-6… This was the turn.  The first half of the race is a loop which takes you on a scenic tour of the Brookhaven neighborhood and back past the start of the race.  If you’re new to running you may not like going back by the start/finish only to keep going… heck who am I kidding I don’t like it either.  I’ll have you know, I didn’t bail, and I kept going. 

Mile 7-10… This part of the course, in my opinion, is the toughest.  It follows what seems to be never ending slow inclines only to take you through neighborhoods full of twists and turns.  This part of the of the course has many uphill challenges and one steep downhill which in years past forced me to break more than I wanted too.  The one bright spot were the cheerleaders.  I can’t recall what they were saying, but it got me pumped… I think I even “raised the roof” for a minute.

Mile 11-12…  Fritz and I hooked back up for a minute on this part of the course.  Reminded him that the work wasn’t over… we still had a bit of a challenge to go.  We ran through what to me felt like a torture tunnel, which was a winding course through a soccer field/park.  Apparently many folks knew this was coming; it appears to me that someone paid off their family and friends to write inspirational sayings on the ground in chalk.  If they had asked me what to write, it would’ve been something along the line, “You signed up for it… suck it up and keep going!”

13.1… So, after getting through all of that, there was nothing left to do but finish strong.  The beauty of the back end of this course – it’s sort of like an out and back.  Miles 12-13 connects back with miles 7 and 6, so as you’re headed toward the finish line you get to see and cheer on other runners, which allow you to pump each other up.  It’s also cool to see familiar faces along the way in, like Cristal and Clarke cheering you on, love those guys.  Ahh… there’s the finish line… time to focus, and finish strong.

With the race now complete and newly earned medal in hand, I enjoyed seeing old and new friends finish their race and hearing their stories.  We walked around, hung out at the Phidippides tent taking it all in, enjoying each other’s company.  This is why we run, another successful finish to a great event.