2014 Lookout Mountain 50 Mile Trail Race Recap

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." ~ Muhammad Ali

I'm of the opinion that life is meant to be lived passionately.  So find your passion, whatever it is, and go after it.  Unless you've been under a rock you know one of my passions is running.  I'm constantly finding ways to push myself.  When it comes to running I've failed more times than I can count... that's what I love about it... the next day I put on my shoes and go after it again.  To date I've run over 100 races, mostly distances ranging from a 5K to a marathon.  But on December 20th I decided to take on a new challenge, a 50 mile trail race.  Yes, 5 - 0, 50!  What was I thinking?!  Before this race the longest distance I've ever run has been a marathon and the longest time has been 4 hours.  This was an event that would surely challenge me both physically and mentally.  Can my 1 mile at a time mantra hold up to 50 miles and 10+ hours of mountainous trails and terrain?  Walk or run with me as I give you a recap of the days event from an aid station to aid station point of view.

The Start
Race time was 7:30AM on the top of Lookout Mountain at Covenant College.  I met up with my running buddies to pick up my race packet and drop my support bags.  As the fog lifted the realization that I'm about to go on a day's journey through a mountain started to set in.  I calmed my nerves by just focusing on the fact that the number one priority was to enjoy it, finish, and not die... not necessarily in that order.  We gathered in the start shoot, took some pre-race photos, and then BOOM... we were off.




Craven's House
Craven house was the first aid station, 6.3 miles out.  The run was both exhilarating and scary at the same time as the trail was mostly a single
track along the side of the mountain.  One misstep and I would've made the news.  Even though my life was literally hinging on whether I was a klutz or not the views were AMAZING.  I truly understand the appeal of trail running as you have the opportunity to get back to nature and enjoy views that are lost on todays world.  After about 2 hours into the race I reached Craven house where I refilled my water bottle, chatted with the volunteers, and pressed forward to the nature center aid station.

Nature Center
The Nature Center aid station is about 14.8-15 miles out from the start.  So far the first two aid stations where awesome.  The volunteers really took care of us.  PBJ, trail mix, coke, and other assortment of snacks.  If I didn't have another 35 miles to run I would've pulled up a chair.  As I was getting my snacks another runner came in and said he nearly fell off the mountain and that the only thing that saved him was a bunch of branches and bushes.  Holy &^%*$!!!  [INNER conversation with self] Shake it off Big Rome focus on you and get the heck out of here alive and in one piece.

After talking with one of the volunteers about the distance I realized my Garmin was useless.  My watch had me at 13 miles, but this was mile 15.  This is when I remembered my veteran ultra friends telling me GPS readings are off on the trails.  For the rest of the way I just went by feel, using my watch to manage my nutrition and hydration.

Covenant College
Back to the start/finish line.  At this point in the race I've run a total of 22.5 miles and still holding strong,  I'm about 4 hours into the race.  I see Molly and ask her to take my photo.  She snaps it and then tells me "No more pictures, you've got a race, keep moving!".  I smile and say ok and go get my first drop bag.  Take my tomato juice, 5 hour energy, and a Cliff Bar.... remembering Brooke's

advice not to linger long I quickly head back to the trail.

Lulu Lake
29.9 miles out... this last 7+ miles was something.  It marked the point where I began to run the farthest I had ever run.  I tried to put it out of my head because I didn't want to dwell on the fact that I was near 30 miles in with 20 more miles to go.  I knew that would've been too much to process.  I kept pressing forward until I came to a blue rope.  What the heck... guess I'm a mountain man now.  Grabbed the rope and skirted down the mountain and headed to the Lulu Lake aid station.  Coke, coke, coke... I need some coke.  Oh you've got noodles?  I'll take that and a PBJ too.  Thanks!  I stopped by the falls for a quick picture then headed to the next mountain man challenge... more ropes to pull myself up the mountain towards Eagle Cliff.  This area overlooked Chattanooga and was truly a beautiful site.  Took another picture... sorry Molly. :-)

Long Branch Loop 1
On the way to this aid station we went through parts of the trail where a tornado hit a few years back.  It was pretty torn up with trees all over the place.  I remembered thinking to myself, 'It feels like I'm running through middle earth (Lord of the Rings reference)'.  During this part is where I started to see the leaders starting to make their way back.  They looked pretty fresh.  I started wondering how the others were doing.  As I got closer to the aid station I saw Kevin, then Brooke, and further down John.  They all looked great heading back.  At this point I was on the road and was able to open my stride a bit.  I saw Molly and Annie.  Was good to see them for a bit.  This aid station was a 2 for 1 as it was both mile 34 and 38.  I stopped for a quick drink of coke, refilled my water bottle and headed out for the 4 mile loop.

Long Branch Loop 2
One hour later I returned to the aid station.  What the heck?!?!  You sure that was 4 miles?!!!  No time to waste... it was getting late in the day and I remembered Brooke telling me to get back to Lulu Lake before it got dark.  I grabbed my drop bag, replenished, and put on my head lamp.  Headed back towards Eagle Cliff.

At this point I had been running for 8+ hours.  Wasn't tired, but I knew I couldn't stand still for long.  So, I focused on moving forward, breathing, and getting back to the falls.  Eagle Cliff seemed to be a long meandering hike back.  The trail was long and the rocks and roots weren't very kind as they began to take a toll on me.  Keep running!

Lulu Lake
Made it back to the rope to climb back down the mountain.  It was very steep and at this point I really took my time.  I could hear people behind me, but they were just going to have to wait.  It seemed like it took hours to make my way down.  Finally made it back down.  Ran past the falls to the last aid station.  Quickly downed some soup and headed back toward the trail.  I asked the volunteer how much further... 7 miles.  Yes! I can do 7... easy!

Ahhh... but that's when someone turned the lights out... it got

dark fast!!!  I'm in the woods with a headlamp and its pitch dark.  Ummm, mom, dad???  At this point these 7 miles was all about just trying to survive.  Met up with a few other runners.  One had a safety runner with them.  I made sure to stay with them for the rest of the way.  When they ran, I ran, when they walked, I walked.  Every twist and turn we were our own rag tag bunch trying desperately to make the cut off.  Even though we all had headlamps it was still pretty hard to see.  We veered off course a bit but one guy quickly realized we needed to adjust.  We ended up having to cross a mud patch and a creek but it didn't slow us down.  We all had the same goal... finish before the cut off.

Once we got to the power lines we knew we were in the home stretch.  We passed one runner that was adjusting his lamp... he told us we were about 20 minutes from the finish, go down a make a right.  Pop quiz:  What happens when you've been running for 11+ hours and ready to be done?  You miss a turn!  Yep... we missed the turn and came to a fork.  We all stop and look at each other... You've got to be kidding.  No time to spare we're scrambling trying to make it to the finish.  We retrace our steps and find the flags we missed and start humping it.  It was a pretty ugly hump, but we're moving.

Covenant College
At this point I could hear the sound from the race announcer as he's calling off people's name.  We're close!  Whew!  We're going to make it!  I see the lights and begin to get a bit of a bounce in my step.  We start trotting (no racing after 12 hours) toward the finish line.  Hear the race announcer call my name as I finish.  A kid puts the medal around my neck and gives me something, which I couldn't process at the time, as I was grabbing him.  I see my running buddies at the finish.  We high five, hug, laugh a bit.  They ask me if I'm hungry... heck yeah!

Post Mortem
As I'm in the tent getting warm, eating, and recapping the days event... I reflect on what just happened.  Running is truly an adventure.  I participated in an event where I couldn't rely on speed to get me through it... it was nothing but pure endurance, mental focus, and the will of God that carried me through.  I enjoyed the experience.  Whatever you do, do it with passion.  Never be afraid to fail.  Keep Running!!

Bonus Coverage - Videos

Aid Station 1 - http://youtu.be/HvBXfAaPVlc

Aid Station 2 - http://youtu.be/CSlQZuXnatQ?list=UU9APCu6zx_MABTD6sDTuTvw

Top 5 Reasons to Run During the Offseason

Now that most of the major running events have wrapped up what is a runner to do for the rest of the year?  The holidays are upon us and for many this can be the time of year the wheels fall of the wagon.  With all the holiday parties, bad weather, and lack of goals it can be hard to find a reason to keep running.  But, all is not lost, with proper planning you can keep racking up the miles on your favorite running shoes throughout the winter months.  Here are five tips to help motivate you to keep lacing up during the holidays.

1.  Jingle Jogs - Just because its not a marathon, half, or a 10K doesn't mean you can't take advantage of these 5 K runs.  They're perfect for newbie and veteran runners during the holiday.  5Ks are short enough for you seasoned runners to introduce new friends to the sport.  You can run alongside your friends, work on faster turnover, or just go for an easy run after that night out at a holiday party.

2. Spring/Summer Bodies are made in the Winter - For many folks the winter time is when they like to hibernate.  I tend to agree... with the cold months, rain, sleet, and slow it can be quite dreary and easy to just stop exercising and running.  But did you know for every week you take off from running it can take up to 2 weeks to regain lost fitness?  Or for some it can take 8-10 weeks to see results they're happy with.  Looking for that spring or summer body?  The winter time is when you need to put in work.  Want a new personal record (PR) in the spring?  Don't care about all of that and just want to take in the holiday cheer... for every mile run you burn about 100 calories.  1 mile, 1 beer, 3 miles a nice cocktail. Keep running!!

3. Winter/Spring Marathons (Half) - Need something more concrete to keep moving?  Register for a winter or early spring marathon (half).  Most training plans are 12-18 weeks long.  This can be the very thing you need to get you through the dark days of winter.  When you know you have a 12-20 mile long run scheduled the next day it becomes easier to turn down that fruit cake or eggnog.

4 - Run Challenge - Social media, run groups, or personal challenge... whatever the reason... just start a challenge with yourself or friends.  Challenge each other to run a 15 minutes, a mile, or 5 miles each day.  If you're new to running then start off easy by running each day from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  1 day at a time, 1 mile at a time.

5 - Money, Money, Money - Who doesn't like money?  Create a money jar and pay yourself to run.  Want a new pair of shoes, new watch, or glasses?  Whatever the goal then pay yourself to run; 1 mile, $1.  At the end of the winter you can go on your well deserved shopping spree.

Winter running doesn't have to be a drag.  These are my 5 reasons to run during the off season... what are yours?

Keep Running!!

2014 Atlanta Half Marathon - Earn Your Turkey

Why would someone want to wake up at 4-4:30AM to run a race on Thanksgiving?  For some, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, time with family, turkey, and football.  But indulge me for a moment as I recap the days event.

On November 27th the Atlanta Track Club, the sponsors, and most importantly the thousands of volunteers put on a great event to kick off the holiday.  For many this race means many things.  Little unknown fact, this was my first road race.  I've been running the Atlanta Half Marathon since 2008, so it holds a special place in my racing history.  Like previous years this year was just as great as the first time.  Over the years I've experienced many things... a mental breakdown on the hill near the capital - about mile 12.5, last years crazy 100 year record sub 20 temps, to my first go at running with a pace group.  Pro tip... if you aren't quite sure of the pace you can run maybe put the pace tag on the front of your shirt.  Comments from the peanut gallery can be demoralizing as they pass saying, "You aren't running that pace".  'Really? I hadn't noticed... busy here trying to survive genius!'

Going into the race, my plan was to enjoy the sights (or is it 'sites' I can never remember) and sounds of the event.  After warming up, I went to the starting corral to get ready for the start.  On the way there I got to see a few of my running peeps.  Group photo!!!  Can you see Cristal?  Love my run crew.

After the national anthem and the start, we were off.  The tour through Atlanta was great... starting at the Olympic rings we run past Centennial Olympic Park, Atlantic Station, Piedmont Park, Oakland Cemetery, and back to Turner Field.  Outside of feeling like I was running through a wind tunnel, the tour was amazing.  The Atlanta Police Department, cheer zones, and volunteers cheered us on through the streets of downtown.  Amazingly, no one yelled "You're almost there".  Ha!

 

This race capped off the Triple Peach race series - Peachtree Road Race, Atlanta 10 miler, and Atlanta Half Marathon.  The vibe from this year was great and well worth the build up.

With the Atlanta tour done... it was time for tailgating with the run crews to give thanks and celebrate each other.  Had a great time listening to everyone's recap, plans for the holidays, and Margo's words of wisdom - "Real athletes don't run with phones".  LOL...  Love it!  

So, why would someone wake up so early to run on Thanksgiving?  Not only do you earn your Turkey, like a good friend says, "You get to eat both pumpkin and apple pie!"  Thanks for indulging me by reading my recap.  If you've never done this race you should do it at least once.  If a half marathon is not your speed there is also a 5K race... or better yet you can volunteer or just hang out and enjoy the humanity.  Happy Thanksgiving and... Keep Running!!

2014 Soldier Marathon Recap

  

The date… November 8, 2014.  The place… Columbus, Ga.  The weather was a brisk 40 degrees and the sun just breaking over the horizon.  It took four months of 4-5AM training runs, hours spent in the gym, and many many hours of mental leap frog.  But now is the time, the place... Race day!!!  The scene was set for what was sure to be a perfect event.  The Soldier Marathon is a relatively new marathon, celebrating its 5^th year; this race has a small town feel with a big city flare.  The race director, the soldiers at Fort Benning, the Infantry Museum, and people of Columbus rolled out the red carpet and put on a top notch race event.  With this being my second go at this marathon I was pretty familiar with the course, but as any marathon runner will tell you 26.2 miles is always a test regardless of how familiar you are with the distance or the course.  One can never know what the outcome is going to be until you get in the thick of things.  

The race was scheduled for an 8AM start, for some reason or another there was a delay.  But soon after the pomp and circumstance and all the pageantry we were ready.  Set, go, queue the cannon… BOOM and we’re off.  Adrenaline and arms pumping, I make my way down the Avenue of Flags.  At the start I see and wave to my ASR buddies Clay, Shari, and Yvonne… then I notice Anthony.  It was pretty cool that they came down to support us.  Especially Anthony, with a boot on he came down to support the crew – very nice.  Any runner can tell you...run support is huge, especially in a marathon.  Banging out mile after mile can not only be physically hard but it can also take a tole on a person mentally.

Miles 1 through 7 takes place on Fort Benning.  The first couple of miles were mostly a shakeout run… getting settled in and getting ready for the hill where the drill sergeants come out and scream and yell at you, “Get up that hill… Keep moving”.  Pretty cool to see it in action.  After getting over the hill, I see a group of runners bunched up ahead so I ease up to them and just latch on… kind of felt like jumping in a car and going for a ride.  At the 3 mile mark a couple of them begin to carry on a conversation…  I’m like really… All I can do at this moment is focus on breathing.  Soon after, I guess they realized the idle chatter wasn’t productive… either that or they noticed another hill was coming up fast.  I paired up with another runner and we pretty much stayed together after that.  As we pass the 10K split, I only hear one beep.  So, I ask her if that was for her or me… sure would be a shame to run all this way and it not count.

Miles 7-10 go by pretty quick, Cody and I pretty much stay stride for stride most of the way.  Which, by the way, I only learned her name because as we’re running everyone is saying, “Go Cody”.  Which after the first time I was like cool she got peeps here too.  Awesome… then I begin to notice… Every turn, mile 7, 8, 9… “Go Cody”.  Cody even has a dude on a road bike riding ahead taking pictures and one point gave her water.  What the heck… I’m running with Columbus royalty.  Moving on… Get to a bridge, I see Anthony… this was the third time I seen him.  I begin to be impressed and started to wonder… how the heck is he able to get around to these spots so fast with a boot on??  I digress.  Cody and I get to mile 10 and this is the point I notice she’s running only the half.  We wave say our goodbyes.  I looked up her time… she finished 1^st overall female, 1:25:41.  Not bad at all.

With my new friend making the turn home, I was now on my own.  Miles 11-24, a modified out and back, goes along the river walk, snaking through Columbus and Phenix City along the Georgia and Alabama state line… at one point we actually cross into Alabama.  About mile 13 I see a runner ahead so I begin to focus on him.  Pulling past him, I begin looking for the next runner but I only see two bike riders.  I think to myself nice, why are they out here.  Another mile goes by I then realize these are the race pace bikes… OMG, I’m in the lead.  Through miles 13-20 a myriad of things go through my head… what the hell, oh cool, look a band, oh wow there’s a parade going on.  OK Rome focus.  About mile 18 I run through a group of dancing cheerleaders and a band for a brief moment and then jump on a path and taken by surprise when I see what appears to be an elaborate tree house of some sort.  I say to myself, what the hell are they doing on this course.  

OK, let's go... I pass mile 19, still feeling good but now I hear feet from behind.  Mile 20, I check my splits and still all seems fine… but 2 runners, working together, go by as if I’m standing in mud.  Oh well… about a 10K to go, I figure I’ll just stay calm and keep moving.  Mile 23, I see Karen, then Margo, then Miranda.  They all say hi, I muster a smile, brain said to speak but only thing I could do at that point was breathe.  I managed enough energy to hi five Miranda.  I also had a flashback to math class... If runner A is at mile 21 and runner B is at 13 how far apart are they??  OK focus...  Keep running.  Wait are those two guys running a marathon with tubas?  Is this race not done yet?  

I get to mile 24… and is that… yes, that’s Cristal.  Deep breath… tap tap, hey Cristal, bye Cristal… 2 miles to home.  All I had was focused on just making the turn towards the hotel.  I think back to a year ago, this is where I saw Geri and others coming in to the finish.  Then my thoughts quickly shift again… we aren’t done yet?!  Whew, there’s the turn… up hill… There’s Andre, there’s the Avenue of Flags… keep breathing… make the turn… keep running… whew I’m done!!  Hey Steve… Hey Heather!!  Beer, massage, food…. Yes, that order.

Overall… Even though I couldn't hold on, I learned some valuable lessons.  I had a great adventure.  Got to connect with some running peeps, meet some new running buds, and best of all set a new PR… Final time… 2hr 56 min, 4^th overall, and 1^st Master.  Not a bad day’s bit of work.  Next up… Lookout Mountain….

Until the next time remember... life's purpose is to have a purpose.  Set a goal... make it big, make it grand and remember 1 mile at a time, lace them up and…

Keep Running!

Run Peeps - http://youtu.be/-2H_OweL4Dk

Coming into the finish - http://youtu.be/7uHAIf3whPs

New York State of Mind

 

“I wanna wake up, In that city that doesn’t sleep.  And find I’m king of the hill, top of the heap.” ~ Frank Sinatra

This weekend is the 44^th running of the New York Marathon.  This marathon is 1 of the 6 World Marathon Majors and outside of the Boston Marathon, one of the most prestigious marathons to run.  This weekend many runners from around the globe will converge upon Gotham city to fulfill, for some, a lifelong dream.  Many have trained all year for this one big event.  The city that’s too busy to sleep will open its arms to the masses taking a guided tour through its 5 boroughs – Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and The Bronx. 

 

One mile at a time, run towards the light 

At the end of your journey you will be bright

 With a smile and a bit of delight 

You are now a marathon runner

Sleep well tonight 

I’ve always found that three key attributes make up a marathoner – ability, motivation, and attitude.

Ability

What a person is able to do can be based on talent, hard work, or a combination of both.  It’s common belief that a person can do what they set their mind to.  Marathon running is no different.  Realizing your true potential and living up to your ability is what marathon running is all about.

Motivation

To train for a marathon a person must be self-motivated.  Most training programs are 12-18 weeks long, extreme plans being 24 weeks.  Training for 1 event over that period of time requires a type of motivation that can’t be measured, packaged, or sold.  A marathon runner must dig deep from within to sustain the type of motivation needed to succeed at running 26.2 miles.  It’s not the destination, but the journey which determines their destiny.

Attitude

Ever heard the expression, “your attitude determines your altitude”?  To run a marathon is 90% mental and 50% physical.  That’s that new math for you.  Going into training and/or the race with the wrong attitude can spell certain disaster.  A successful marathoner understands the importance of overcoming adversities and challenges, which can be directly linked to their attitude.  A good attitude ultimately determines how well you will do in the marathon.  Don’t get me wrong… the best attitude can’t overcome poor training habits, injury, or things out of your control such as weather.  The point is… in more cases where you approach a marathon trusting in your training, thinking positive thoughts, and embracing the moment you are sure to have a good race.

“Ability is what you are capable of doing, Motivation determines what you do, Attitude determines how well you do it.” ~ Lou Holtz

The marathon is a crap shoot.  This weekend thousands of runners will take to the streets of New York to see where their ability, motivation, and attitude take them.  I wish them well on their 26.2 journey. 

Keep Running!!

Big Rome

2014 AJC Peachtree Road Race – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The AJC Peachtree Road Race is a 44 year Atlanta tradition.  Starting with 110 runners in 1970, the race has grown to be the largest 10K in the world at 60,000 participants.  To quote the boss, Bruce Springsteen, "Getting an audience is hard.  Sustaining an audience is hard.  It demands a consistency of thought, of purpose, and of action over a long period of time."  With that said, let's get down to the race recap!

The Good

This was my 7^th time running this event and it did not disappoint.  The weather was a perfect cool 66 degrees with what felt like very little humidity.  This was a perfect day for a race to celebrate our country’s independence, US 10K championships, and kick off the holiday weekend.  I felt very good going into the race.  I had a great training period, no nagging injuries, and respectable tune up races where I felt relatively comfortable toeing the start line.

Ahhh… but today was proof that even the best build up, doesn’t translate well on race day.  Overall, I had a great race… but it was definitely 2 different races.  The first half of the race went according to plan.  Oh, but that second half is where I went full on survival mode…

Let's go, let's go!!

I'm giving you all she's got Capt'n!!

I attribute several reasons why the drastic drop in pace, started out faster than I should have, stomach issues at mile 4, Cardiac hill is all they say it is.  All of that doesn’t really matter… I ran my race and very happy with the results… 

3 years running strong!!!

The Bad

For all that was good about the race I struggled to find something negative to say about the event.  Sure there was the issue with the T-shirts, but this isn't the first time it has happened (Peachtree History) and with a race this size I’m sure it won’t be the last.  Sure there was the issue with race timing.  Let’s put this in perspective… there were 57,556 official finishers; of which 28,724 where men and 28,832 where women.  For the Atlanta Track Club (ATC) to organize and put on an event of this scale, +/- 15 seconds in some cases, is not unreasonable to have a glitch or two.  The key thing is that once the issue was realized it was quickly resolved.  Having ran several races of smaller scale I can tell you I haven’t seen race directors/organizations rectify the situation as quickly as ATC did.

Moving on… now I saw reports of food shortages at the finish line.  Many of the back of the pack runners unfortunately didn’t have any food when they finished the race.  One can only speculate some of the reasons for this.  I can only guess this was brought about by 2 factors… happy and energetic volunteers willing to give what they had to the runners, and runners taking enough food to feed their family.  As stated, Peachtree is an annual tradition.  A race this size brings out all types of runners from the beginner to more advanced runner.  Many of the people running Peachtree are either first time runners or only run this one event each year.  I’m of the opinion that the majority of the runners treated this event like a local BBQ or family reunion.  ‘It’s a party, there’s food everywhere, I’m entitled to it, and so is my family’.  The only thing I will say to that is yes it’s a celebration, but for those of us who are fortunate enough to finish early let’s remember there are many other runners still out on the course.  It’s up to the veteran runners to spread the word about race etiquette not only to the new runners but the family and friends that come to cheer you on.  It’s an unrealistic expectation to think the race organizers will have a bottomless supply of food (and T-shirts – stick with the shirt you ordered; resolve it later).

The Ugly

Drum roll…  There is no ugly.  ATC put on a great race.  This was the 44^th year of the Peachtree, 57,556 finishers, +3,500 volunteers, and more than 200,000 people cheering.  There were people who ran their first race/Peachtree and those that celebrated their 20^th running.  Then there was Meb Keflezighi, 2014 Boston Marathon winner, who did the unthinkable… started at the very end and past 22,780 runners to raise money for the Kilometer Kids program.  It was truly an awesome event, an awesome day, and a great way to celebrate Independence Day.  An event like this, in my opinion, there is nothing ugly.

Keep Running!!
Jerome

Keep Running!!!

Braves Country 5K – The little race that could!

The Braves Country 5K, while a new distance, the event itself has become a Father’s Day tradition of sorts.  Starting and finishing inside of Turner Field this is a nice event which presents a reasonable challenge and for some a nice tune up race for the AJC Peachtree Road Race (PRR) on July 4^th.

This year there was a new, yet welcome, twist to the event.  In year’s past this race was a 4 miler, twisting and turning in the neighborhoods near Turner Field.  This year the event was scaled down to a 5K.  In my opinion, this turned out to be a great move by the folks with the Atlanta Track Club.  Any runner in the Atlanta area will tell you… heat, hills, and humidity are just a part of the fabric of the Atlanta running community and I think having 1 mile (technically .9 of a mile) less of hills to contend with was very well received by the race participants. 

Two months removed from my marathon, and with 3 weeks left until PRR, I felt participating in this race would be a good benchmark to see how my training was progressing.  Overall, I’m happy with the results, but I see where there are some areas which need addressing.  Time will tell if I will be able to make the needed adjustments before the PRR.

My final results:

Split Time Distance Avg Pace Summary 19:17.8 3.12 6:11 1 5:50.0 1.00 5:50 2 6:17.9 1.00 6:18 3 6:27.4 1.00 6:27 4 :42.6 0.12 5:41

Bottom of Form

Obviously, you can see I started out fast and my pace started to slow.  I attribute this to focusing more on marathon related workouts as my body is more conditioned to race at a “slower” pace compared to 5K race pace.  Either way I’ll take it.  If you’re in the Atlanta area and can fit this into your schedule next year I highly recommend it.  Until then… Keep Running!!

        

Photo credit: Jennie Coakley