Athletic Quilt Street Light 5K Recap

The Street Light 5K is one of my favorite races for a number of reasons and the first that comes to mind is that it's flat and fast.  It's also directed by Robert Murray, a lifelong and very accomplished runner that is well connected in the running community.  I feel certain he's largely responsible for the continued success of the race which is now 22 years and going strong.  It's also a night race which is a nice change from the typical early Saturday morning race.  The awards are great with trophies going 3 deep per age group and plaques for the top 3 overall and top 3 masters for men and women.  And just for good measure, the race has always awarded cash prizes back to a few lucky runners after the award ceremony which is something I've never seen before.   But without question this race is a favorite of mine because of the memories it holds from the time I was a 21 year old running my first local 5K to being a 42 year old 'masters' runner with two kids lined up beside me and the third cheering us on.

I ran my first Street Light race in 1995 as I was going into my senior year at Western Carolina.  At the time my running consisted of almost exclusively tempo runs somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-6 miles each.  I had no watch and most certainly was rocking basketball shorts just below the knee with a backwards hat and a yellow Sony Walkman sport.  That less than regimented training plan combined with 4 years of rugby at Western and the tendency to supplement that with a couple hours of day playing basketball seem to work for me.  I have no idea how I found out about the race because I didn't know anybody in the running community but as a college kid I'm about 200% sure that the idea of not having to wake up on a Saturday morning to run a 5K was appealing.

I crossed the finish line that evening and was handed a white index card with a 26 on it equal to my placing in the race.  And I only remember that because I still have the index card.  For a local 5K this race has always fielded a fast group so my 18:26 effort that day landed me absolutely nothing, which was fine because I certainly didn't fancy myself a runner.  I was just happy to get in a good sweat and not embarrass myself.  A lot has changed since then, the least of which is that if you don't place you won't get an index card as a memoir.  Since we're now well into the 20th century you'll be glad to know the race is chip timed and the results can easily be found online within a day or so. 

Fast forward to 2016 and I'm not 21 anymore.  Funny how that happened and I didn't even realize it.  I've traded in my basketball shorts (most of them) for running shorts, replaced the hulking Sony Walkman with an iPod shuffle but I still wear my hat backwards on occasion and frankly don't care if that's age appropriate or not.  Currently I'm quasi-training for the Chicago Marathon in October and by quasi I mean that I'm actually enjoying myself now and while I'm logging the miles I'm not chasing a time so hard that I'm a hostage to my training.  Simply put, I'm having fun again.  That said my Saturday mornings are usually reserved for long runs and the last time I doubled a 5K with a long run it was a disaster.  And oddly enough it was almost exactly a year ago that I pulled that feat with the HCA 5K in the morning and 14 miles later that day.

I decided I would run an easy 10 miler that morning then run the Street Light that night.  The race is at 9:00pm so that would give me more than 12 hours in between and if I kept the 10 easy and didn't press too hard in the evening I felt confident this was easily doable.  In fact, I decided this would be great Blue Ridge Relay training - of course I had a similar mindset a year ago...  So I ran 5 that morning before meeting Knox and Ben for 6 more.  That put me at 11 miles but I was almost two miles from home so I was squarely 13 miles into a 10 mile run and the idea of running a 5K that evening was fading fast.  Plus Julie was out of town doing the volleyball thing so I had all 3 boys that night.  Thirteen miles was entirely too close to 15 anyway so I couldn't help but finish the workout pushing the last few miles since I was resigned to bagging the 5K later that night.

As the day went on I felt pretty good and the boys actually seemed interested in going to the race.  Sam was sold the minute I told him it was flat and when Luke agreed to run how could I say no to that?!  Landon agreed to go watch if I would stop at Chick-Fil-A and since he had been playing ball all day I decided that was fair enough.  So we were off to Morganton -- now I just had to regroup and get myself ready to race, hope that these old legs still had a little something left in them, and get out of Morganton with the same good feelings I went there with.

For over 20 years the course has been a down and back from the Rose's parking lot but this year the venue changed to Freedom High School.  The new course is still flat and fast but I definitely prefer the pre and post race staging area of the Freedom High School track and stadium stairs as opposed to the Rose's parking lot.  The course is laid out perfectly for spectators because you can either sit in the stands and catch the start and finish on the track or you can walk from point to point and easily follow the runner progression throughout the course without covering a lot of ground.

The race starts on the track for about 300 meters before a short grass crossing to a closed drivers ed. course.  Think of your typical two lane road without lines but wider, smoother, and flat - almost like a race track.  After making the that loop you hit the only incline that's a short 100 meters up to another flat stretch taking you back towards the school entrance before the turn-around where you run it back -- back down the incline, another loop around the drivers ed. course, and into the stadium to run the 300 meters on the track to the finish line.

This race always draws a lot of high school runners and generally a few college runners so I settled in behind the wall of 130 lb. runners in the short shorts.  I had entertained the thought of running with Sam until I heard him telling the neighbors he would probably beat me today.  I can't wait for the day that my kids grow into being better than I am (at any and everything) but I'm not really one to create that false sense of talent by letting them win all the time.  Sam was jockeying for position in front of me and behind the front runners which I knew was a disaster but I guess if someone was going to trample my 8 year old it might as well have been me.

My first mile felt surprisingly good and I really felt comfortable - or at least as comfortable as one feels running a 5K.  Things started to thin out and the course lays out very well so you've always got a good sense for who's in front of you and how far ahead the leaders are as demoralizing as that might be.  I came through the first mile at just below a 6 minute pace which is a little faster than I expected but had found a rhythm behind some other runners so I just went with it.  I expected my legs would get heavier from the morning run and my pace would fade but I was running by feel and felt good.

I mentioned how spectator friendly the course was and that was based on first hand experience.  I had the pleasure of running most of the race in, or near a small group of high school runners with a dad picking us up at 3, maybe 4 points along the course.  He went from 'don't-let-him-catch-you' to 'keep-up-with-him' to 'go-get-him' to just 'get-him'.  It wasn't obnoxious (ok, so maybe a little bit but only because I was 'him') but I'm sure all parties involved were motivated to some extent even if it was just to get out of ear shot.

As we headed back towards the driver's ed. course we hit 2 miles any my splits were surprisingly even with a 6:10 that included the only blip of a hill on the course.  Runner dad yelled out that we were 30 seconds behind but I wasn't exactly who was behind what.  I  could see a few runners ahead but they weren't coming back to me so I just tried to keep a steady rhythm.  I passed Sam on the way in and gave him a shout to which he just glared at me as if to say you're going to owe me a milkshake after this.  I didn't see Luke which was a little concerning because when Sam beats his brothers at anything, which very rarely happens, we never hear the end of it.  Ever.

We circled the driver's ed. course again and headed back to the track.  I was starting to feel the morning run in my legs but the fact that I was still generally feeling strong was a much needed confidence builder.  I've worked hard to get my base built back up over the past year but this summer has been especially challenging because my race times and training paces have been pretty ugly.  I get it - it's summer and the heat / humidity makes it tough to run fast but it was really nice to be in the midst of a solid race effort and feel the payoff from having stuck to the plan to build a solid base before speed.  And at this point it goes without saying but it was another hot summer night in July.

Once we hit the track there were only 300 meters left.  I could feel someone closing the gap and the stars were perfectly aligned for some teenager to blow past me in the last 100 meters.  And to make matters worse, Landon was on the stadium steps ready to capture the moment on video.  I lengthened my stride to at least minimize the blow by but the move never came so I managed to finish a step ahead with a 19:02 and 9th overall which I was more than happy with.


Landon greeted me with a big smile eager to show of his photography work (hence all of the black and white photos) and was already looking for the other two.  Both got out entirely too fast before the wheels fell off so we had a little fun at their expense.  Luke ran a low 7 first mile before death marching the second mile and Sam ran the first 300 meter around the track in an all-out sprint.  Of course he wasn't the only one...  Overall they both ran well and finished with personal bests and most importantly, Luke finished comfortably ahead of Sam so the balance of power was safe for another day. 


The Street Light 5K is everything I love about local races.  It's small enough not to be a logistical headache but it's competitive enough to attract quality runners and it's nice to see the camaraderie of the local cross country teams getting ready for the upcoming season.  For me it's been all about family though and the best part was sharing it with my little guys who aren't so little anymore.  I've been blessed to stay healthy and continue running for over 20 years now and while I wasn't all that fast when I was a 20 year old, I'm still turning in those same times now which apparently isn't too bad for a 42 year old.  I left Morganton as the overall masters winner with a nice plaque but as Sam so eloquently put it, I wouldn't have won if they wouldn't have agreed to go.  So 'our' award sits in his room and I wouldn't have it any other way!  After a quick stop at Cookout for a milkshake we were on our way home and they were out like a light before we hit the interstate.  In my book that's pretty much a perfect Saturday from beginning to end....

For more information on the Athletic Street Light 5K check out Robert's site at the link below.  You'll also find messages of hope and encouragement through scripture as well as running tips from a guy that's seen and done it all.

http://www.christianstamina.com/
 

The Bear 2016 Race Recap

 

Dear Bear,

 

Exactly 10 years to the day we met.  I was 32 and trying to regain some fitness lost in my late 20's - and yes, I know I haven't aged a bit.  My resilience was greater, my stride longer, metabolism faster, I was much less easy to get along with but most certainly just as stubborn.  I don't recall going to great lengths to sign up and frankly don't know who introduced us.  If I knew, I would punch them in the throat.  That year I would finish 99th among 795 complete strangers.  I hated you.

 

It was 2013 before I returned under duress - the summer before Hey Jack! fielded our first full Blue Ridge Relay team so how could I say no.  I wasn't registered but was able to slide in under the alias of another runner that wasn't able to participate.  Having just been introduced to several of these guys I was eager to perform and really wanted to turn in a good showing.  I got off to a horrible start and watched Knox, Joe, and Eric whom I'd just met gracefully glide up the mountain like a bunch of gazelles with Hank in tow.  I tried to keep up to no avail, rolled an ankle off the side of the road, then tried to regroup.  A few minutes later I would find myself walking before we even hit 2 miles. 

 

I waited a few minutes for the masses to pass and was resigned to jogging it straight back to my car and packing up shop.  My name wasn't showing up in the results which made the decision that much easier.  Banks and LT would check on me - "I'm good." I told them, "Just tweaked my ankle.  I'm coming."  Then it happened.  Mark, f'n, Huegerich happened.  I had just told bold faced lies to two guys I actually knew with every intention of bailing and for some reason I found myself putting one foot in front of the other with Mark.  This couldn't be happening.  Mark managed to coax me out of my only would-be DNF (excluding last year's BRR) and I went on to finish a dejected 171 with a medal around my neck but again, no mug.  I still hated you.

 

I skipped you the following year but would return in 2014.  I knew we didn't get along and that we never would.  I probably didn't appreciate your beauty and maybe even took for granted the God given health and ability to absorb and recover from the havoc you wreaked on my quads and lungs.  We made amends that year as I came with a greater respect for your ridiculous elevation and the indiscriminatory beating your altitude bestows upon my oxygen supply.  I finally walked off the mountain that day with a mug, not just "a" mug but "the" last mug handed out as the 68th finisher....but I still hated you.

 

And there we were, 10 years wiser and dancing the dance we had for the past decade.  I can't say no and you keep letting me in.  But it's time - it really isn't you, it's me.  I think you're amazing but I just don't deserve you.  I don't train for you like I should, I take your beauty for granted, and being with you just requires entirely too much effort.

I know I'll never run another race like you but honestly I just don't think I was built for it. Considering it took only 5 minutes for you to find 900 takers you'll undoubtedly rebound with someone younger, fitter, faster, more fun, and more deserving of your grandior.  Saying goodbye is never easy, except to you, which has proven to be exceptionally so.  I no longer hate you, but I'm going to enjoy July a lot more without you in it.

All the best,

Jason

-----------------------------------

 

Well I'm glad that's over - and I'm assuming you are too.  For a race that fills up in 5 minutes somehow I'm always 'lucky enough' to get in and I believe a lot of that has to do with peer pressure.  The night before registration there was a flurry of text reminders from the usual suspects.  The group text says Hey Jack but there was a lot of jabbering from HE -- otherwise known as Hank Eimer.  First one to register and one of the only ones to get in before the server blew up.  HE coordinated hill runs although I don't believe the participation was high and even went as far as to guarantee a mug (top 10% of men and women finishers receive a mug at the finish) to anyone of us that was able to follow his charge up the mountain.  And then came this text string the day before the race:

JM:   What's the plan for tomorrow for the Bear that I'm registered for and regretting?
LT:   Plan is to see who's going, exclude Mark, and carpool up the mountain.
HE:   I'm registered and headed to the beach at the moment.  Good luck.
EM:  I'm in Denver, I'll run up a mountain in solidarity.  Actually just going to drink beer and watch the Rockies game.  Good luck.
Everybody:  WTF
(after the race)
HE:   Did you get my shirt?
MB:  How about my shirt?
Everybody:  FU

That about sums it up really.  In total six guys from Hey Jack! there made the trip including LT, John, Ben, Joe, Mark, and myself.  Like any close knit group would do we left Hickory just after 4:00......in 4 separate vehicles.  LT and Mills representing the social group that would stay after for dinner and drinks, Ben had the honor or chauffeuring the spouses that were running not including my wife who was riding in a 5th vehicle with her running friends.  Mark was driving solo from DC with 8-1 odds of showing up and Joe and I were in the let's-get-this-over-with-and-get-back-home-asap vehicle.  Actually Joe was boarding a plane early the next morning and I had to pick up the boys or we would have been a little more social.

We arrived to find out there was talk of shortening the course as a result of 66 mph wind at the top of Grandfather Mountain.  Having run this before I was actually excited about that notion.  I wanted no part of a cancellation or a re-do some other day but I was really hoping the stars would align and we would run the 2.5 up to the Highland Games and circle back down to the start.  I mean it was perfect.  But as with most of my ideal scenarios that never gained any traction.  Instead the course was cut short about 0.3 miles which meant that the final switchback was cut and that last straightaway to the top of Grandfather was out.  Rather than make the cutback we just dropped off to the right into the parking lot where the finish logistics would remain the same for the most part.

I hate running The Bear, just in case you missed that.  I have never, ever, at any point during the race have stopped and thought what an amazing view.  But I have cursed myself and anybody that supported this nonsense countless times...

So in summary, The Bear is held every year during the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games which is one of the largest Scottish Games in America.  And yes I took that directly from the website because my Scottish game history is a bit lacking.  It starts at the corner of Hwy 105 / 221 and is advertised as a 5 mile run or an 8K but even the 'normal' course to the top of the mountain is closer to 4.6-4.7 miles.  The first 2.5 miles are predominately on a winding gravel trail which take you up about 625' of elevation.  After that you get a brief reprieve through the Highland Games where it flattens off momentarily before the march up to Grandfather that takes you up another 900 feet to the top.

The first 3 miles are manageable which is to say if you're chasing a mug you need to get through the first 3 miles as quickly as you can without running out of oxygen in the process.  A delicate balance to say the least.  Awards are only given to the top 3 overall men and women so there are a lot of mug chasers heading up the mountain.  My best guess based on my placement in the 9.9% percentile of top 10% male finishers is that's about 60 mugs available give or take.

Last year I got my hands on the very last one so my plan was to replicate the formula from last year and run just fast enough to get a mug.....and not a second faster.  Joe and I parked in the usual spot, got our bibs, checked a bag, and jogged a mile because it seemed like the thing to do.  All of that and we didn't cross paths with the rest of the crew until we met at the start.  With little to no fanfare the race began and I lost track of everyone in our group.  The first 100 yards didn't feel too bad but when we turned onto the gravel road I was really not feeling it. 

I do a fair amount of running in the heat but zero running at higher altitudes and getting started is just a huge punch in the guts for me.  Running on the gravel roads does nothing for my jacked up feet either.  I'm not saying it slows me down (I'm not saying that it doesn't either) but from afar I probably resemble someone walking amongst broken glass trying to find the next soft landing.  I'm just not a great Bear runner in general but I knew I had to keep my first 3 miles at paces under 8:30 to have any shot at a mug.

Heading into the Highland Games area I felt slower than last year but my total time through 3 miles was only 3 seconds off.  I was able to turn my legs over a bit faster through the games area and get some decent strides in but my legs were heavy and I was coming to grips with the potential of going home empty handed.  The real work begins as you exit the games and starts with a steep grassy hill that just has my number because I am physically not capable of running up it.  As I trudged up the hill and hit the pavement it was actually a relief to be on asphalt again.

Again there's a very slight reprieve from climbing before you really start getting your money's worth.  I could see John up in the distance while Joe and Ben were a few seconds behind.  From here on it was just head down, arms pumping, and legs turning over.  I tried to find a rhythm and stick with it and while I wasn't running fast I knew if I stopped I might not start back.  Mile 4 was a 10:30 pace which was better than last year so I knew that once again I would be close to a mug but by no means did I feel confident about it.

Soon I would hear people in the distance so I knew the finish was near.  My time was 39:30 which was all but irrelevant considering I had no point of reference with it being a short course.  All I knew was there was an outstretched hand holding a mug pointed in my direction and I grabbed it.  Another Hickory runner (Adam Oakley) was steps behind me and snatched a mug and I believe there was one more male mug passed out after that.  Once again I had gotten lucky and run within seconds of the bare minimum which is all that mattered.

The ride back down was a bit of a cluster with the new finish area.  It took a while to find the bag check truck but once we did we added a layer and headed for a seat on the bus for the drive down.  I had every intention of having my phone with me at the top to take some pictures, catch Julie and her friends crossing the finish, and capture the amazing view from the top of Grandfather but obviously that didn't happen because my phone was sitting on the kitchen counter.  And then it ended, just an unceremoniously as it began. 

As always I loved seeing so many familiar faces and Hickory was well represented.  Ten years ago I didn't know a single person there and this year I probably knew at least 30 and maybe more.  Mike Lawson cracked the top 25 to turn in the best finish from this area with the Hickory Knuts and F3 Hickory well represented as well.  Congrats to Julie and Tom on their first Bear and everyone else that made it as far up as they let us go!


      
 

AJC Peachtree Road Race 2016 Recap

Under normal circumstances I would be in no hurry to talk about my slowest 10K ever.  However, considering this race is anything but normal I think the entertainment value will be higher while things are still fresh on my mind.  So for anyone that doesn't know, on Monday I ran the 47th annual Peachtree 10K held every year on July 4th in Atlanta, GA.

While you can't beat the 'flavor' of a local 5K and being surrounded by familiar faces it's also nice to soak up the experience of events that are steeped in tradition.  These are the races that take you places you thought you'd never go and that make up bucket lists for weekend warriors and hobby joggers from coast to coast.  Despite being on a holiday when you'd think some runners would opt for vacationing as opposed to racing in the notoriously hot and humid Atlanta during the month of July the race still attracts well over 60,000 would be runners.  There is a lottery system with several entries turned away every year but the Atlanta Track Club offers guaranteed entry with a membership which is $30 and includes a free ATC t-shirt.  That seemed like money well spent not to have to deal with the potential admission rejection.

As race day grew closer my plan to drive 4 hours on a holiday to one of the biggest cities in the country which happens to be a July 4th destination for many to run one of the largest races in the world seemed like maybe not the greatest idea in the world.  Throw in the fact that I was a month removed from running one of my slowest half marathons on a hot summer morning and was heading to hotter weather and higher humidity to run my least favorite distance and I was thrilled.  No really, I was.

I left Sunday morning in the middle of the sermon to ensure that I made to the expo in time to pick up my bib.  I did say a quick prayer on the way out just to make sure God wasn't totally offended by my early exit and he was cool with it.  A little over 4 hours later and I could see the expo but patiently waited in a long line of traffic that wasn't moving -- most certainly because I was behind other runners.  As I helplessly watched other cars cruise by I decided there had a be a better way -- just had to be.  Then I darted out to find route B and realized I had been waiting in line to go to the aquarium.  About 45 seconds later I was out $15 but I was parked directly across the street from the expo.

The Georgia Congress Center is huge and so it really didn't seem all that crowded.  Of course I was showing up the last day and a couple hours before they shut down but it was an easy in and out.  One thing I really liked was the kid zone which included several stations where kids could participate in various sporting drills.  There was a batting cage, football accuracy throws, a high jump, 40 yard dash, and basketball to name a few.  Each station had a leader board with the top performers which was pretty cool.  This was a solo trip for me so the boys weren't there to enjoy the kid zone but maybe next time.  Otherwise I didn't really see anything I couldn't live without so I headed to the hotel to check in.

I had gotten a room across the street from the start because I absolutely hate planning for transportation to the start line.  I hate waiting in line for buses, navigating public transportation, reading maps - like on paper, checking bags, and waking up extra early to deal with the aforementioned mess.  I checked in and requested a late check-out for 1:00p so I was all set.  The 7:30a start meant I could sleep until about 6:00a, enjoy a bowl of hotel oatmeal and some toast, get dressed, and stroll across the street to warm up then race.  Since I was traveling alone I thought there was a real chance I would be back at the hotel, showered, and in bed by 9:00a for a solid nap before heading home.  To say I was wrong about that would be like saying the start of the race was a little congested.

I went to a movie and was in bed by 9:30 Sunday night.  Of course I didn't fall asleep until 2:00 in the morning but that seems to be the magic hour for me the night before an out of town race.  Getting up wasn't a problem and breakfast went off without a hitch.  I made my way across the street following the masses to the starting area.  I stretched a little.....ok, that's a lie - I just ran around the parking lot until I got a mile in to wake my legs up and confirm the obvious.  It was hot.  It was near 80 degrees at the start and the humidity was right at 90% without a shred of cloud cover in the sky.  Fortunately this was only 6.2 so at least I had that going for me. 

We were a good 45 minutes from the start and a slow jog-it-out mile had sweat running down my back like a waterfall so I decided that people watching would be a much better use of my time.  I saw several elites warming up and hordes of guys much faster than I am so I was intent on not getting out too fast chasing guys out of my league.  I still see myself as a fat kid that just runs a lot to keep from gaining weight.  I guess I'm easily intimidated by thin guys in short shorts but I prefer discounting my ability to being a prick that looks and acts fast but really is just pedestrian.  Historically runners were assigned to corrals that follow the elites beginning with seeded men, women, and masters followed by sub-seeded groups of each then corrals A through whatever it takes to accommodate 60,000 runners.  In 2016 they eliminated the sub-seed groups and simply went elites, seeded runners, group A.  I just missed a seeded bib by submitting a 15K time that I felt like was my best recent time.  Seed times are released after registration and you can't improve or resubmit a time for placement so even though I had a seeded 5K my 15K time put me in the A group.

I decided to head to my start wave but not before making some impromptu wardrobe changes.  I decided to ditch the race belt and pin my bib to my singlet.  That just seemed like the cool thing to do.  Then I realized it was crooked and off center and looked like a 3 year old pinned it on so I opted for pinning it to my shorts.  I made one last potty stop and they weren't too crowded but the standard quasi-lines were in effect.  The ones where you sort of stand in front of 3 or 4 and make a mental note as to who was there before you and offer up the open one to folks you know were there before you.  As I was on my way to one I was clearly entitled to some chick in a sparkly tutu came out of nowhere and took the door out of my hand.  Maybe she had a better read on how late we were to the start but whatever.

Finally I was headed to the start behind a guy wearing a shirt with the course map on the back.  Upon further review what I already knew started to sink in.... this is a point to point course and doesn't finish anywhere near the start.  So I proceeded with the question of the day, "Hey man, how do you get back to the start?"  Being the nice gentleman he was he resisted the urge to make me feel like an idiot and said most runners just hop on the Marta back to Lenox Square.  Well that's all fine and dandy if you've got a few bucks tucked away, or if you checked a bag that might include.....maybe a phone to call an uber or a cab.  But not this guy.  I mentioned my poor planning and he said, "Well I guess there are worse stretches of Atlanta to walk than coming back up the course backwards."  Good to know....

I was now 4 minutes from the start but hadn't made it to my wave yet.  They were gearing up for the national anthem which really was something I was looking forward to so the sense of urgency kicked in.  Waves A-D when through the same gate with A-B going left towards the start and C-D going right.  Then I realized that with it being so close to the start A and B were just one big jumbled mess and the B group was less than anxious to let me through.  Honestly I wasn't even sure if I was headed towards the start line or if I had taken a wrong turn and ended up at a Halloween party in July.  It was a great atmosphere but I got the impression that I was not surrounded by folks that were about to fire out of the gate.

I found myself looking straight up at the American flag during the national anthem as a huge military plane flew over.  Just being at the start of this race on this day was a little bit surreal.  The countdown was on and finally the gun went off.....and then.......nothing.  I mean we weren't even walking.  Finally a slow walk ensued, then a walk with a lean, then a shuffle.  Then I could actually see the timing mats just behind a wall of people that still seemed to be barely moving.  So much that I didn't even want to cross the mats but there was no turning back and it certainly wasn't getting less crowded.

I tried to be patient though.  I zigged and I zagged.  I went through people, around people, on sidewalks, on and off curbs.  There was even a quasi buddy system where faster runners would see and share a gap to move up amongst the masses only to be stopped by a wall of runners talking about lunch or plans later that day.  I mean even the slowest B groupers should have been 50 minute 10Kers which is about an 8:00 mile, so logically in a wave with faster runners going downhill in the first mile of a race this size you'd think we'd at least be moving along a little faster than we were plodding along.

About 200 meters into the race I heard my watch beep courtesy of some flying elbows which probably came as I tried to slither between runners.  I'm not a Mack truck coming through but I'm also not exactly a petite runner either.  I glanced at my watch to see the time wasn't running so I hit the start/stop button assuming that I was restarting the time after a few second pause.  A few minutes later I checked to see just how slow I was running and how far into the race we were and my watch was stopped on .15 miles.  That's right, elbow number 1 hit my lap button which didn't stop my watch, it just froze the lap time but yours truly did the honor of stopping my watch instead of restarting it.  So now my distance was all out of whack and so were my splits and all that I knew is that I was wasting precious time jogging downhill.  Normally I'm perfectly fine getting out a little slower, conserving energy, and have gotten comfortable knowing that I can make that up on the back half.  But on that day I knew there was likely no making up that time.

My horrendous start aside, Peachtree is a tale of two races.  The first 5K is predominately down hill.  If you put yourself in a good position at the start you really can run these miles quickly and post a good split without killing yourself to do it.  Towards the end of mile 3 starts the ascent which makes for a very difficult mile 4 beginning with what they affectionately refer to as Cardiac Hill.  Mile 5 continues the uphill for another 125 feet of elevation before finally leveling out at about 5.25 miles for the finish which is predominately flat and downhill with one sneaky hill before the finish.  There are also a couple points during the final mile where you think you might be finished only to find out you've got another 1/2 mile or so to go.

It didn't take long to realize that this is Atlanta's race.  There are families, friends, and various groups that come back year after year to make this one of the largest races in the world and their tradition is what makes this race special.  As much as I wanted to be annoyed at times throughout the race I just ran, and smiled, said excuse me, and thank you.  For instance I had a guy dart in front of me from nowhere to grab some water and I literally had to put a hand on each side of his waist to keep from running over him.  I mean it didn't help that he practically stopped to drink the water half way through the water stop but me rear-ending him with hands on hips was every bit as awkward as it sounds.  He seemed a bit delirious so I left him for the volunteers to tend to.  Needless to say I missed out on water at that station.  But as karma would have it there was a row of kids offering small bottles of water which I find much easier to drink from anyway.  I reached out for the first one......and missed it.  In my defense, they were sitting on the curb so not an easy reach!  I reached out for the next one.........and the kid didn't let go of it.  Just keep smiling Jason :)

As I was making the charge up the final hill and actually felt pretty good which is really to say I didn't feel awful.  I still had no idea what my time or pace was because I completely lost track of the slow start time but based on the mile markers I thought I might have missed timing about .10 of the course.  Once it was over I realized I missed more than that because there was a lot of wasted time and distance weaving in and out of runners at the beginning.  As the temperature continued to rise the race went to red flag status about 8:30a which was really just a formal way of letting runners and spectators know that it's hot.  Like really hot.  I didn't get the official memo at the time but even though I overlooked many, many things that would have led to a smoother race, the temperature is something that I was well aware of.

I crossed the finish line and had no idea what my time was.  I had a watch that read 6.14 miles and 40:41 for a 6:37 pace which wasn't right but I assumed I was at the 41:xx.  I proceeded through the chute to get my shirt which is one of the unique aspects of Peachtree.  There are no finisher medals and shirts aren't included with your bib and race packet so you actually have to finish the race to get the shirt.  Pretty cool I thought.  I was also handed a top 1,000 finisher card to pick up my Peachtree mug at various locations which was an unexpected bonus too.  Maybe that motivation to be in the top 1,000 is why the B wave was mean mugging me at the start.  The finish area was a couple large fields that wind around and put you back out on the street just past the finish.  There was plenty of food and drink which is to be expected when 60,000 people are running in the heat of the dirty south.  I doubt it hurts to be home to Coca-Cola when you've got to provide drinks for a lot of thirsty people either.

I wandered around aimlessly for a few minutes soaking up the atmosphere and getting my mind right to jog it back to the start.  I wasn't thrilled about that but I didn't feel too bad so I had pretty much accepted that was going to be the price for poor planning.  Then I saw the first (and only) familiar face of the trip - none other than Bobby Aswell.  And if I had to pick one guy that I might run into, out of state, in a field of 25,000 runners he would be it without a doubt.  We chatted for a bit and agreed this was not ideal 10K weather then took a celebratory post race photo.  Bobby had just completed his 29th consecutive Peachtree (let that sink in for a few minutes) and this was my first so it was really cool to be able to catch up with him afterwards.

I made my way back towards the finish against the grain and since the sidewalks were lined with spectators I saw no issue with hopping over the barricade to start my journey back.  I mean there were plenty of people on the other side so I expected to blend right in.  Unfortunately the Atlanta Police and their dogs quickly put a halt to that so I decided it was in my best interest to move with the flow of runner traffic towards the Marta.  I guess with that many runners you really have to keep everyone going the same way. 

I know runners are a tight knit bunch and good to their own so just about anybody I asked would have given me the $3 to get back to the start but I just didn't have it in me.  I mean what was I going to say - I didn't know the course of the largest 10K in the US didn't circle back?  Or that I forgot to bring money?  Or didn't think to check a bag and bring a phone?  I mean 12 hours ago I was proud of the fact that I didn't have to bring money or check a bag.  And hey, there was Olympic marathon qualifier Jared Ward - right beside of me.  I told him he was incredible at the LA trials and wished him luck in Rio.  Super nice guy, would have been really cool to have a picture but no.... I was so proud of my late checkout and the preceding long nap that I didn't have the common sense to plan for anything like that.

I ducked into a Starbuck's and was going to have them call me a cab.  Surely the driver could just sit in the lobby and give me a few minutes to go to the room and get my wallet.  Then I realized just how crowded a Starbuck's 1/2 mile from 60,000 runners finishing a race can be.  Calling me a cab seemed to be on nobody's radar.  Plan B was to use my charm to convince someone at the Marta station to just open the gates and let me in.  I would have offered to pay via PayPal even though I doubt the Marta is setup for PayPal but my heart was in the right place...

I still wasn't convinced I couldn't just jog back.  The Marta was a mile from the finish and if I was already walking towards the start that just meant 5 more.  I started talking to a guy who was local and using the 10K as training for an Iron Man he was running in Wilmington later this year.  As we talked about our race experience we realized that we had very similar starts in a similar position and as I mentioned my whole lap button / stop time episode he swore he was the one that elbowed me.  Unintentional of course but he said he remembered hearing my watch and saw the star-spangled bandana go by.  I know that sounds incredibly far fetched but who was I to argue.  And in a full twist of fate, the guy that set off the whole watch debacle gladly offered up $3 for a Marta pass before I could even finish asking directions to walk back.   

I went back to the room, looked up my results, shrugged it off, took a shower, and went to bed.  My 41:32 was good enough for 504 out of 56,912 runners and after thinking about it I was actually really happy with how I ran.  With all of the zigging and zagging I ran closer to 6.3-6.4 miles which is consistent with most of the other data out there on Strava.  The first mile was a disaster but there's nothing I could have done differently other than understand the importance of timely wave placement.  Miles 2 and 3 were both in the low 6:20's despite the heavy congestion.  I kept both miles uphill in the low 6:50's and ran just under 6:30 from mile 5 through the finish.  I would have taken those paces all day long on a day like this so I was happy with the race.  My planning -- not so much.

After a bite to eat I loaded up and attempted to pick up my top 1,000 finisher mug.  A few wrong turns later I arrived to find the store closed for the 4th. With 4 more pick-up options I began to call them, only to find out that one after another was closed.  I mean it was a holiday but still sort of a buzz kill.  Just one more thing not exactly working out the way I planned.  I messaged a friend that I knew was in the area also on a quest for a mug and let her know that the one store they hadn't been to was officially closed.  Without knowing just how poorly planned my morning had gone she had the intuition to confirm that I was actually at the right store and believe it or not, I was in the right place.  Fortunately she was staying an extra day and graciously agreed to pick up my mug and mail it to me.  Now Angie Clark is officially my hero.  Because she's got my mug and she was also a top 100 female finisher! 

So that about wraps up my adventure.  I made it home in time to rejoin the family for the annual July 4th firework extravaganza at Duane's and slept like a rock on Monday night.  Went for a nice 7.5 mile run the day after Peachtree with some faster stuff toward the end so if I'm lucky I'll be able to regroup in time for a decent showing at The Bear tomorrow.  And if the stars really lineup maybe I'll bring home another mug that I'm able to pick up all by myself.  Not getting my hopes up though, and as much as I hate the thought of running up Grandfather Mountain the idea of running in that cool air doesn't sound half bad.  But that's much easier to say from the comfort of my living room.

Thank you Atlanta for hosting such a fun event and hats off to the 1,000's of volunteers that made it happen.  They have the setup and teardown to a science and the volunteers were great!  Now that my inaugural Peachtree is behind me hopefully I've got a few more in my future!