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| Waiting to begin the race. |
I thought that by today I'd finally find the words to describe
my experience at Peachtree Road Race, but it seems harder now than it was three
days ago. I must have started this post
a dozen times and everything I wrote so far doesn't give the race justice. I am
not sure if I can properly describe how disappointing and how incredible this
race was all at the same time. Usually, I have a lot to say about my races and
can talk your era off for hours, but
this one was different. All I could answer to the usual "how was your
race" question, was "I did well" and smile. I don't have a lot
to say because I wasn't overwhelmed, I was calm, I was collected, I had a plan,
I executed that plan down to the last detail. I guess that is one of the
most shocking parts of the event. I was
prepared and outside of a small hiccup at the beginning, nothing went wrong.
The fact that I was well prepped, allowed me to concentrate
on the experience of the race. I was prepared to take on the crowds, struggle
through the hills, take on the Cardiac Hill, and come out on the other side
tiered and satisfied and full of exciting memories. Instead, it was just....
well, mellow. Very mellow.
I woke up very early on the 4th of July and turned on the
news as I was making breakfast. As
expected, our local news channels were showing the preparations for the race,
talking about road closures, and showing wet and yet hopeful volunteers setting
up barricades to help re-route traffic. At
that point, it has been raining for two days and no one was expecting to be dry.
Days in advance I told myself that I was
going to be uncomfortable and it hardly mattered how that discomfort was going
to manifest. All I cared about as I left
my house that morning was staying dry and warm long enough to get to the start.
Surprisingly, as we approached Buckhead, we didn't encounter
traffic. Atlanta without the stop-and-go? What?! No way! I couldn't believe it!
The rain picked up again and as I was about to exit the car and begin my walk
towards my starting wave, I realized that I left my giant trash bag rain poncho
at home. After a short search around the car, I found a small umbrella and
decided that it'll do. Since this was my
very first Peachtree Road Race, I had no idea if I was going to have an
opportunity to stay dry, so I played it safe.
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| Best shoe waterproofing idea I have ever seen! Not my shoe. |
I think I was the only one with an umbrella in that crowd,
and honestly, I didn't care. Since my brother (also my running buddy) was yet
to find me in the sea of wet, excited runners, I figured that holding an umbrella
would work better than try to explain that I am "right next to the giant
green crane across the street from Sacks on Fifth, no wait, we are moving
again". I was right. Ten minutes
after Tim texted me his location, I heard my name being called in the crowd and
there he was!
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| Thousands of runners on Peachtree Rd waiting to start the race |
Luckily, the rain stopped right before "the gun went
off " and we were on our way. The first three miles seemed deceptively
easy. I looked down at my watch and realized that I just ran a 5K thirteen
minutes faster than normal. After a short moment of panic I checked in with
myself: I was not tired, I was not hurt,
and I could, in fact, take the Cardiac Hill without an issue!
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| The giant flag above the start line |
I was told by many veteran runners that Cardiac Hill is the
best part of the race. Usually crowds of spectators line the sidewalks and
cheer on the runners. I was told that the energy you feel on that hill is
unreal and if your legs are giving out, you'd run on sheer principal because no
one wants to disappoint a crowd!
I guess I had very high expectation. When I got to the hill,
there were no crowds. A few spectators stood holding signs of encouragement,
but that's about it. I'd like to say thank you to those who braved the rain to
encourage us on the hill.
By the time I got to the final mile, the crowd grew more active
and the runners began to slow down.
People were handing out beer and water to the participants and encouraging us
to keep going. If I was beginning to question the dedication of my wonderful
city to this race, all of that dissipated when a toddler ran out into the
street to high-five me.
I finished the race to cheering and applause with a 10K PR,
walked through a beautiful grassy field in Piedmont Park that was slowly
turning into a mud pit, stopped in at the Atlanta Track Club VIP area and said
hello to a few people. By the time I was done with my post race snack, my
brother called and we began our long walk to our car.
I think that post race walk was probably one of my favorite
parts of the race. Maybe it is because my brother is an extremely charismatic
person, or because we, runners, are a naturally friendly bunch, but I have
never seen anyone receive this many high-fives and make so many people smile as
he did. It made me truly proud to be a part of the Atlanta running community
and to be his big sister.
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| Time and I after the Peachtree Road Race 2013 |
Regardless of the weather and the dirt, the race was a success
and I am beginning to think that I have found a new 4th of July tradition. If
you live in Atlanta, or if you are a runner, Peachtree Road Race is one of
those events that you have to run at least once.
