Peachtree Road Race 2011

Well since I am here to blog about it, it is safe to assume that I survived... ;) And I couldn't be prouder of myself.. well I COULD have. lol

I hadnt really been training for the Peachtree which makes me very frustrated because I could have gotten done quicker but honestly I had a blast doing it so maybe being done quicker is over rated... if not, thats just what I am going to tell myself. My official finish time is 1:29:01... I placed 40714... I am having trouble finding out how many people actual;y participated or crossed the finish line but i think it was more than 60,000.... so i am happy about it.. my goal is usually not to come in last and since I came in 3rd to last on the last 10k that i did, I'd say its an improvement!

This race was alot different than the last 10K that i did, so different that I cant even believe that they were both 10k's. The sheer pride and patriotism is uncanning at the Peachtree! The support and excitement is completely overwhelming and honestly just magical. It is unlike any other experience in my life and its so weird that about 60,000 people do it every year because I felt like I was part of an elite group.

Since this was my first year doing it and i didn't submit any qualifying times I began the race in section Y which is the last group. We started out under an enormous American Flag and the announcer sent us off with " Who let the dogs out" blaring over the speakers. It was cool to be running down such a busy Atlanta street, listening to music blaring over loud speakers or onlookers radio's that they brought to cheer runners on. we got about a mile or two into it and I had to go to the bathroom already pretty bad. I saw a bunch of port a potty's so I ran ahead, hurried in and out and met back up with Kelley. We were soo nervous that we would be separated and wouldn't have our phones to call each other. We went along the route, people watching, running, walking, and smiling alot. We passed the Fur bus, keg stands, the chickfila cow, runners in crazy costumes and by standers in even crazier costumes. I wish I would have had a phone or camera with me to capture the spirit of Atlanta for this event.. so fun!!

Heart attack Hill was just that!! It was tough but it was rewarding to know when it was behind us. We first went up a short incline that I thought was perhaps Heart attack Hill, so when we finished the real one, we were overjoyed. The heat was really unbearable and the refreshing warm water from the fire hydrants really didn't help. I heard many people this year say that the heat slowed them down and with the latest start time in the race at 9:05 am... it was tough!

It was awesome running and walking by numbers that started before us. We started in a group of all Y's, then ran past some X's, then T's, then N's. It was soo neat to see how we were progressing. We did do alot of running for not training like we should have. But we did some walking too, one time when we were walking the bystanders shouted "Come on walkers, you can do it".... It definitely helped me pick up the pace! Getting to the turn off of Peacthree and heading towards the park was so exciting. We really pushed ourselves here but it was tough to go around all the walkers. It definitely slowed us down. We had to run up on curbs, around large groups of people and wait when there wasn't room.

At this point we could see it, a huge blue line painted completely across the street with a make shift bridge above it filled with camera men snapping away. "It" was in sight, "it" was within reach.... we gave it all we had and ran! We passed over the blue line, I threw my fist up in the air and smiled for the cameras.. Kelley and I stopped and iembraced... We talked about how proud we were... we had done it.. we had a runners high..... until we heard shouts "Your almost there"..... "Just a little further"..... "You can do it"..... we looked around and everyone was still running... We werent done.... the line wasn't the finish line... it was all for the photo opt... we still had another half of mile to go!!! WTF! Do you know how long half a mile is when you just gave your everything to the last half of mile and then did 5.5 miles in 85 degree weather before that?

Oh it was soo soo sad. I could feel my runners high slipping away.. then a man collapsed a few feet ahead of us. I heard his wife yelling "thats my husband"... medic's rushed to his side and a crowd formed around... we continued to go by and when I turned around just when he was almost out of my view I saw medic's rip open his shirt to perform the defibrillator. (I later heard on the news that he is doing just fine now).

So now we are almost dying... running across an anti climatic finish line and just ready to be at work. We go get our t-shirt which we had already seen was not the one I voted for and went to the S balloon miles away to meet the family... who were not there! I borrowed several peoples phones to try to call and sweated all over them... it was so hard to get through because so many people in such a small area were doing the exact same thing.. and i think i got lucky and asked people with crappy phones. We finally got through and went back up to Peachtree Road to meet them which was another disaster in itself and headed towards MARTA.

Poor Daniel, my mom and aunt Kathy missed us running by cause we were on the left side and they were on the right. I felt awful that they had walked and traveled so much to see nothing... we got on overcrowded MARTA where I had to stand and hold Oliver on the train... at this point it is almost noon and I still have had nothing in me except my daily pill :), some cold water on the way to the race and some warm water during and after the race.... I'm hot, tired and weak and honestly had to try not to pass out on the MARTA train while holding Oliver... When we switched trains, I just sat down on the floor of the train station.. Eww Gross!

Haha... ok now it sounds like a nightmare but I promise... it was soo worth it and I cannot wait to do it again next year... now ill be more prepared on expectations, bringing my phone, where the free bananas are, etc.