Peachtree Road Race!

This morning I ran the Peachtree Road Race, which has been an Atlanta tradition since 1970.  It's the largest 10k in the world - with only a mere 60,000 participants!!  Yesterday I was pretty nervous about the race and strongly considered not running it at all.  I didn't feel like I was prepared enough, and the heat in Atlanta had been in triple digits for the past week.  After some great motivational coaching from my "coach" Allison, I decided to do it, and I can't tell you how HAPPY I am that I did it!!  6.2 miles is by far the farthest I've run (even run/walking).  When I crossed the finish line, I had some tears well up in my eyes (which I know is totally lame, but whatever) because I was truly so proud of myself for finishing this race. 

The atmosphere of the Peachtree is amazing!  I think I smiled the whole time.  There are 150,000+ spectators along the course, cheering you along.  It is such a huge Atlanta tradition that there are booths and events set up along the route too, and they hand out things like popsicles, watermelon, Powerade, and other goodies.  I didn't collect too much swag though, because you have to carry everything!  One of my favorite group of spectators was the group of priests sprinkling holy water on the runners as they passed.  I got sprinkled...even though I'm Methodist I could use a little God to get me through the race! :)

I still have a long way to go for the half, but this gave me some much-needed confidence in myself.  I think I can do this!!  I'm still a run/walker, but I think I will probably be a run/walker for the half.  And that's okay!  My training program (which just started this week - 12 weeks out!) is a run/walk interval program.  I think it is smart so that I don't risk injury or overdoing it.  I want to become a runner the right way.

Another cool thing about today is that Wes saw me cross the finish line - on T.V.!!  He DVR'ed the race for me.  This morning he said he was watching a soccer game and the just had a "feeling" that he should flip back to the race.  He did, and I crossed the finish line right after he flipped over!  I was able to watch myself on the DVR'ed version when I got home.  Pretty sweet!!

6:30 a.m. and I'm all smiles!  Let's do this!

These are the Group A runners - the first group after the "elite" runners.  I passed them on the way to my starting corral.  Oh, and for what it's worth, I probably walked an extra three miles today from my car to the race and back to the car!

My corral - M.  The corrals ran from A-Y.  You are placed in a corral based on a verified time from another qualifying race.  My submitted time was my only race I had done - a 5k in January.  My time was pretty average, which is why I was seeded as a "middle of the pack" runner.

FINISHED!!!  The feeling at the end of a race is unlike any other.

  So happy!

Partial view of the finish line area at Piedmont Park.  It was packed!!

Me and my running support coach, Allison.  She wasn't able to run the race this year, but she came out to the finish to support me and some other of our friends!  That meant so much to me!

Hope everyone had a great 4th today!  I feel lucky and blessed that I was able to finish this race safely and smiling!