2014 AJC Peachtree Road Race Recap

I am just now getting to this one. Better late than never, right?

This Peachtree was a special one for me. It was my 10th time running it without missing a year. I had been looking forward to it since last years race.

After a humid first half of the week, I was worried that race day was going to be bad. Luckily, it wasn't. I wouldn't say it was perfect running weather but it's darn close to it especially for a July race.

Since this my 10th race, Mike decided he was going to come to the race and be at the finish line waiting for me.

Flat Ramona is ready to rock the Peachtree Road Race

The race day started pretty early for us. Met Kat and Eric at one of the Marta stations so we could get a mile warm up in before running 6.2 miles down Peachtree Street.

After our quick mile jog down to the corrals, we stopped for a picture before we each went our separate ways until after the race.

Before I knew it, I was slowly making my way to the start line where I would be starting my 10th PRR.

I was so excited to get started. This is one of my favorite races to do even though I am not  racing anyone except for myself.

This particular race goes by fast for me. The crowd support is amazing. One of the best out there.

Running down 10 street almost to the finish line.

After the race, I met up with some of my running friends from the Suwanee Big Peach Running group for a quick photo.

Then I met up with Jen and Brandi for a quick photo and since I had not received my medal yet,  Jen was kind enough to let me get a photo with it on.

Here is the finisher's shirt that every participate receives. I love not knowing what design won until I open up my race bag and see the shirt after the race.

Here's a close up of the commemorative medal that you can order or buy at the expo.

Peachtree Road Race #11 will be here before I know. I am excited to run it again this year. I'll also get to see my Mom finish her 10th.

2014 Atlanta 10 Miler Recap

After the Michelob 13.1, I decided I would sign up for the Atlanta 10 Miler. I wanted to run it last year, but had already made plans to spectate the Atlanta Halloween Half.

October 26th came before I knew it. I thought I was prepared for it especially after running 8 miles the weekend before, but on my last run before the race I noticed some pain in my IT Band.

Because of my injury, I went into the race with a game plan. If I felt any discomfort or pain, I would stop and walk some.

The race started at 7:40 (10 minutes after it was suppose to because of a car accident on the major highway near by).

Miles 1-6 were rolling hills. Some worse than others.

At mile 7, we turned onto Peachtree St to enter into the Mizuno Cardiac Hill Challenge. If you aren't familiar with Cardiac Hill, its a gradual hill that takes place south of Piedmont Hospital and the Shepherd Center. Unfortunately for us this challenge took place a little further down the road from Cardiac Hill. I guess they wanted it to last a full mile. Not sure but the first hill was definitely not Cardiac Hill. We finally finished the challenge at mile 8. Only 2 miles to go!

The last two miles went by fast and before I knew it I was crossing the finish line. I didn't run as fast as I would have liked, but I can't complain too much about the time.

Official time : 1:37:15

Slacker

I noticed today that I have been slacking on recaps. My most recent one is done I just need to add some photos. The other two...well, I really don't remember the races, but I will try my best. I am hoping in 2015 I won't be so busy that I can blog about my running.

Here's a little update on myself...

I am currently done running my big races for 2014. I may even be done racing for the year. Not sure yet. I did do a lot this year. I really challenged my body more than I had planned on doing.

I am hoping to take it easy next year. I do have two half marathons scheduled earlier in the year, but after that...I may just stick to running when I feel like it. Let's face it...I miss loving to run. Yes, training for races gets me out the door, but it also seems like a job at times. I am constantly having to plan stuff around my training or races. Plus it expensive. I would like to try and save some next year. Fingers crossed I can do just that.

So what's on your running schedule for the rest of 2014?

2014 Hotlanta Half Race Recap

This race really lived up to its name. It goes with the Big Peach RunAtl shirt which says "Heat, Hills, Humidity".

Since the race starts and finishes at Underground Atlanta, Mike and I decided instead of taking Marta that we would just drive down and park in one of the local parking garages.

Shortly after we arrived Brandi and her Mom, Karen, showed up. We hung out with them for a bit before I went over to meet my running group from Suwanee Big Peach.

Twenty minutes until race time we got a big group photo near the start line.

Race started right at 7:30

I decided I was going to run with a bunch of my Suwanee Big Peach friends. I normally like running alone but with this race I decided to do things a bit different. :)

Since Paula was doing intervals, I decided I would stick with her. I wasn't about time for this race. I just wanted to go out there and have fun.

First half of the race was went pretty well, but the second half of the race was an up hill battle. I will say I probably cursed every hill after Piedmont Park.

Paula and I decided that if the hills were too much that we would walk them.

Before we knew it we were at mile 12, but unfortunately for us we had an up hill finish...

The course was a little short. Our GPS watches were on spot until the Beltline. Not sure what happened after that.

We finished with a time of 2:19 which is a lot faster than Paula had planned.

After the race, we got a photo of some of the Suwanee Big Peach finishers with our medals on...

Amanda and I after the race.

One thing I loved about this race is the spinner medal and shirt. :)

Will I do this race again? Not sure. It was HOT out there. Running a half in August is a bit crazy if you ask me.

Spartan Race Series + Spartan Cruise + Spartan Race Entry Giveaway!!!

Have you heard NBC Sports has picked up the Spartan Race Series? The World Championship on Sept 20th!

Reebok Spartan Race Television Schedule: (All times ET)

DATE	RACE LOCATION	NETWORK	TIME
Tues., July 22	Tuxedo, N.Y.	NBCSN	11 p.m.
Tues., August 19	Palmerton, Pa.	NBCSN	9 p.m.
Sat., September 13	Washougal, Wash.	NBCSN	2 p.m.
Tues., September 23	Amesbury, Mass.	NBCSN	10 p.m.
Sat., October 25	Wintergreen, Va.	NBCSN	12:30 p.m.
Sun., November 16	Killington, Vt.	NBC	3 p.m.

Also, announcing the Reebok Spartan Race Spartan Cruise Sweepstakes! 

• No purchase necessary. 
• Open to US residents only. 

Winner will receive a trip for two including airfare, a 3 day Spartan Cruise, and an entry into the ultimate tropical island Spartan Race! To enter that sweepstakes: Click here!

The cruise is set to set sail March 6-9, 2015. You depart from the Port of Miami and arrive in Great Strirrup Cay, Bahamas.


And now for the Spartan Race giveaway. I have been given one entry to give away for any of the 2014 US Events. Not sure what the Spartan Race is? Not a problem. Click here to read about it on a previous blog entry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don't want to wait until the giveaway ends, I have been given a 10% off code to share with my readers: SPARTANBLOGGER


Giveaway information and disclaimer:  The giveaway starts at 12:00 am EST on Wednesday, September 3rd and ends at 12:00 am EST on Wednesday, September 10th.  Open to US residents.  Winner will be picked at random by Rafflecopter. I will contact the winner and they will have 48 hours to respond to me with their mailing address. I was not compensated for this giveaway.  All opinions are my own.

Tails on the Trails 5K Recap

The race took place at a local park near me, Tribble Mill Park on May 31st. This was my first time running at this park. I knew from talking to a few people that it wasn't going to be an easy race. Of course, not every race is easy, right?

I love doing races that helps raise money for a good cause, so when I found out about this race I really wanted to run it.

It's put on by the You Lucky Dog Rescue. Here's a little information on them taken from their website: "You lucky dog rescue is a IRC 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue of homeless and abandoned dogs from the high-kill shelters of North Georgia. We believe it is our moral responsibility to save, protect, and improve the lives of these dogs through the help of committed volunteers, foster homes, donors, local veterinarians, and trainers. We strive to re-introduce these dogs to society, assess their individual needs, and provide them with a loving temporary home while matching them with only the best, carefully screened forever homes."

I arrived at the park about an hour before the race to get my race number and shirt. 

I met up my friends Carolyn, her husband, Dwight, and Jen before the race. We all talked before it was time to make our way over to the start line.

Race started a few minutes after 8. 

I loved the course minus the hills. If you know me, you know I am not a hill person. Yes, I am aware I have done a few hilly half marathons in GA. :)

I kept telling myself to take it easy and whatever I do -- DO NOT STOP ON A HILL. It worked. I pushed through them. Before I knew it was making my way to the finish line. 

Right before I crossed the finish line

Since we didn't have timing chips on our bibs, they called out our times as we crossed the finish line and handed us a card to fill out. When I put my card in my age group bin, I noticed that I was the second one. I was pretty sure that I had placed but I was trying not to get my hopes up. Sure enough....I placed!

27:34 was my official time. Second in my age group.

My friends, Jen, Carolyn and her husband, Dwight placed in their age groups as well. :)

And as always the finisher's shirt....

The next recap to come out will be the Peachtree Road Race. :)

Hotlanta Half

Well, I did it again. While at the Peachtree Road Race Expo, I signed up for half marathon #4. I will be running the Hotlanta Half on August 24th.

Fingers crossed that I am prepared for this race that is less than 7 weeks away. :)

Also, look for a race recap of the Peachtree Road Race soon (hopefully next week).

Hope everyone had a great 4th!

2014 Dirty Spokes: Georgia Peach Jam Half Marathon Recap

This half took place over on the Big Creek Greenway over in Cumming, GA on April 19th.

Back in February I was going back and forth with myself if I was going to do this half or not. It would be almost a month after doing the Georgia Publix Half so I knew I wouldn't have to worry about training too much. So during the last of the snow storm I decided I was going to bite the bullet and sign up.

The course is flat with a few little inclines but nothing too crazy. Very manageable.

Race week rolls around and I immediately start checking out the weather. We had been having some warmer days but since Georgia does have bi-polar weather I just wanted to be prepared for anything. Of course, the forecast was calling for rain. That wasn't the big issue. The issue was the greenway. Most of the time when it rains A LOT the greenways here in Georgia tend to flood since they are usually near creeks.

Friday rolled around and the race was still on even though the rain was coming down. I knew no matter what I was going to get soaked and have some mud on me.

So I laid out my outfit for the next day really hoping that it would stop raining so we could get this half marathon over with.

Woke up bright and early race day to make sure I got there in time to get my number, shirt, and to get ready mentally for the half.

It was still raining some but not crazy. Only thing we were going to have to worry about were the slippery boardwalks (which I didn't find to be very slippery) and the mud/puddles.

After getting my number and shirt, I found Brandi. She and I walked around for a bit until Jen got there then it was time for us to line up and get ready for the half.

We kind of all started around the same area. I am normally more up in the front of the pack, but seeing how this was going to be a slippery/muddy race I had planned on just taking it easy and having fun.

I started off a bit slow but that was the plan. I took it easy until most of the crowd thinned out.

The course wasn't bad at all as far as water goes except for one area that had a few puddles. I somehow managed not to get muddy on the first time through but on my way back I had no choice but to go through some of the mud. 

I was feeling pretty good about myself all the way through the race. I only started getting tired around mile 10 so that's when I decided I would go ahead and eat some jelly beans.

Before I knew it I was making my way up a small hill before turning onto the track to do my last little bit of the half.

When I saw the race clock I knew I was going to PR. I was really hoping I could have finished under an two hours, but I will take what I can.

Official time: 2:03. I took 4 minutes off my first half marathon time. :)

Once I got my medal I was able to see the damage of what I went through on the course. 

After we had all finished the half marathon we got a group photo before taking off to Dutch Monkey to get some yummy doughnuts.

Finisher's shirt. :) We decided the logo kind of looked like the Crush Orange Soda logo. What do you think?

Cute little 13.1 sticker they gave us. I added the "finisher" part.

Yummy doughnuts after running 13.1. :)

June: Last Month of PRR Training 2014

Holy cow! It's the last month of training for the Peachtree Road Race. Hard to believe I am so close to running my favorite 10K!! :)

Here is the June schedule:

4 miles - June 3rd

6 miles - June 5th

2 miles - June 7th or 8th

5 miles - June 10th

3 miles - June 12th

3 miles - June 14th or 15th

2 miles -  June 17th

5 miles - June 19th

10K Race - Possum Trot - June 21st

3 miles - June 24th

4 miles - June 26th

5 miles - June 28th or 29th

3 miles - July 1st

2 miles - July 2nd (Last Day of Training for the Peachtree Race!!)

2014 Chattahoochee Challenge 10K Recap

This takes place on the same course as the Possum Trot (which I ran in June of 2013). I knew this would be the only race I could actually run to get a great qualifying time for the AJC Peachtree Road Race.

In June, I set a new time for the Peachtree but I was really wanting to try to get an even higher wave group.

So on February 8th, I set out to hopefully get a 50 minute 10K time for the Peachtree.

It was a cold morning so I wasn't sure how I was going to handle it seeing how I do a lot better when its a bit warmer out.

Immediately from the start I knew the race was going to be a long one. I felt so off for whatever reason, which isn't normal for me. I decided to brush it aside and hope that once I warmed up that I would be fine.

This is when I knew it was going to be a long race

At around mile 2 or 3, I could tell everything but my left leg wasn't warmed up. I stopped to walk briefly a little after mile 4 in hopes that I could somehow shake my leg loose.

I was fighting with myself the whole time. I knew I was making great time. My pace was faster than I was wanting it to be but for some reason I wasn't able to slow myself down Crazy how that works, huh?

Just before mile 5, I stopped one more time to stretch before running the rest of the way. As soon as I passed Mike, Katie, and Jen at the finish line, I met up with another runner who was also trying to get through the next 1.2 miles. We decided we would run the rest of it together.

Once we knocked the hill out we finally made it back around to mile 6. At this point in the race I was at 50 minutes. I knew I needed 50:59 to move up to the next wave, but I also knew there was no way I was going to be able to run the last .2 miles that fast.

I crossed the finish line with an official time of 51:31. I am hoping that they will move me up to the next wave because I am so close, but if they don't I will gradually take wave C.

Finisher's shirt!

After the race Jen, Katie, Brandi, Karen (Brandi's Mom), Mike, and I all went out for brunch afterwards.We also celebrated Brandi's 30th birthday. :)

My running family! :)

Back to Running

Quick update:


Decided on Thursday that I was going to go for a 3 mile run with my local running group. It was a slow run for me, but my foot/toe felt great. I am so happy I have finally healed.  Hoping this never happens again. :)

Back to training for the Peachtree Road Race!

May: Second Month of PRR Training 2014

Thankfully no half marathons during this month to mess up my schedule.  :) Fingers crossed that I stay injury free this month as well.

Hard to believe it's May. This year is FLYING by. Slow down please!!

Here's the schedule so far for May:

2 miles - May 2nd

2 miles - May 4th

5 miles - May 6th

6 miles - May 8th

3 miles - May 10th or 11th

2 miles - May 13th

3 miles - May 15th

3 miles - May 17th or 18th

6 miles - May 20th

7 miles - May 22nd

6 miles - May 24th or 25th

4 miles - May 27th

3 miles - May 29th

3 miles - May 31st

April: First Month of PRR Training 2014

This month is kind of crazy since I have a half marathon on the 19th. I am probably going to take a week off after the half but since I am still not sure I will list what I am suppose to do just in case I want to get out there for some slow recovery runs.

Here is my training runs for April:

2 miles - April 9th

3 miles -April 11th

5 miles - April 13th or 14th

2 miles - April 15th

2 miles - April 17th

Half Marathon - April 19th

4 miles - April 23rd

5 miles - April 25th

3 miles - April 27th or 28th

4 miles - April 30th

2014 Spartan Race Winner!

Congrats Meg P. You are the winner of the Spartan Race race entry. I will be emailing you shortly with the code.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks to everyone else who entered my giveaway. If you are still interested in running it, please go to the following link for a 15% off code.