March 23, 2014   

Luckie 5K   

Goals: To finish?  To exceed personal best of 25:23   

In December, a friend who is an experienced marathon runner challenged me to do the Publix Half-Marathon in March.  I had just finished a two-month training period to prepare for my first 10K in the Eastside Beltline race, and was quite certain that I wasn't ready to double again my mileage, at least not that quickly.  But seeing that there was a 5K associated with the half-marathon and marathon races, I registered for the Luckie 5K, named for the Luckie district in downtown Atlanta.  In the meantime, I completed an intense schedule of an 8K, a 10K, and four 5K races.  The plantar fasciitis in the left heel was nearly healed, but in recent weeks I began to feel some muscle soreness in the right calf, which worsened in the week leading up to the Luckie 5K.  I cut short a mid-week workout, and was careful to ice down the calf on several occasions in the days immediately before the Luckie 5K event.  

Awakening early in the morning of the race, I carefully stretched at home, before driving to the nearest MARTA station at Indian Creek and boarding the train for downtown Atlanta at 5:20 am.  (Thanks MARTA staff for opening up an hour earlier than usual!)  The man across the aisle from me was 75 years old and was competing in the marathon.  Arriving at the destination station shortly before 6 am, I eagerly joined the other runners through the gate, up the escalators, and around Philips Arena to enter Centennial Olympic Park, the staging area for the race.  Over the next hour, the excitement built further as other runners joined us in the park.  But almost everyone was wearing a half-marathon bib, and there were definitely more marathoners in sight than Luckie 5K joggers.  I found myself feeling a bit of inferiority complex, like I was preparing to run a Tot Trot.  But I gamely watched the marathoners and half-marathoners gather in the corrals shortly before the 7:00 am start, hoping that I would be able to join them in 2015.  I had debated whether or not I should wear a light jacket over my short-sleeved running shirt, given the temperature of 55 Fahrenheit degrees, but decided that I wanted the protection if it rained later in the race.  This proved to be a wise decision, for a different reason: shortly before the start, a strong wind began blowing from the northwest.  I would have been really uncomfortable if I had not had the jacket. 

In Centennial Olympic Park, ca. 6:20 am

The start of the marathon / half-marathon, 7:00 am

The marathon / half-marathon race began precisely at 7:00 am, although it took more than 15 minutes for the final group (corral N) to reach the starting line.  Then it was our turn, for the Luckie 5K, as the first light of dawn brightened the early morning sky.  My inferiority complex largely evaporated as we gathered on Marietta Street.  A group of athletic-looking men were clearly vying for a starting position at the front of the pack.  Entering the middle of the starting corral, I was quickly surrounded by a rather large group, probably on the order of a thousand runners, with similar distribution of serious athletes as in the best 5K races that I've run to date.  The announcer treated our race just as seriously as he had the marathon and half-marathon, which I really appreciated.  We even had a VIP address: the lieutenant governor, Casey Cagle, congratulated us on exemplifying the "Healthy Georgians" initiative, and announced that he would be joining our race.  

Shortly before the start of the 5K, ca. 7:25 am

After the lieutenant governor's short address, the 5K runners moved up to the starting line.  I was in the middle of the pack (once again), but given my sore calf, I decided that was a good place to start, just in case I could not really run properly.  After receiving an all-clear from the marathon monitors, the wheelchair racers took off a few seconds after 7:30 am.  The announcer gave them a 2-minute headstart, and then our race began, precisely at 7:32 am. 

The first kilometer: It took a full minute to reach the starting line.  I started RunHelper about 10 meters behind the line (so that my arm would not block my bib this time!), and started a jog as I crossed the starting line.  I cautiously tested the right calf, and was immediately relieved.  Although the calf was sore, it felt like it probably wouldn't slow me down too badly.  The first several hundred meters were slow as usual, but it gave me a good opportunity to begin with caution and gradually increase speed.  It wasn't until crossing Peachtree Street that I passed the last walkers and could run unimpeded.  The road was slightly downhill, and so I took advantage of the easy start to speed up before completing the first kilometer.  Knowing that the final stage of the race would return up this mild hill, now was the opportunity to make good time.  As I ran through the underpass at Georgia State University, the one kilometer alert sounded at 5:19.  That was not a personal record-setting pace, but a good start considering that I was running two minutes faster than four days earlier, when the calf muscle had kept me from getting up to speed. 

The second kilometer:  One block later, we turned left onto Piedmont Street.  The route was level or slightly downhill, and I was able to make really great time, past the outlying buildings and parking garages for Georgia State and Grady Memorial Hospital.  Crossing Edgewood, I noticed trolley tracks in the street and recalled reading something about a streetcar line returning to downtown Atlanta.  At Edgewood, Piedmont Street turned due north.  The route was still easy.  For a race that starts and finishes in nearly the same area, every runner should know that "what goes down, must come up." (Isn't that sort of like the lyrics of a song from ca. 1970?)  So I slightly leaned forward to extend my stride and take maximum advantage of the gentle downhill stretches.  I was occasionally passing other runners, was occasionally passed, but felt that I was doing well overall.  I passed the one-mile marker with the clock showing 9:05 minutes, which subtracting a minute before crossing the starting line, would put me at about an 8 minute per mile pace.  Not bad at all.  Crossing Ellis Street, the alert for completing the second kilometer sounded at 10:03 elapsed, 4:44 for the second kilometer, average pace right at 5 minutes per kilometer. 

The third kilometer:  The road continued downhill for one more block to Andrew Young International Boulevard, where we turned left.  By reviewing the elevation map in advance (and having driven this way into downtown Atlanta on many occasions), I already knew that the road would be uphill, and maintained a good pace.  Fortunately this was only one block, and our route would not take us up the steepest part of International Blvd to Peachtree Street.  I intentionally stayed well to the right of a water station on the corner of International and Courtland Street, planning not to stop for a water break in such a short race (although as soon as I passed, I realized that my mouth was starting to feel a little dry...), and made the left turn onto Courtland, heading due south, back toward Georgia State.  The road continued to go uphill, but fortunately the hill was not very steep, so it was managed without much difficulty.  Levelling out again, the alert for completing the third kilometer sounded as I crossed the trolley tracks again.  15:20 elapsed, 5:17 for the third kilometer.  I was really pleased, as most of that kilometer had been uphill. 

The fourth kilometer:  As Courtland turned slightly to the right at Edgewood, we reentered the campus of Georgia State.  I recognized Sparks Hall as one of the GSU buildings adjacent to chemistry, as the road went uphill to the overpass over Decatur Street.  I knew beforehand that this would be the hardest part of the race.  Although I felt myself slow down a bit, I was happy that my conditioning allowed me to pass quite a few other runners in this section.  I passed the two-mile marker showing 17 minutes and some seconds.  Had I really slowed down that much?  Then I remembered to subtract a full minute due to the delay in crossing the starting line.  The golden dome of the state capitol building appeared ahead and to the left, but I could hardly take more than a quick glance at the grounds of the capitol as we turned right onto Martin Luther King Drive.  After one short block we turned right again, onto Central Avenue.  This stretch was, surprisingly, also uphill for the first block, even though we would be rejoining Decatur Street just one block from its underpass.  At the top of the hill, I realized that the toughest part of the race was (probably) over for good, as we passed the entrance to Atlanta's tourist trap Underground Atlanta.  The four kilometer alert sounded as I made the left turn onto Decatur Street, to the finish line.  20:42 elapsed, 5:22 for the fourth kilometer.  Another good stretch even with the uphill sections.  

The fifth and final kilometer:  I recognized the old Science Building at GSU as I made the turn onto Decatur.  The right calf was a bit sore and I was a little tired, but was feeling stronger than in other races at this stage.  I think that it was because there were no difficult uphill stretches.  Of course this last section was uphill, but not severely so.  I tried to find the intersection with Peachtree Street, where Decatur Street changes names to Marietta Street, but somehow didn't pick up on the fact that I had passed through Five Points, traditionally regarded as the center of Atlanta, until I could see that the street was labelled Marietta St.  I think that it is because the park at Five Points is at the intersection of Peachtree with Edgewood, rather than Peachtree with Decatur and Marietta Streets.  How many more blocks to Centennial Olympic Park?  Then I saw the sign for CNN Tower ahead and to my left, and that spurred me on.  Everyone in my area was running a little faster, sensing that the end of the race was near, and I could hear the voice of the announcer.  I spotted the starting line, ran through it, and turned right for the final dash to the finish line inside Centennial Olympic Park.  As I cleared the intersection, the announcer was calling out names of runners, and then I heard my name called as I neared the finish line.  I smiled and raised my arms in the air.  Very nice touch on the part of the organizers!  I crossed the finish line, seeing a time just short of 27 minutes.  Substracting a minute, I was pleased to realize that I finished in about 26 minutes, maybe a few seconds under.  Later I determined that I finished the last kilometer in 5:17. 

Postrace:  The volunteers were great, handing out finisher medals, water, a light wrap, and then inside the park, cheering us as we received a snack pack.  The right calf began to stiffen up, so I stretched out both legs before devouring the contents of the snack pack.  While I waited for Bonnie to arrive downtown, and for friends to finish the half-marathon (which they both did, in just under 2 hours) I watched some of the earliest finishers in the half-marathon.  Although some runners looked fairly strong at the end, most looked pretty beaten up after 13.1 miles.   Hmm, maybe I should think carefully about whether I really want to take on a half-marathon.  After the two hour mark had passed, I walked to Marietta Street just north of Centennial Olympic Park, to look for Bonnie as well as watching for the winner of the marathon.  More than a few runners were limping, although the appearance of their faces was generally a little better, probably due to the slower pace.  Shortly after 2-1/2 hours, the winner of the marathon breezed by the rest of the pack in a dedicated lane.  I attempted to take a photo, but my phone discharged at the very moment!  Fortunately I had brought a charger battery and so I wasn't out of touch for long.  I finished the morning with brunch at the Ritz-Carlton, with Bonnie and our friends who had completed the half-marathon.  They will be running in the Boston Marathon next month, so today's race was just another training day for them.  

Goal: To finish?  Achieved! even with a sore calf

Goal: To exceed personal best of 25:23:  25:59 official time    

http://www.usroadsports.com/Signature/Georgia/

March 16, 2014: My weight loss journey

Goal: To get my weight down to a healthier level      

Today's post isn't about a race.  Instead, today I officially reached my weight loss goal, and we celebrated with my Weight Watchers group this morning!  When I started on January 27, 2013, I weighed 226.8 lbs.  It was a very happy day in mid-summer 2013 when I dropped below 200 pounds for the first time in more than a decade.  This morning I weighed in at 170.8 lbs!  Admittedly I was wearing the lightest clothes possible, but that still counts.  My goal now is to stay in the range of 170 - 174 lbs for the next six weeks, and then I will qualify as a Lifetime member in the Weight Watchers program.

The keys to success:

1) Tracking what I have been eating.  Before joining Weight Watchers, there were many days in which I was eating twice as many calories as I needed.  With the Weight Watchers tools, I've learned to eat in a way that gives myself time to feel satisfied.  That may take several minutes after finishing a small meal, but in most cases giving myself those few minutes is enough.  And if I get hungry between meals, I eat fruit as a natural and healthy snack, which I don't have to track.  I haven't given up too many things, I just eat less of those favorite foods.  For instance, with dessert, often it's the first bite, that first taste, that is the best.  The remaining bites are just calories.

2) The Weight Watchers group.  Each week I meet consistently with a group of fellow weight watchers, where I've learned many tips on losing weight, maintaining weight loss, and living a healthier and active lifestyle.  Having a consistent group of people on the same journey, several of whom are becoming friends, has been extremely helpful to staying on track.

3) Bonnie.  My lovely wife is taking this journey with me.  We're accountable to each other, and talk each other out of less-than-ideal choices.  We're both enjoying significant improvements in our health, our appearance, and our attitude.

4) Running, especially running with good form.  I detest the cycling machine, the treadmill, the elliptical cross-trainer.  When I belonged to L.A. Fitness, exercising was an ordeal to get through.  In the beginning, running was the same.  But after I took a class in Good Form Running at the Big Peach Running Company, my attitude about running completely changed.  Now I think of skills to work on with each run, whether it is maintaining a steady pace, a consistent speed for each kilometer, or a distance goal, as well as maintaining good form.  I've also avoided serious injury, and my cardiovascular fitness has substantially improved.

With Weight Watchers, it's a lifestyle, not a diet.  I'm confident that it's a lifestyle that I can maintain.  But it's up to me.  Wish me luck!

Goal: To get my weight down to a healthier level:  Achieved! 

Goal: BMI range for my height = 139 - 174 lbs:  Achieved! 

Addendum, May 4, 2014:  Today I officially reached Lifetime status with WeightWatchers, having checked in for six consecutive weeks within 2.0 lbs of the goal weight of 172 lbs.

March 15, 2014:   

TOUR deCATUR 5K    

Goals: To improve on my personal record of 25:23; to have fun running a race that I selected on short notice   

I noticed the Tour deCatur race only a couple of days ago, but it looked like a nice route through residential neighborhoods adjacent to downtown Decatur.  A participant in the 2011 race gave it a nice review on roadraceplace.com.  Moreover, they accepted race-day registration, whereas the registration period for the Atlanta St. Patrick's Day 5K had closed by the time that I was looking at activities for this weekend.

When I went to sleep Friday evening, I wasn't sure that I was going to run a race, when I could just as easily run a casual training route for free.  But when I awakened early on Saturday morning, I was motivated to run a competitive race that morning, as long as everything felt good after stretching.  By 6:30 am I had finished breakfast, having plenty of time to fully digest before the 9:15 am start.  I left the house shortly after 8:00 am, and had parked in downtown Decatur by 8:30.  It took me a few minutes to find the registration area, but the same-day registration table was staffed by a few volunteers who kindly assisted me and a few other late registrants with signing up and getting our race bib.

Note to self: Now I know why advance registration is recommended.  It takes much more time for the volunteers to assist with on-site registration, on top of handing out race bibs, T-shirts, and answering questions from the other registrants.  My immense thanks to the volunteers for your patience and good humor!  But I will resolve to register ahead of time in the future, to make it easier on me and the volunteers.

The 5K was preceded by a 1-mile fun run, with children and parents coming to the finish line on the 50-yard line of the Decatur High School football stadium.  This was the first time that I had seen artificial turf on a high school playing field.  Anyway the announcer was encouraging and congratulating the 1-mile runners, setting a great mood for a fun morning.  (I wish that I had been involved in events like this when I was a child!)

Shortly after 9 am, the 5K runners were encouraged to move to the starting area, in the middle of Commerce Drive, looking north.  I could see that this was going to be a very large field, with a mix of children and adults, especially entire families running together.  I gradually worked my way forward to about 25 meters in back of the starting line, among runners who looked like they could all finish in less than 30 minutes, and with most of the field behind me.  9:15 am passed, and shortly afterwards, the pack began to move forward, and the race was on!

The first kilometer:  Even with good runners ahead of me, we got off to a very slow start.  This was due primarily to the large field, and no one was obviously holding up the pace.  I've been warned that the Peachtree Road Race will be like this.  We turned the corner at West Trinity Place, across the street from the courthouse, then a right turn at North McDonough Street.  A band was playing in front of Decatur High School.  Although we had both southbound lanes of the four-lane street, the field was still crowded.  There were quite a few children among the runners in front of me, most of whom were running at a good pace.  But one boy suddenly stopped in front of me to look back for a friend or family member, and I just managed to avoid running him down!  I did not get up to full speed until turning again onto West Howard Avenue.  Nonetheless I finished the first kilometer in 5:57.  I was going to have to make up some speed if I would have any chance of setting a new personal record, and figured that this would be a fun run.

The second kilometer:  Finally I was running at my usual pace, as we turned into the residential neighborhood on Patillo Way.  But then disaster struck!  The shoelaces on the right foot were flapping around.  For a couple of seconds I wondered if I could run with an untied shoe, but decided (especially with other runners around) that it would be much too hazardous to continue running without retying the shoe.  So reluctantly I stepped off of the street into a front yard to retie my shoe, as quickly as possible.  10 seconds lost?  Definitely a fun run now.  I rejoined the group as we turned onto Greenwood Circle, then following the path curving onto Ridley Lane, and a left turn onto Hibernia Avenue.  At least the route had been fairly easy to this stage, without any serious uphill sections, and on occasion we passed local residents cheering on the runners from their front yards.  As we passed the 1-mile mark, a volunteer was calling out times: 9:15.  Disappointing, considering that I was trying to achieve an 8-minute mile.  Fun run.  I reached the end of the second kilometer at 11:21 elapsed, 5:24 for the second kilometer.  At least my pace was good, even with stopping to retie the shoe.

The third kilometer:  As we turned back onto West Howard Avenue, the road was noticeably uphill.  I managed to put the lessons of good form running into practice, and passed quite a few runners in this section, keeping up a good pace, as I passed the mid-point of the race.  The quarter-kilometer alerts indicated that I was shaving off seconds from the slow start, which was encouraging, with the average pace dropped below 5:30 per kilometer.  As we turned the corner onto Drexel Avenue, the road turned gently downhill.  For the first time, I had enough energy to stretch my stride and take advantage of the downhill section, without any discomfort on my toes.  In fact I passed quite a few runners in this section!  I practically sailed down the street, immensely enjoying myself in this stage of the race.  I flew past the end of the third kilometer at 16:15 elapsed, 4:54 for the third kilometer.  I think that this was probably the fastest that I had run this far into a race.

The fourth kilometer:  Drexel Avenue began to level out as we reached the water station.  I slowed to accept a cup, took a couple of sips and then a full mouthful of water, which I slowly swallowed while resuming my pace.  We approached the two-mile marker, where a volunteer called out 17:15.  So I definitely made up some time in that second mile.  We turned onto Emerson Avenue, which was slightly uphill, and this time I felt the increase in elevation.  A couple of runners passed me here, which motivated me to pick up my knees as we turned onto Adair Street.  We made a quick turn onto West Ponce De Leon Street, then dashed onto West Trinity Place for the final stretch into downtown Decatur.  Here the road turned downhill again, although I didn't feel that I was sailing as freely as I had on Drexel Avenue.  Nonetheless I finished the fourth kilometer at 21:13 elapsed, 4:58 for the fourth kilometer.

Subsequently I found a video of highlights of the event.  I make a very brief appearance at 3:01.  I'm assuming that it's later in the race because I look a bit tired in the video:

https://vimeo.com/117453832

The fifth kilometer and finish:  The road began to level out and then back uphill as we approached downtown Decatur.  The county courthouse was placed on top of a hill, I suppose to give the rulers a sense of their power over their subjects.  I was feeling tired, but knew that I could do reasonably well if I didn't slow down.  With a right turn onto North McDonough Street, the volunteers were encouraging us "Not much further!" and I could hear the announcer from the stadium.  But everyone around me was also encouraged.  As we turned right in front of Decatur High School, I was suddenly passed by several runners, making a strong finish by taking advantage of the downhill grade.  I shook my head as they passed me, disappointed that I couldn't muster a kick of my own.  But then through the gate, and onto the field!  I ran as fast as I could manage past the spectators lining this final path, and as I crossed the finish line, I saw 26:10 on the clock.  Practically the same time as my finish in the Dental Dash last weekend!  What might I have accomplished if I did not have to stop to tie my shoe?!   My official time was actually 26:09, with 4:56 elapsed for the final kilometer.  That was definitely my fastest finishing kilometer ever.

Epilogue:  The results were posted shortly by early afternoon (thanks sdracetiming.com!).  I was pleased to see that I finished 172 out of 1278 finishers, and 6th out of 35 in my age group.  This was the largest field to date for me.  Although my times were similar to most of my other 5K times, I was very pleased that I did well with the later kilometers of the race.  If I can strategically develop a slower start and save more energy at the beginning, so that I run a more consistent pace throughout the race, that will probably help me improve overall.

I drove out of the parking lot at the same time that the police were leaving.  On the police motorcycle in front of me, a small sign attached to the rear fender read: "Smile!  I could have been behind you."

Goal: To improve on my personal record of 25:23:  26:09 

Goal: To have fun running a race that I selected on short notice:  Achieved! 

http://def.xorbia.com/tour-decatur-road-race 

http://www.rungeorgia.com/tourdecatur.html 

March 8, 2014: 

Dental Dash at Dawn 5K    

Goal: To improve on my personal record of 25:23  

I learned about this race about a month ago, when I visited my dentist for routine cleaning and checkup.  She had postcards at the front desk advertising this 5K race and fundraiser, organized by the DDD Foundation (Dentistry for the Developmentally Disabled).  In addition to supporting this important cause, I was attracted by the race route, starting and finishing in the historic Old Fourth Ward Park, circling through the Poncey-Highlands and Inman Park neighborhoods surrounding the Carter Center and Presidential Library.  As this neighborhood was also the home of Martin Luther King, the emcee noted that this was one of the few places in the world that was home to two Nobel Peace Prizes.

The start and first kilometer:  The race began promptly at 8:00 am on the sidewalk overlooking the Old Fourth Ward Park.  We quickly made it to North Avenue, and turned due east.  After crossing under the Beltline overpass, we encountered the first of four hills.  I had resolved to attack the hills strongly, and passed a few runners on the first two hills, reaching the large intersection with Freedom Parkway at the first kilometer mark.  4:57 for the first kilometer, which was exactly what I had planned.

ca. 30 seconds before the race.  I probably could have started a little closer to the line, as there are more than 24 people in front of me.  But I didn't know how well I would do over the next 26 minutes! 

The second kilometer:  Two more hills on North Avenue: I started to slow down, and at least one person that I had passed earlier went ahead of me.  He was wearing the red Eastside Beltline 10K shirt from December 2013.  But finally we reached the top of the last hill, approaching Highland Avenue at the end of the first mile.  This was the major attraction of the race: the hardest part would be at the beginning when everyone was fresh.  I had never before appreciated that Highland Avenue is truly on the high land.  We turned south at Highland Avenue, at Manuel's Tavern, a longstanding Atlanta institution famous as a meeting place for DeKalb County politicians.  As I approached Freedom Parkway for the second time, there was a fairly large gap between me and the runners ahead of me, and the police let a few cars through the intersection before stopping them again for me (Thanks!).  5:34 for the second kilometer, 10:31 elapsed.

The third kilometer:  This section entered the Inman Park neighborhood, with century-old homes lining the right side of Highland Avenue, and restaurants along the left side.  I was able to pick up some speed on this downhill section.  I felt like I was leading the pack of second tier runners, and was able to lengthen my stride to take advantage of the gentle downhill route.  We then made a sharp left turn to a steeper downhill section, where I had to slow down a bit to avoid putting all of my weight onto my toes, and after a block turned right to parallel Highland Avenue but at a lower elevation.  This proved to be the fastest stretch of my race, 4:49 for the third kilometer, and 15:20 elapsed.  Just over a 5 minute per kilometer pace, which was probably not going to be fast enough to break my personal record.

The fourth kilometer:  At the 3 km mark, the route turned onto Elizabeth Street for a short uphill stretch.  The left side of the block is now a huge construction project, replacing a 70's-style small business development.  I made good time up the hill to the intersection with Highland Avenue, with Fritti Restaurant on the right corner, one of my favorite authentic Italian pizza restaurants.  Turning left onto Highland, the route was uphill again.  As we neared Parish Restaurant, I had never realized that Parish was on a hill!  Actually it's the overpass crossing the Beltline, but Highland Avenue continued at that elevation crossing Freedom Parkway with the ever-popular Highland Bakery to the left.  (Highland Bakery prepared our wedding cake!)  I could feel footsteps behind me for some distance along Highland Avenue, even spying a shadow growing closer to me, and then catching a glimpse of the competition just a few feet behind me.  I finished the fourth kilometer in 5:44, my slowest stretch of this race, with 21:04 elapsed.

The fifth kilometer:  I had not prepared by running the race route ahead of time, and had only driven it once, the previous weekend.  In short I had not studied properly for this race, and I had not realized that all of the hills were NOT at the start!  But as we turned right onto Glen Iris Drive traveling due north, I could see a very gentle downhill stretch.  I had hoped to stay ahead of the competition here, but my competitors also benefited from the effects of gravity at least as much as I did.  I attempted to shift to a higher gear, but could hold off the competitor for only another minute, before she passed me in the first block of Glen Iris (she turned out to be the winner of the female 10-19 age group).  We reached the 3 mile mark after turning into the approach road to the park.  I could sense another runner coming up behind me, but managed to hold her off long enough to cross the finish line one second ahead of her (the winner of the female 50-59 age group).  Hopefully I didn't do anything unethical with my elbows as I reached the finish!  5:05 for the final kilometer, 26:09 official finish time!

I was a little disappointed that I didn't finish in less than 26 minutes, but it was a good and fun course, and one that I will definitely do again.  I didn't appreciate until later that there weren't many finishers in the park ahead of me, and I should have been really happy about that.  However, the organizers had a screen showing the leading times.  The best part was when I realized that I was 2nd in my age group (25th overall out of 206 finishers), and would be bringing home some hardware!  The award ceremony was held in the middle of the park, overlooking the fountain in the water-retention pond.  Participants ranged in age from 8 to 77, with the oldest runner finishing in less than 36 minutes, inspiration for all of the rest of us to keep in shape.

Goal: To improve on my personal record of 25:23:  26:09

Splits: by mile, 8:30; 7:58; 8:54.  My overall pace was 8:25 per mile.

It appears that I've plateaued.  However, when I registered last week for the Peachtree Road Race on July 4, I also signed up for the Peachtree Training program beginning in late April.  I think that another training program will help me improve.

Overall, the fastest kilometers correspond to downhill sections, so at least this time I was able to speed up a bit on the easier sections, unlike the final stage of the Charles Harris 10K.  I also managed to finish every kilometer in less than 6 minutes, consistent with my long-term goal to finish every kilometer at that minimal pace.