October 26, 2014: The Atlanta 10-Miler

Goal C (satisfactory): To finish a race at a new distance

Goal B (good): To finish with the 1:35 pace team

Goal A (dream): To finish in less than 1:30:00

Background:  The Atlanta Track Club cancelled their fall marathon after a low turnout in 2013, and instead has heavily promoted a new route for the 10-mile distance.  Some serious runners are vocally quite disappointed that the Atlanta Marathon has been suspended, but certainly the 10-mile distance will be accessible to many more runners, including me.  It will be my longest distance to date, and a good intermediate challenge between the 10K and a half-marathon. 

The overall race route

After completing the Peachtree Road Race in July, I began planning a training schedule to gradually increase the distance of my long runs.  By the end of September I had reached 9 miles, and finally was confident that I would be able to complete the 10-miler.  Two weeks before the race, I completed two circuits of Stone Mountain, covering 10.11 miles in just under 2 hours, at a comfortable jog taking 30 - 60 second walk breaks at 5-minute intervals.  

The route was announced with quite a bit of fanfare in early August, including a YouTube video of a few sections taken from a bicycle.  I checked out the route by jogging it in two stages on consecutive Saturdays in September.  The bicycle video didn't do the route justice, in terms of some of the nice views at various parts of the route.  

2014 Atlanta 10 Miler Course Preview

When I picked up my race packet on Friday evening, I learned that I was in wave D.  I must have given them a slow estimated time when I registered back in June, perhaps 1:40, although I don't remember.  My training had gone well in the intervening months, and the volunteer was willing to give me a 1:35 pace team bib, but those pacers would be starting in wave C.

The elevation map for the 10-miler

Race day:  I woke up at 3:45 am (alarm was set for 5:00 am) and had plenty of time to stretch before we left the house shortly before 6:00 am.  It was a good thing that we left early, as there was a lot of traffic on the approach ramp to Atlantic Station.  However we managed to park by 6:45 am and had plenty of time to get to the starting area and warm up.  The temperature was in the mid-50's, and as sunrise drew near, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  Since I was in wave D, and I was pretty sure that I could run faster than a 10 minute per mile pace, even for 10 miles, I decided that I could reasonably take a position in the front of the group. The corrals filled up as the time drew near to 7:30.  A couple of Emory graduates including one student who was from my lab were in the back of wave C, so we were able to chat for a few minutes.  I could see the 1:35 pace sign about 200 feet ahead in wave C. 

The start:  The organizers delayed the start for a few minutes, because of the traffic problems outside.  Around 7:40 am, we heard the air horn of the official start.  The waves began moving forward, and by 7:45 am, wave D was approaching the starting line.  The electricity of excitement was rising in our group of runners and we were raring to go!  This was the first time that I was standing right in front, looking down at the electronic strip on the pavement as the race official counted down to the start.  I had originally hoped to catch up with the 1:35 pace group, but with a 2-minute gap between waves, I realized that I would be on my own.  As we waited for the signal to start, I kept telling myself, "Don't start too quickly!  Don't start too quickly!  Don't start too..." and we were off!

That's me in the green cap leading wave D over the starting line!  Thanks to Atlanta Track Club for the photo. 

The first three miles:  As we cleared the starting area, three of us took the lead as we ran down State Street.  After several hundred feet, one fellow opened up a gap as the road went downhill.  The other fellow and I had just enough self-discipline to stay on the pace that we had established, and we let him go.  We were chatting a bit as we ran down the road, in agreement that we needed to save our energy, and we ran together for the first half mile or so.  Amazingly, we soon caught up with the tail end of wave C.  After turning onto 16th Street, I heard the first 5-minute alert: 0.7 miles!  Too fast, although we had been going downhill.  I forced myself to slow down just a bit, and although I passed the mile-1 marker at 8:02, I think that I was probably progressing at a better, more reasonable pace for the last part of that mile.  At the mile-1 marker, we passed the first organized cheering group, Atlanta Roller Girls.  I was far enough to the right so that I was able to exchange some hand slaps with those cheering us.  I resolved that I would try to interact with every cheering group ahead, whether hand slaps or just smiles and waves. 

For the next mile, I was weaving around wave C runners, although there was enough room to do so safely and without throwing off my pace.  Before long, we had dashed up Northside Drive to 17th Street, where we made a right turn to the split for the 5K (to the right) and the 10-mile (to the left).  The first water station was coming up, when I realized that one of my shoelaces was loose!  Not again!!  But at least in a 10-mile race, a short pause probably wouldn't make a difference.  I ran past the water station and the split, then stepped onto the sidewalk.  The laces had become so tangled in the couple of hundred yards that I had run untied, it took a moment to untangle the laces so that I could retie.  I found a safe place to get back on the road and up to speed. 

As I passed the mile-2 marker in 9:02 (17:04 elapsed), Back on My Feet was leading a rousing cheering group and that boosted me after the shoelace fiasco.  Bishop Street was a nice long downhill stretch, and we were all running more-or-less at the same pace.  On Deering Road, we were directed to the left side of the street, and we passed a cheering group from Centennial Place School Foundation.  I was looking to my left as we crossed the overpass for Interstate-75, trying to determine if the drivers could see us (probably not, I decided).  Then to my shock, I saw a runner coming the other way on the right side of the street.  I recognized him from the Memorial Day 10K in Marietta, and he was either the winner of that race or certainly a strong front-runner.  We had covered only 2.5 miles: had he really covered 7.5 miles?!  I was trying to work out the math, even with a 6-minute lead on wave D, but was amazed at the pace he must have been on - if in fact he was actually running our race.  Anyway I reached the mile-3 marker in 8:52 (25:56 elapsed). 

Miles 4 - 8:  I took a walk break through the water stop on 26th Street, and drank an entire cup of Powerade before resuming running speed.  That short break really helped, and I felt completely fresh again.  As we made a brief jaunt up Peachtree Street, in front of the Watershed restaurant, the Ashford Park Run Club, mostly children dressed in Irish green, cheered us on.  I could smell the aroma from Uncle Julio's Mexican restaurant as we turned onto 28th Street.  At this point, a fellow runner complimented me on keeping a steady pace.  Then I realized that he thought that I was the 1:35 pace leader because of the bib on my back.  I had to explain that I wasn't even in the same corral as the 1:35 pace leader, but the runner seemed happy with my progress and told me that he would try to keep up with me.  I warned him that I might slow down on the hills later in the race!  The important thing here is that my fitness was good enough that I could carry on a reasonable conversation while running at a 6 - 7 mile per hour pace.  That was definitely impossible for me one year ago, perhaps even six months ago. On Ardemore Road we reached a fairly steep uphill stretch heading to Collier Road.  I shortened my steps and kept a steady pace, very satisfied to reach the mile-4 marker in 9:13 (35:09 elapsed).  This was about the same pace as I had managed on the relatively flat Cartersville 10K at the beginning of October.  

At the intersection of Collier Road and Overbrook Drive, the Decatur High Bulldog Boosters were cheering us on.  They were a particularly enthusiastic group.  We made the turn onto Northside Drive, heading uphill.  However I could hear the peppy sounds of drums ahead and that kept me running strong.  The Evansdale Foundation was celebrating our approach to the 5-mile marker.  Although it's hard to say for sure who was best cheering group today, this group definitely made the most of their prime position at the midway point.  As we passed the mile-5 marker in 9:12 (44:21 elapsed), I realized that I was actually on pace to finish in 90 minutes.  Also, the overall race clock was reading at 50:00 minutes as I approached.  I realized that it would now be easy to track the rest of my splits, if I was running anything near a 10 minute pace. 

Best of all, I was feeling really strong.  I was able to take advantage of the downhill stage to relax and let my heart rate slightly slow as we jogged towards Peachtree Creek.  We turned onto Peachtree Battle Avenue, passing the FitWit Foundation at the corner.  I reached the mile-6 marker in 9:02 (53:23 elapsed), with the race clock reading ca. 59:30.  Ahead was another water stop.  Here the first group of volunteers was handing out PowerBar Energy Gels.  I slowed to a walk and accepted a double-caffeine gel from the first volunteer, and subsequent volunteers were offering single-caffeine and no-caffeine gels.  I had brought a caffeinated gel that I had planned to take before Peachtree Road, but I decided to take a risk on something new.  I waited until I reached a water / Powerade station, then opened up the gel.  Tangerine flavor, actually pretty good!  I washed it down with a full cup of Powerade, then resumed a running pace.  At this point, a speedster shot past us on the left.  I said to the runners around me "He must have gotten a triple-caffeine gel."  Girls on the Run were cheering us on as we approached Peachtree Road. 

As we turned onto Peachtree Road, we crossed a timing strip.  This was the start of Mizuno's challenge to "Conquer Cardiac Hill."  As we crossed Peachtree Creek, I started to feel some apprehension as to how well I might handle the long uphill stretch ahead.  We started uphill just as we passed the mile-7 marker in 9:27 (62:50 elapsed).  In fact I felt pretty good in this section.  I took my time and ran a steady pace, until I reached a water station midway uphill, and decided to walk through the water station and accepted a cool cup of water.  Then I remembered that I was being timed in this mile and returned to a jog!  The Walton High School cheering group included a bagpipe quartet, which finished playing just as I approached.  I applauded as I passed them, running uphill.  I then saw several scattered groups holding Rockdale Special Olympics signs as we approached Piedmont Hospital.  It seemed to take a long time before we reached the timing strip at the end of the mile, but in fact I completed the Cardiac Hill Challenge in 9:22, which was very good for me.  We passed the Ashford Park Run Club again.  Shortly before reaching the Amtrak Station at Deering Road, I saw the mile-8 marker, in 9:34 (72:24 elapsed).    

Miles 9 and 10:  Near the mile-8 marker, I saw "PRR 4" painted on the pavement, marking the mile-4 marker in the Peachtree Road Race.  I was feeling at least as strong today as I had at the same spot on the road on July 4, even though I had run twice as far today.  I'm so glad that I took the training seriously for this race.  At this stage, I had no doubt that I would finish strong, and would beat my 1:35 goal time.  Now it was just a question of how close I might make it to the 1:30 "dream" time.  Cheers from the Center for Puppetry Arts encouraged us, as they were playing music that sounded like James Brown.  Once we crossed Interstate-75, we began heading uphill.  Turning onto Bishop Street, I carefully stepped over a stream of water, which I supposed must have been runoff from a water stop at the top of the hill.  I slowed down and decided to take a sip from my water bottle at this point.  That buoyed me, along with music from a small combo from the Centennial Place School Foundation, playing an excellent rendition of Michael Jackson's 1980's hit, "Thriller."  The volunteers and cheering groups were increasingly enthusiastic as we approached the top of the hill at Bishop Street.  Near mile-9, one of the members of my Weight Watchers group spotted me, called out my name and cheered me on.  I smiled and waved as I passed.  I reached the mile-9 marker at 9:34 (81:58 elapsed), and the race clock was reading 1:28 and a few seconds.  I probably couldn't make the 1:30:00 "dream" time, as I didn't think that I had an 8-minute mile in my legs, but I was determined to finish as strongly as possible.    

As we turned onto 17th Street, a volunteer shouted "It's downhill after the overpass" crossing 18th Street.  I could see the highrises of midtown Atlanta through a bit of haze, with the dome and minaret of a mosque near Georgia Tech in the foreground.  I managed to speed up just a bit.  As the road curved downward into Atlantic Station, we passed the Atlanta Roller Girls once more.  I could see the tall office building ahead where we would turn onto State Street for the finish, and looked to my right for the Millenium Gate.  I was running to the far left of the street and was keeping up with the other runners in my area.  We turned left onto State Street.  I realized that a runner about 20 feet in front of me was taking video of the cheering groups as he was running towards the finish - very cool!  We passed the Target store where the starting line had been, and turned into Atlantic Station itself.  I could hear the announcer at the finish line, then approached the chute for the finish line.  I could see the clock reading 1:37 and just a few seconds, and substracting 6 minutes, I realized that I had indeed run an outstanding race.  I crossed the finish line just behind Dracula in a cape, and a Georgia Tech bumblebee, and had enough strength left to raise both hands above my head in celebration.  

Approaching the finish line.  Thanks to Bonnie for catching the photo, showing 1:37:14 on the clock. 

Overall, 1:31:14 for the race and 9:16 for mile-10!  Average pace, 9:08 minutes per mile.  That was far ahead of my hoped-for pace of 9:30 per mile, and I was absolutely exhilarated by finishing today's race.  Although the race was certainly a challenge, I enjoyed every single mile of the journey.  I'm definitely running this race in future years!   

mile splits: 8:02, 9:02, 8:52, 9:13, 9:12, 9:02, 9:27, 9:34, 9:34, 9:16. 

Goal C (satisfactory): To finish a race at a new distance:   Achieved! 

Goal B (good): To finish with the 1:35 pace team:    Achieved the time, even though I never caught up to the 1:35 pacer!

Goal A (dream): To finish in less than 1:30:00:    Much closer than I had realistically expected! 

Is a half-marathon next? 

Sign me up!!

Atlanta 10-miler

October 19, 2014: Atlanta AIDS 5K

Goal: To pace myself in the first 4 km of a hilly course, so that I can have a fast finish in the final downhill kilometer. 

In the past week, I learned about the Atlanta AIDS 5K, in Piedmont Park and the Ansley Park neighborhood in midtown Atlanta.  I remember when the public first became aware of AIDS some 30 years ago, and especially the fear in the early days.  Little was known about the causes or treatment, but everyone was aware that the illness was invariably fatal.  Great strides have been made in treatment in the intervening years.  Various combinations of medications have been developed (including some based on a small molecule drug discovered at Emory, emtricitabine) for long-term management of HIV infection, slowing or preventing the progression to AIDS.

Unfortunately, 1) these drugs are not a cure, 2) the drugs are very expensive and must be taken for life, and 3) new infections continue to be reported.  The most effective anti-HIV drugs are essentially unavailable to the poor, especially those living outside of the wealthiest nations.  The Atlanta AIDS 5K and Walk is a fundraiser for treatment and services for people living with HIV / AIDS, and also provides education programs to help prevent new HIV infections.

Some of the quilts on display near the start of the
Atlanta AIDS 5K, in Piedmont Park

As part of a science communication exercise in one of my classes, I made a short VoiceThread last year on the connection of my graduate school project from Stanford.  At the time that I was involved in the late 1980's, I had no idea that my project might eventually provide useful background for potential eradication of HIV in infected people, potentially even a cure.  (Wender, Kee, and Warrington, Science 2008, vol. 320, pp. 649-652;  DOI: 10.1126/science.1154690)  

https://voicethread.com/share/4986107/ 

Five days before the race: I jogged the route on a pleasantly mild evening.  The first mile covers the final mile of the Peachtree Road Race, in the opposite direction (meaning about 100 feet uphill!)  The second mile is level or slightly downhill, and then shortly after the beginning of the third mile, there will be a challenging uphill stretch (90 feet in 0.3 mile) before heading 80 feet downhill over the final kilometer.  My plan is simple: take it easy enough on the uphill stretches, especially the second one, so that I will feel strong enough to kick into my highest gear for the final kilometer.  Although I have marked out some 5-minute landmarks assuming 5 min per km, I've resolved that I won't wear myself out early if I find that I'm "behind schedule".  I also need to save my legs for the 10-miler coming up in one week.

Elevation profile.  Note the brutal hill in the middle of the third mile.  

Day of the race:  With a 1 pm start, we ate an early lunch / late breakfast at Metrofresh, just a couple of blocks from the start.  Turkey chili and salad was an experiment that I hoped would not finish the race in front of me, but at least we ate early enough so that I had two hours to digest before the start of the run.  Although the morning was pleasantly cool (mid-40's), the temperature at the start was 63 deg F, with hardly a cloud in the sky.  I could feel the warm sun on my head.  As we lined up for the beginning of the race, no one around me was obviously carrying a water bottle.  But I had kept to my resolution to always carry water after my experience in the Atlanta's Finest 5K in late August, and as we waited for the start, I began to feel that I was really going to appreciate having the water bottle on my belt.

Less than 10 minutes before the start

Mile 1:  We started precisely at 1:00 pm.  I had taken my usual spot about 100 feet behind the starting line, and reached the start in about 15 seconds.  Just a few steps after crossing the starting line, we had to dart around someone coming diagonally and against the flow of runners!  I don't know what that was about, but could have been disastrous.  Fortunately no one fell that I could see.  I got up to a good pace, aiming for about an 8:30 first mile.  The first part of the route was uphill, and in the first half-mile someone to my right switched to a walk saying "The hill is killing me!"  I thought, just wait until you're on the last part of the Prado.  I made good time and had crossed Piedmont Avenue before I heard the 5 minute alert, so I was right on schedule.  In another minute we made the sweeping right turn onto Peachtree Street heading north.  There were quite a few spectators cheering us on, which was really great.  As we reached the 1-mile marker, a volunteer was calling out times, which I heard as 8:40.  (8:26 according to my tracker)  I was happy that I probably had not gone out too fast.  I say "probably" because the first mile was mostly uphill.

The race route, with miles marked in magenta. 

Mile 2:  There was a large crowd of spectators as we crossed 14th Street.  Shortly before we turned onto 15th Street to enter the Ansley Park neighborhood, I heard the 10 minute alert.  I was now slightly "behind schedule" but from my earlier reconnaissance, I knew that the next part of the route would be level or gently downhill.  Indeed I was able to speed up a bit on Peachtree Circle.  I had hoped to make the right turn onto the Prado before the 15 minute alert, and indeed had gone a few hundred feet on the Prado before the alert sounded.  So I was probably nearly back on track with the ambitious race plan.  As I was feeling warm and my mouth was occasionally dry, I took sips of water at several spots, including shortly before or after each water stop.  The route had at least four well-manned water stops, but I was grateful for my water bottle so I could drink whenever I needed it.  The volunteer at the 2-mile marker was calling out times as 16:45 as I passed; 16:33 according to my tracker, corresponding to 8:07 for the second mile.

Mile 3:  Just as I passed the mile-2 marker, I felt my right shoelace flapping around.  Oh no!!  I had retied my shoes shortly before entering the corral, and the laces had looked good and felt good right before the start.  But I had no choice but to find a safe place to pull onto the sidewalk and retie.  That must have stopped me for 10 seconds.  I jumped back into the race, and as I was gaining speed, I was about to pass a runner on his left, when he suddenly moved to his left, directly in front of me.  In fact I ran into him although was able to brace with my hands so that the collision was highly elastic and no one fell.  I don't know what caused him to jump into my way, unless he saw a shadow and perhaps thought that I was passing on his right.  After another minute, the road began to head uphill.  I knew that the next 0.3 miles would be challenging.  To stay on a 25 minute pace, I would need to reach the top of the hill at the intersection with Piedmont Road at the 20 minute mark.  Many runners around me slowed to a walk, and those of us who were still running were definitely moving more slowly.  I tried to watch my breathing and posture, but man, that hill was tough.  The 20-minute alert sounded well before Piedmont Road was in sight.  I took a couple of sips of water and poured most of the rest of it on my neck as I approached the top, finally!  As we turned onto Piedmont Road, the volunteer shouted "It's all downhill from here!" and I knew that he was right.

It took me a while to get back up to speed, but I was moving pretty quickly by the time we reached the Piedmont Park entrance at 14th Street.  I made a strong push around the Active Oval and then there was one last turn in front of the Boathouse, for the final stretch.  I could see Lake Clara Meer to my left as the 25-minute alert sounded, indicating approximately 3.0 miles covered.  In fact the tracker audio alerts round off the value, so I reached the 3-mile mark at 25:19, 8:46 for the third mile.    Finishing that tough mile in less than 9 minutes was really great for me.

The finish:  At the 25-minute alert, I started counting seconds (three steps per second) thinking that I might still beat 26 minutes.  But the finish line was a bit further than I had expected.  All of the runners around me were pretty competitive and we were passing each other, back and forth in the final stretch.  I stopped counting seconds at 60 and only at that point did I see the finish line.  We all put on one final burst of speed, and I was unable to catch up with the nearest runner in front of me, but I finished strongly with 26:27 showing on the clock.  Even though it wasn't a personal record, I was pretty pleased with a good time on such a hilly course.

The Meadow at Piedmont Park

Official time, 26:13, 105th place out of 619 finishers and 6th out of 25 in my age group.  I felt even better about my time when I learned that the winner had required 19:03 to finish.  I've been in races where the winner finished in 15:31, and in the challenging Winship 5K in September, the winner had crossed in 17:26.  Apparently the course was challenging for everyone.

The kilometer splits were very informative, and I had run fairly even splits if one accounts for relative difficulty:

5:16 (uphill)

5:00 (level)

5:04 (downhill)

5:54 (shoelace fiasco and steep hill in the last few blocks of the Prado)

4:59 (downhill to the finish).

Goal: To pace myself in the first 4 km of a hilly course, so that I can have a fast finish in the final downhill kilometer.  Achieved! 

http://www.aidswalkatlanta.com

October 4, 2014: Cartersville 10K

Goal: to improve on my personal record of 55:29 in the 10K distance

The Atlanta Track Club sponsors the Cartersville 10K early each fall.  Cartersville is about an hour's drive north-northwest from Atlanta, and the race involves a couple of parks south of the town center.  About six months ago, Bonnie and I walked the middle part of the race route, and appreciated the relatively flat nature of the course and the relaxing rural scenery.  Several people in the Peachtree-In-Training course were planning to run this race, including coaches Curt and Kathie Walker.

In the past month, I've joined the gym at Emory.  In the fitness assessment provided to new members, I scored "poor" on flexibility!  I had heard that yoga was good for runners, so I began taking a yoga class on Thursday evenings.  I have a difficult time doing some of the poses (and the teacher is literally "rubberman" despite being in his mid-50's) but my muscles feel great after each session, due to the stretching.

I've also been increasing the length of my long runs in preparation for the 10-miler at the end of this month.  On Monday I enjoyed a slow but successful 9-mile run at Stone Mountain, and for the first time had confidence that I would indeed be able to complete the 10-miler.  With yoga on Thursday night, my legs felt really good this morning.  Moreover, the temperatures dropped overnight into true fall weather.  And today's race route, while not completely flat, would not have any terribly challenging hills.  The conditions were ripe for a new personal record!

I had studied the map for the race route carefully in the days leading up to the race.  In the Winship 5K last weekend, I was pleased with the outcome of my strategy of identifying landmarks to pass in 5-minute intervals.  I decided to try that again.  I identified landmarks and progress goals based on a pace of 9:00 minutes per mile for the first 45 minutes, which might leave me enough energy for a burst of speed in the final mile, aiming to finish at or just under 55 minutes.

On the drive to Cartersville, I turned off the radio for the last few minutes on the highway, to review in my mind the landmarks that I had identified.  Traffic was virtually non-existent until exit 283 from Interstate-75, when I joined a caravan of cars all heading to the race.  When I stepped out of the car shortly after 7 am, it was delightfully cool - 48 degrees!  I had brought the light running jacket but decided to try to run without it.  Wearing a cap and keeping in motion helped to keep me warm enough.  I had a feeling that I would be comfortable once I began running the race, so I stayed in the short-sleeve shirt that I had worn and regular running shorts.  I wore my trademark yellow cap, and brought sunglasses just in case.

As the sun rose, there was hardly a cloud in the sky, and it was truly going to be a perfectly beautiful day for running.  We gathered in waves, although for this race we would all start at the same time, so wave B would not be waiting 2 minutes for wave A to clear the starting line.  Most of the runners around me were not wearing sunglasses, nor did they have a water belt.  But I felt that I would need the sunglasses during the stretches that turned eastward, and after the discomfort of dry-mouth in the Atlanta's Finest 5K in late August, I resolved to bring my own water in all future races.  Shortly after 8:00 am I saw the runners in front move forward, and the race was on!  It took only about 15 seconds to get to the starting line.

Mile 1:  Now that I have some experience, my starting strategy is to hold back a little at the beginning.  Running with wave B was a good choice.  I quickly found a good rhythm and pace as we ran out of the park and onto Cummings Road.  My first goal was to pass Douthit Ferry Road before the 5-minute alert sounded, and I was pleased to reach the expected point, the entrance to Cartersville Middle School, as the alert sounded.  We continued running due west, and I could see the shadows of the runners behind me extending to the northwest, as the sun rose above the treeline.  I could feel a little warmth of sunlight on my back, but it wasn't uncomfortable.  I was pretty sure that I would appreciate my sunglasses later in the race.  We turned onto Walnut Grove Road, for the first noticeable rise in elevation.  Shortly before reaching the sharp left turn, we passed the mile 1 marker, where a volunteer called out the time as 8:45.  Subtracting 15 seconds for the start, that was a little faster than I had intended, but not too bad (after the race, I saw that my tracker had recorded 8:31).

Race route, with miles marked in magenta

Mile 2:  As we made the sharp left turn onto Cummings Road, the 10 minute alert sounded.  Right on schedule!  The road went downhill, but the pavement was old and so I took this section a bit slower than most others, despite the favorable slope.  At the south end of the triangle was a house and second building, perhaps a farm.  The word "bucolic" came to mind for the first but not the last time of the morning.  Leveling out as we made a left turn, we ran in an eastward direction for a few hundred feet, directly into the sun.  Thank goodness for the sunglasses!  I also pulled the brim of my hat down and to the right just a bit, to give more protection.  What a beautiful sky, with hardly a cloud to be seen!  We then turned right onto Milner Road.  Although I was passed by quite a few runners in this section, I was satisfied with my pace, and I felt that I was executing my overall strategy exactly as I had hoped. My plan was to get "well down Milner Road" before the 15 minute alert, and that was managed.  Then a school bus parking area came into view, and after we passed the buses it was time to turn into Sam Smith Park.  The drive went a few hundred feet, east toward the sun, and I knew from the earlier visit that we would turn onto the park's walking path at the entrance to the parking area.  The water stop was on the left as we entered the parking lot, but I passed the water stop and resolved to take a sip shortly after entering the park.  At the mile 2 marker, a volunteer was calling out seconds, but I wasn't sure what minute he was on.  Later I realized that he was at 17 minutes, and my tracker indicated 17:14 elapsed, 8:43 for the second mile.

Mile 3:  As we entered the park, a sign warned against removing any artifacts found on the site.  Two hundred years ago, this area was the heartland of the Cherokee Nation, and burial mounds have been preserved near the site of today's race.  We ran toward Milner Road and then turned due south, paralleling the road and climbing a small hill, which appeared to be a levee, protecting the land from flood stages of the Etowah River.  The 20 minute alert sounded as I reached the top of the levee.  The plan was to be "well down the path" at this stage.  I wasn't sure if I was as far along as I wanted to be, but just focused on keeping a steady pace.  As we reached the end of the park, I was aware of freshly mowed grass on either side of the path, but looking to the left I could see a large dark green leafy crop.  It didn't take long for the path to take a diagonal left, indicating that we were approaching the Etowah River.  I tried to look over the field to see if I could make out any of the lead runners, but it seemed that the path was empty, so perhaps the leaders had not yet made it that far?  Then I thought I saw a lone figure running northward.  Back in the main pack, we were nicely spread out along the path, able to run easily without impeding each other, but also never alone.  I would occasionally pass someone taking a walk break, and was occasionally passed, but for the most part we were all moving at a similar pace.  Thomas from the Brookhaven Peachtree-In-Training group caught up with me and we ran together for a couple of minutes, although I didn't recognize him at the time, as I was so focused on my own running.  By the time the 25 minute alert had sounded, I was well along the river pathway, still on schedule.  I finished the third mile at 26:16 elapsed, 9:02 for the third mile.

Elevation map for this relatively flat course.  

Mile 4:  Shortly after passing the 3-mile marker, we reached a sign at 27:45 marking the 5K point.  Subtracting 15 seconds from the start, this meant that I was precisely on a 55-minute pace.  That was according to plan, but it also meant that I could not afford to slow down if I wanted to beat my PR.  We turned northward to begin the return trip.  The 30-minute alert sounded shortly before we reached the levee - I had hoped to reach the levee before hearing the alert.  The path up this levee took a switchback route to keep the slope gentle.  As this part of the levee appeared to be higher, I started to wonder if it was a natural embankment instead of a human-built levee, which I would have expected to be the same height.  (Afterwards when I checked the elevations, they were both nearly the same elevation, and the second levee crossing was 3 feet lower than the first!)  Quite a few runners slowed down here, and I was able to pass a few people by using the hill-running techniques that I've practiced in Atlanta.  I was beginning to recognize a few of the runners that had been around me for the entire race, from their backs: one black shirt honoring Georgia military, a white shirt for a race sponsored by an OB/GYN office, a woman with two small water bottles on her belt.  Mr. White Shirt remained ahead of me but I passed Mr. Black Shirt and Ms. Water Bottles.  Shortly after crossing the levee, we took a left turn onto a divided road into the park.  This was a new feature from last year, and meant that we would only make half a circuit of the track at the end, instead of two circuits.  Any annoyance at the unexpected "hook" was dispelled when I realized that I might see people that I knew running a couple of minutes ahead of me.  Indeed, here came Coach Kathie Walker, and I greeted her with "Way to go Kathie!"  As we approached the turnaround point, the volunteer was holding his arms out like a plane making a sharp 180 degree turn.  I mimicked his motion - I meant to just clown around, but in fact I felt like the motion helped me make the turn quite easily.  He called out "That's the way to do it!" as the 35 minute alert sounded, soon followed by passing the 4-mile marker, which was exactly as I had written out the plan on my notes: "35   approaching 4 mile mark"  35:25 elapsed, 9:09 for the fourth mile.  I took some satisfaction in knowing that I was slightly ahead of the mark achieved in the Decatur-DeKalb 4-Miler in July, while running at a comfortable pace.

Mile 5:  This stage was level or very gently downhill, as we made our way toward the parking lot, along a pleasant, gently winding path.  Because of the hook in mile 4, the next landmark was now moot: I was still on the path at the 40-minute alert but that was probably OK since the remaining landmarks would now be earlier than planned.  As we exited the path, we reached the water stop again.  I would have accepted Gatorade/Powerade if it was obviously in the cups, but the cups appeared to be only water, although the second volunteer was offering "Gin?" with a bit of dry humor.  On the straightaway out of the park, I took a couple of sips of water from my bottle.  Before long we were out of the park and had turned right onto Milner Road.  I began thinking of my finishing strategy.  I had hoped to pass the 5-mile mark before 45 minutes had elapsed, and then would try to speed up.  I made a toe-to-head assessment: feet, OK; ankles, a little twinge on the left but not bad, so OK; calves, excellent; knees, no problem; everything else below the head, excellent; attitude, fantastic!  The 5-mile mark was coming up, at the corner of Milner and Cummings Road.  A volunteer was calling out times, and I heard 44:45 as I passed.  Perfect!!  44:31 elapsed, 9:06 for the fifth mile.

Mile 6:  At the corner, a second volunteer called out "Just 1.2 miles to go!"  I shot forward between two runners immediately in front of me.  On the right, Red Shirt called out "Finish strong!"  Thanks, Mr. Red Shirt, for your sportsmanship and supportive words, even as I was passing you.  The running community is really great that way.  But I resolved that no one was going to pass me for the rest of the race.  Mr. White Shirt, Ms. Water Bottles, and Mr. Black Shirt were in front of me, in that order.  I sped up a bit more and after a few hundred feet caught up to and passed Mr. Black Shirt.  Although my intention was to run as fast as I could at this stage, I knew that I would be on schedule as long as I crossed Douthit Ferry Road before the 50-minute alert sounded.  We passed Cartersville Middle School - no alert!  We reached Douthit Ferry road, where the police were alternating runners and drivers through the intersection - no alert!  Coming through the intersection I passed Ms. Water Bottles.  But I sensed that she immediately sped up to keep up with me, and I could glimpse her just behind my left shoulder as we continued on Cummings Road.  The 50-minute alert sounded several hundred feet past Douthit Ferry Road, and knowing that I was on pace for a great finish, in addition to the competition around me, spurred me to keep running as fast as possible.  We turned into the park, with Ms. Water Bottles still just behind me.  A volunteer called out "It's the shoes!"  Now I was really excited to be entering the park.  The road was level and I managed to remain ahead of Ms. Water Bottles, while still trying to catch Mr. White Shirt in front.  As we cleared the parking lot, I could see the Finish banner for the Atlanta Track Club on the far side of the oval track.  Almost there!  A volunteer was giving instructions for the finish, standing near the position where I expected the six-mile marker to be: 53:04 elapsed, 8:33 for the sixth mile.

The finish:  A young woman was slowing down in front of me: I jetted past her onto the track.  The track was synthetic material and a fantastic running surface.  I sped up another gear as I cleared the curve.  Mr. White Shirt was about 25 feet ahead, followed by a second runner who I did not recall seeing earlier.  On the straightaway I started pumping my arms really hard and began to gain on them.    I managed a silly pose for the photographer about one hundred feet from the finish.  As we entered the final curve heading into the finish chute, I realized two things: 1) I was going to finish with the clock still reading 54 minutes; but 2) the finish chute was rather narrow and three of us probably couldn't cross together.  I could pass the second runner if I hurried, and with a tremendous effort, I did so, and even caught up to Mr. White Shirt with that move.  But then he lunged ahead and nosed across the line a split-second before I did.  Nonetheless, 54:49 on the clock, official tag time was 54:33, 8:47 minute per mile average pace.  PERSONAL RECORD for 10K!!

Approaching the finish, about 100 feet before the line.  I still had enough energy to pose for the camera, at 9 mph! 

Epilogue:  What a fun race!  I was gassed at the end, but had executed my strategy as well as I could have imagined, achieving all of my goals for this race.  Coaches Curt and Kathie had already finished but I was excited to tell them that I had broken my 55-minute barrier.  Kathie won her age group in 52:14, and Curt won second in 48:46.  I overheard quite a few runners saying that they set personal records this morning, and it was a great course and perfect conditions for doing so.

Lessons learned or confirmed:
1) I can comfortably run in a short-sleeved performance shirt and shorts when it's 48 degrees.
2) The sunglasses and hat were a great decision.
3) Although I probably did not need the water bottle today, it didn't slow me down.
4) The strategy of 5-minute alerts definitely worked.

My next race will be the Atlanta 10-miler, three weeks from tomorrow.  At this moment, my goal is simply to finish 10 miles in good shape, and so I will take it a bit slower than today's race, including short walk breaks at 5 minute intervals.  But today was a nice confidence builder going into the remaining fall races.

Link to Cartersville 10K