October 23, 2016: The PNC Atlanta 10-Miler

The Atlanta 10-Miler is one of my favorite races of the year.  In 2014, it was the longest race that I had run to that stage, and I was so pleased with my finish of 1:31:13 that I had signed up for my first half-marathon before the end of the day.  Unfortunately in 2015, I started too quickly, wore myself out in the hills in the first four miles, and struggled through the six remaining miles to finish in 1:33:11.  But whether I've run well or not, I've thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed the enthusiastic cheer groups along the route.  

Marathon training has gone well.  I've definitely grown stronger, both physically and mentally.  My first marathon is in 20 days, and I am confident that I am now ready for the challenge.  Our training group completed a 22 mile run last weekend on a very hilly route.  Although I had some anxiety about the distance in the day before the run, I finished the morning in good shape.  However I was so tired afterwards that I could drag myself out for only two runs this past week covering only 13 miles, after several weeks of 25 to 30 midweek miles between long runs on the weekends.  Perhaps my legs needed the rest.  

The temperature has finally dropped to seasonal norms: this morning the temperature was around 40 deg F when we gathered for the start of the race at Atlantic Station.  For the first time in months, I dressed in a long-sleeved running shirt (but only one layer) and running tights.  I also wore compression sleeves under the tights, which relieved some of the unpleasant sensation of "perpetually tired legs".  The Tucker Running Club (TRC) had a fairly large group of about 20 runners at today's event.  


After moderate carbo-loading on Saturday night, at Bambinelli's Northlake
We had a great group of TRC runners in this race at the 7 am photo-op.
Curt Walker (fuzzy fellow at lower left) had just settled into place as the 10-second timer expired. 
Bonnie and I arrived early to beat the traffic, parking at around 6 am, which gave me plenty of time to stretch, and then warm up with nearly three easy miles on much of the 5K route.  As the time approached 7 am, I had to make a decision to stand in a long line for porta-potties or join the TRC for the group photo.  By joining the group photo, I ended up running the race needing "to go" for the next two hours!  About half-a-dozen TRC regulars started together in wave B, including Curt and Kathie Walker, Brian Minor and Beverly Ford, Richard Wilson, and Katie  Vernon.  Curt tried to keep us relaxed while we awaited the start, by telling a succession of porta-potty horror stories, apparently all true!   We began our race about 2-1/2 minutes after wave A.   My goal was to run the race with 3:30 run / 0:30 walk intervals, and try not to start too fast, aiming for a 9 minute pace for mile 1.  

I've discovered the key to the run-walk strategy: don't run through the first walk break!  That is often difficult, because the start of the race is often crowded, and one worries about being run down by those immediately behind you if you suddenly slow to a walk, even if you are signaling with your hand up in the air.  But shortly after the first walk alert sounded, I found an opening between two parked cars to pull over for a short walk break.  That allowed for me to recalibrate my pace, before maxing out on heart rate or becoming in the least bit tired.  I was leapfrogging Curt for most of the first few miles, doing my run-walk intervals while Curt was running straight ahead.  Near the two mile mark, I saw Brian Minor bolt out of a porta-potty and resume the race.  He was moving quickly!  (Brian finished in 1:21:33, even with the short break.)

At the five-mile mark, we crossed a timing mat, 43:45 on my watch (also confirmed in official result).  I was in good enough shape to do arithmetic in my head, 8:45 min / mile average, with miles 1 through 5 completed at 8:41, 8:45, 8:45, 8:58, and 9:05, and the prospect of a 1:27:30 finish if I could hold onto that pace.  Unfortunately I was beginning to tire a bit, which showed with the gradual decrease in pace, although I definitely felt better than last year at this stage of the race.  The key was concentration, remembering the benefits of a quick turnover (three steps per second), and pumping with the arms while running uphill.  That carried me along Northside Drive and Peachtree Battle Avenue, continuing with the run-walk strategy through miles 6 and 7 at 9:07 and 8:48.  


As we neared the intersection of Peachtree Battle with Peachtree Road, I took one more short walk break, then turned the corner to begin the "Conquer Cardiac Hill" challenge.  I had practiced a couple of Cardiac Hill repeats with the Atlanta Track Club one morning earlier this month, but now this was for real.  I had no illusions that I would finish in the top-100 (and win a special coffee mug!) but I had decided ahead of time that I would test myself to see what I could manage.  And with Curt Walker 100 feet ahead of me as my "rabbit", I began pushing uphill.  The cheers of the fans helped to propel me for the first half-mile, and when I felt that I could not go on at this pace, I remembered the "humiliation" of 2015 when Curt and Kathie Walker passed me on their way up Cardiac Hill.  Not this year!  Although Curt looked strong, I could sense that I was closing on him ever so gradually.  Skipping walk breaks, I drew closer and closer, then as we neared the top, gave a great surge forward and caught up to him!  He may have been surprised to see me, but as we approached the timing mat, he sped up slightly and crossed the timing mat a few steps ahead of me.  But no worries, my chip time up Cardiac Hill today would definitely be faster! 


The only problem was, now I was exhausted!  I had ignored the continuous beeping of my heart rate monitor for most of the last mile, so I took a walk break as soon as I passed the timing strip.  Curt moved well ahead of me, and while I didn't lose sight of him in the straight sections, I began to accept that I wouldn't catch up with him again today. But as I passed the mile 8 marker at 1:11 elapsed (8:54 for mile 8), I realized that I would break my goal of 1:30 if I could maintain a 9:30 pace for the remainder of the race.  In fact I was a little faster than that for mile 9 (9:02).  
I wasn't imagining that I heard other runners hot on my heels!
I was passed by the fellow to my right coming into the finish.
But I'm not complaining after setting a new PR!  
Now for my favorite part of the race, climbing the final hill to overlook downtown Atlanta, as we turned onto 17th Street. Several people passed me in this section, but somehow I found the energy to keep moving at a decent pace.  I took a couple of short walk breaks in the final mile, but was able to accelerate each time when I resumed running. I looked at my watch at the 9.49 mile mark, at 1:24:30, and was thrilled to realize that I could jog in at 11 min / mile pace and still finish in 1:30. But I decided to run as fast as I could for that last half mile. Running past the majestic Millennium Gate and then turning the corner at State Street, the sidewalks were lined with people cheering us into the finish.  There was a fairly large gap between me and the people in front of me, but I could hear the footsteps and breathing of more runners just behind me, so I kept racing for my life! Turning right to the finish line, I could see 1:30 on the clock! People were cheering as I approached the finish line with a cluster of runners right behind or beside me. I think I heard Brian cheer for me from the left side of the walk (and his girlfriend Beverly photographed me from that side).  I crossed the finish line just as the clock ticked over to 1:31 - and knowing that I had begun the race 2 or 3 minutes after the "gun" start for the first wave, allowed myself a huge fist pump of personal victory after crossing the finish line!  

Official time 1:28:40!  Once again, the marathon training has given me some additional speed and quite a bit of strength, demonstrated in a shorter distance!  I was tired but felt good as my pulse quickly dropped and my breathing began to return to normal.  And 10 minutes of stretching really helped with recovery.  What a fantastic race, what a great day!


Here are my stats for today and comparisons vs. 2015 and 2014:


Overall time 1:28:40 (2016), vs. 1:33:11 (2015) and 1:31:13 (2014)

Splits for first 5 and last 5 miles: 43:45 and 44:55 (2016), vs. 44:52 and 48:19 (2015) and 44:14 and 47:00 (2014)
Conquer Cardiac Hill 8:08 (2016), vs. 9:20 (2015) and 9:22 (2014)
Relative finish for 2016: 870 / 4212 finishers, 643 / 1954 males, 279 / 1111 male masters, 68 / 243 age group, and 112 / 528 male grandmasters.  
Relative Conquer Cardiac Hill for 2016: 578 / 4105 entries, 44 / 238 age group. 

October 2, 2016: The BuHi Half Marathon

Although I've avoided signing up for most races in the middle of marathon training, a new half-marathon, the "Buford Hwy Int'l Half-Marathon" was postponed several months from May to the first Sunday in October, to avoid a conflict with an airshow at nearby DeKalb-Peachtree airport.  It turns out that probably worked out well in terms of weather, now that we're beginning to enjoy cooler mornings after one of the warmest summers ever.  Nonetheless I was concerned about interrupting a disciplined marathon training program with a race that wasn't in the plan, but then one of the bloggers that I regularly follow, Jesica at runladylike, posted an entry on running a tune-up half-marathon about a month and a half out from race day - my marathon is in six weeks.  She suggested that it would be helpful to run at marathon pace on tired legs - to simulate what it might feel like for the second-half of the marathon; or to run the half marathon as a fitness test, very gradually increasing pace with the passing miles, and if all was well at mile 9, work for a fast finish.  In training, I've returned to the run-walk strategy, which led to my half-marathon PR last December, and decided to try the 3:30 run / 0:30 walk intervals that I'm planning to follow in the marathon.  I also ran 10 miles yesterday at an easy 11 min / mile pace, so there was no real taper going into today's race, although I didn't do the 20 miles that other marathon training participants did yesterday, I guess I will try to get twenty miles next Saturday.  



The BuHi Half Marathon celebrates the diversity of cultures represented along Buford Highway, Georgia State Route 13 (for today, GA 13.1).  Buford Highway begins at the northeast edge of Atlanta at Lenox Road, and passes through the heart of the northeast suburbs of Atlanta, beginning with Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, Norcross, Duluth, Suwanee, and Buford, a small town at the south end of Lake Lanier.  Unlike many other "ethnic" areas, Buford Highway is an interesting mix of many cultures.  You will see Supercarniceria and Halal shops amidst a variety of restaurants ranging from Mexican and Colombian to Korean and Malaysian, with a Waffle House doing brisk business in the middle of it all.  There are ongoing problems with speedy automobile traffic vs. pedestrians in a corridor with discontinuous sidewalks.  When I tried to do a warmup run early this morning, I experienced what many living in the corridor must navigate every day.  But I hope that it's clear that Buford Highway is one of the most interesting parts of metro Atlanta, and popular with Atlantans of all races and national origins. 

Bonnie Youn, Carolyn Weber, Roberto Chalon, Myriam Fentanes, Layne Preau, and me
after a delicious and filling meal at Dominick's in downtown Norcross
The night before the race, several of us in Tucker Running Club (TRC) got together for some modest carbo-loading, at Dominick's, an Italian restaurant in downtown Norcross, just a couple of blocks from Buford Highway.  I had not really carbo-loaded before a race, but in a nutrition seminar as part of the marathon training, the nutritionist advised that it was OK as long as one didn't overdo it.  I enjoyed a garlic chicken dish with a side dish of pasta marinara - even though it was only a half-order, it was quite a generous serving, and I took half of the chicken home for lunch today. 



To encourage the broadest possible participation, there were four events today: the half-marathon, followed by 10K and 5K starts, and a 2-mile stroll.  Bonnie and several other TRC runners were doing the 10K, with Layne Preau and Myriam Fentanes among the carbo-loaders who joined me for the half-marathon.  I also met up with Carl Line, another mid 50-something runner with whom I've done several Thursday evening group runs out of Big Peach Decatur.  Carl is an experienced marathon runner and has run several sub-2 hour half marathons. 

I ran about 1-1/2 miles to warmup at an easy pace, then met up with friends and we found our way to the start in front of Plaza Fiesta, a shopping mall in Chamblee catering primarily but not exclusively to Latino culture - there is also a Planet Fitness and Ross Department Store.  The start was delayed almost 15 minutes after the scheduled 7 am start, but it was probably helpful to wait until there was a little dawn light before we began.  The temperature was quite pleasant, around 55 deg F at the start, and I was optimistic that I was going to have a good run.  It looked like there were a few hundred participants, spread out across three lanes of the road.  There did not appear to be a timing strip at the start line, but I was only about 10 seconds behind the starting line.  We received a few short announcements about staying within the coned lanes - in the middle of the Highway - and then it was time to start.  With a short blast of an airhorn, we were off! 

Plaza Fiesta, el rinconcito de nuestro pueblo
Buford Highway is fairly hilly, so I've been concerned that the hills may be a challenge.  In the marathon training course, the person mapping our routes gets a lot of good-natured teasing about finding all of the biggest hills in Atlanta - but we all know that the hill running makes us stronger.  I started out a little too quickly (low 8 minute / mile pace) and forced myself to slow down a bit.  The good thing about run-walk - when executed from the beginning - was that I could recalibrate after the first running interval, and get back on track with a sustainable pace well before any tiredness had set in.  I was fairly disciplined with walk breaks, except if I saw a water station ahead I would wait until I reached the water station, and then walk through while drinking.  


The first miles passed from Chamblee into Brookhaven heading toward Atlanta.  This section was net 125 feet downhill, although the route was actually rolling, so there were some short uphill sections as well.  After the 2-mile mark, I could see the towers of midtown Atlanta rising ahead in the pre-dawn twilight.  About 2-1/2 miles in, we reached the first turn-around point.  We could judge our progress seeing the runners ahead and behind us.  Carl was about 1 minute ahead of me so I felt fairly good that I was not too far behind his pace.  Best of all, I was running a steady 9-minute / mile pace and feeling very comfortable doing so.  

As we headed back to the northeast on Buford Highway, now we had to climb the 125 feet to get back to Plaza Fiesta.  Now the run-walk strategy was really paying off - I was strong going up the hills, and just as I started to feel the first bit of tiredness, my watch would sound, I transitioned to a comfortable walk for 30 seconds, and then got back up to speed, catching up with the people who had passed me during my walk break. Before long we were back at Plaza Fiesta, having covered the first five miles in just over 45 minutes.  As I approached the water stop, I recognized Aparna Bhattacharyya, the executive director of Raksha, a local organization providing resources for the protection of battered women.  Bonnie and Aparna are good friends, and we registered in support of Raksha.  She was cheering me as I approached the water station, where I took a short walk break to drink, and then got back up to speed. 

Aparna Bhattacharyya (center) and the volunteers from Raksha - thanks!!
At this point my legs were feeling really good, and I felt that I could maintain the current pace for many miles, as long as I continued with run-walk.  We passed many favorite and/or memorable restaurants along the way: Bismillah Bangladeshi restaurant, a tiny little cafe next to a larger market; Los Rayos taqueria, which offers the very best guacamole ever; and then the restaurants of Asian Square, including Barbecue Corner II (Chinese) on one corner and Sweet Hut on the other.  Around nine miles in, we reached a section where we ran two loops on the Doraville section.  The lead runner was finishing his second loop just as I approached the first loop, so he was about three miles ahead of me, and had a very long lead on the second place runner.  At the north end, I saw Carl make the turn, we waved as we passed, and I made note of the spot where we passed, so I could see if I was gaining, maintaining, or losing ground when I came back in a couple of miles.  Indeed on the way back, I saw that I was getting closer. 

In the last mile of the loop, I caught up with Carl.  I think he was a little surprised to see me!  We chatted for a couple of minutes, I remember mentioning that my race was going very well and I had set a 10-mile PR "back there", just over 1:30, and that I would have a half-marathon PR as long as I didn't "bonk" in the last miles.  I had never felt this strong 10 miles into a race in the past, and I started to speed up a bit, getting ahead of Carl.  After I came out of the second loop, and well past the 11 mile signal on my watch, there was a sign for mile 10.  I said out loud, "That can't be right!"  As I caught up with some early finishers that were cooling down, I approached a mile 11 marker, and I asked them if the signage was correct.  They assured me that it was not, and that I didn't have far to go to the finish, which was consistent with my watch, indicating that I was well past the 12-mile mark.  Although we were going uphill on the approach to Dresden Drive, I maintained a 9 min / mile pace, and felt like I had a little energy in reserve.  Turning onto Dresden Drive required cutting across a lane of traffic, guided by two police giving us clear instructions and trying to keep the drivers from cutting us off.  Once I was on Dresden, I sped up a bit, passing a couple of other runners.  As we turned into the back lot of Plaza Fiesta, I took a look at my watch and saw that we were not yet at 13 miles.  Apparently this route was going to be short.  
Best guacamole ever.  And open until 4 or 5 am on weekends!
As I approached the finish line, Carolyn Weber was cheering on the sidelines (temporarily out of running due to a broken bone in the foot) as I passed another runner in the final steps.  I saw 1:56 on the clock as I crossed the line, a personal record on paper, but saw 12.85 miles on my watch.  I wanted to see what my time would be if I ran the full 13.1.  As soon as I could get past the volunteers at the finish chute, I began running again at a slower pace, doing a cooldown jog through the parking lot, stopping the watch only after 13.15 miles came up for the distance, 1:58:40.  Still a PR pace. 

Despite some disappointment with the race organizers for a short route (confirmed upon chatting with some other finishers), I was very happy with my performance.  I managed my overall goal of a negative split and maintained average pace of 9:02 min / mile, with a fairly narrow range of fastest mile at 8:32 (mile 11) to slowest at 9:17 (mile 8), that one being 87 feet uphill.  Best of all, my heart rate never exceeded 170 bpm, touching 170 bpm near the finish line when I was running fairly fast.  I didn't really expect to break 2 hours today given that I was running on tired legs, but they didn't feel tired while I was running, and I wasn't out of breath when I finished the race.  I don't know how much of this was due to lower temperature vs. improved conditioning, but not only was this my best time, this was also the best that I've felt upon completing 13.1 miles.  Certainly today's race is a great confidence-builder in preparing for my first marathon in mid-November. 

Splits (elevation gain / loss) [total elapsed]
Mile 1, 9:00 (-30)
Mile 2, 9:02 (-13)   [18:02]
Mile 3, 8:50 (-58)   [26:52]
Mile 4, 9:10 (+53)   [36:02]
Mile 5, 9:10 (+80)   [45:12]
Mile 6, 8:47 (-61)   [53:59]
Mile 7, 9:15 (+38)   [1:03:14]
Mile 8: 9:17 (+81)   [1:12:31]
Mile 9: 8:58 (-48)   [1:21:29]
Mile 10: 8:57 (+15)   [1:30:26]
Mile 11: 8:32 (-32)   [1:38:58]
Mile 12: 8:55 (-73)   [1:47:52]
Mile 13: 9:08 (+72)   [1:57:01]
13.15, 1:58:40

Postscript, October 3: official time 1:56:08, 59th out of 202 finishers, 8th out of 21 in the male 50 - 59 age group