The Atlanta 10-Miler is one of my favorite races. I think back to the first time I ran this distance in fall 2014: running this distance, and doing it well gave me the confidence to go after the 13.1 mile distance, which over the next two years led to my first of five marathons to date.
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| With Tes Sobomehin Marshall, who was volunteering with a large "Got Questions?" sign |
In 2017, I had one of the best races of my life on this course, running a new personal record of 1:27:25, with eight consistent miles from the start, and then dropping the hammer at the mile 8 sign to accelerate through miles 9 and 10. I knew that I might not ever beat that time. But I decided to take another shot at improving my time in this year's race.
Bonnie and I arrived more than 90 minutes ahead of time: plenty of time for multiple porta-potty breaks, so I started today's race with an empty bladder! The weather was cool and cloudy. Although the streets were still a little damp from yesterday's 1-inch rainfall, it looked like the rain was over, and the conditions were ideal for a good run.
I decided to start in the very back of wave B, trying for a 1:25 finish or an 8:30 min / mile pace. I thought that 8:45 min / mile was more realistic, but was counting on the runners in front of me to rein me in at a pace that I could maintain. If I had started in the front of wave C, I might just knock out a sub-8 minute mile 1, and then completely fall apart somewhere in the hills of the middle miles.
The strategy worked perfectly, as we ran out of Atlantic Station, onto 17th Street, and then turning onto Peachtree Street heading north. Roxana Allen and I ran together for the first couple of miles. However I had resolved to walk through every water stop, taking water or Gatorade at each stop, to stay hydrated. With the cool conditions, and knowing that I could rely on the Atlanta Track Club to have fully manned water stations, I didn't carry my own water today. The first mile was a conservative 9:01, followed by 8:34 for the second mile, as we began to head down Cardiac Hill. I maintained a fairly steady pace as we continued the rest of the way to Peachtree Creek, turning right into the Peachtree Hills neighbhorhood before the mile 3 sign, 8:29 and 26 minutes elapsed.
I felt strong running up and down the hills, without getting too tired, occasionally chatting about the race route with other runners, exchanging high fives with cheer groups - and low fives with the many children encouraging us through the miles. Everything went smoothly through miles 4 and then turning onto Piedmont Road for mile 5, at 8:46 and 8:59. I crossed the mile 5 timing mat at 43:50, just 5 seconds slower than two years ago, and exactly what I had hoped for.
The key was to aim for the same 8:45 - 8:50 min / mile pace for the next three miles, through the hills. I took a Shot Blok coming up on the water station, about 51 minutes in. I was completely focused, running mile 6 in 8:50. Encountering a tough uphill south of Monroe Drive, I slowed a bit, but cresting into the Botanical Gardens, I picked up the pace again, blowing out accumulated carbon dioxide, and then downhill into Piedmont Park. In this section, the route was a little different this year, taking the long way around the Active Oval, in the opposite direction of several victorious finishes in the Galloway Half Marathons in December. Mile 7 was a little slow, at 9:08, approaching 62 minutes elapsed. To make my goal of 1:27, I needed to run the next three miles at 8:20 min / mile pace.
Heading out of the park through the 12th Street Gate, I took a walk break at the water station, as the road headed uphill. This is where my resolve crumbled, my mental training had been insufficient. I saw the 12th Street hill towering ahead, just one long block but a very long block indeed. I should have walked for only 15 - 20 seconds, but took a second Shot Blok and a second cup of Gatorade, walked some more, and finally began chugging up the hill. Looking at my stats afterwards, that 45 second walk break nicely dropped my heart rate, but the time was difficult to make up. Turning onto Juniper Street, the elevation dropped, and I sped up, but crossing 10th Street, I faltered again as we went uphill. I was aware that my pace was slower than 10 minute / mile. It wasn't until Josué Machado passed me that I started to pick up my pace again. But it was too late, 9:53 for mile 8, 1:11:41 elapsed. Now I needed a couple of 7:50 miles to match my PR.
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| about 1 minute before finishing, on 17th Street. Two balding white guys racing each other, what's more exciting than that?! He crossed the finish line 3 seconds ahead of me :( |
But the great thing about mile 8 was that it was the highest point of the course, and I knew it. Mental energy re-engaged, I began to accelerate, running west on 5th Street, then north onto West Peachtree Street. Go, go, go, pushing up the short hills and gliding down the longer downhill stretches. The hill at 10th Street was a challenge once again, and it slowed my pace above 8 min / mile, but I surged again, go, go, go! 8:17 for mile 9, 1 hour 20 minutes elapsed.
Now it was almost impossible to better my personal record. But I would not give up today. I was having a good run, except for Mile 8, and going into the finish, I now felt good. One last water stop: should I walk, should I take something? Without breaking stride, I grabbed a cup of blue Gatorade, splashed 1/3 into my right eye, 1/3 into my mouth, and the last 1/3 spilled down my shirt. At least the Gatorade didn't make my eye sting!
Making the turn onto 17th Street, heading over the loooong bridge spanning Interstates 85 and 75, I felt myself slow again. I just told myself to stride, and some speed gradually returned, 1 hr. 25 min. elapsed. Entering Atlantic Station, I knew that this year's finish line was a block closer than in past years. 1:26. Was that close enough? I tried to run faster and faster as another minute ticked away, 1:27. I'm not gonna beat 1:27:25, but I'm still gonna finish strongly. Go, go, go, and at 1:28, finally there was the turn from 17th Street. One short block, a young woman passed me, and another right turn and the finish line should be right there, ... no ... it's 50 yards away, but no one else is gonna pass me if I run as fast as I can, and crossing over the timing mat, 1:28:37! Not a personal record, but it was my second-fastest time to run a 10 mile distance!
My first thought was that I probably could have run this a little faster, if not for that pesky mile 8! Nonetheless I'm really proud that my last two miles were my fastest, even though, yes, they were net downhill. But best of all, I didn't feel badly as I finished. Part of what helped my strong finish was that my heart rate never spiked, although it very gradually rose with the miles.
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| A moment after finishing, still in the corral, all smiles today! |
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| Some of the Tucker Running Club members who ran this morning. |
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| With Lizz and Josh Mann. Lizz ran the Chicago Marathon last weekend, and came back for 10 more miles today! |
I was 818th out of 3993 finishers, 609th among 1925 men, 39th out of 157 in the male 55 - 59 age group.
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