A post-race interview with the team Frank & Bees
FRANK: In late March, Brian and Beverly Minor and Bonnie and I agreed to run the REI Run the ATL 20K relay. Three of us ran the relay in 2017, and we had a blast! Sadly, this year's edition was announced to be the last time this race would be held.
BRIAN: Excited about running the relay, I was trying to think of a creative team name. While in the shower the name Frank & Bees (Bonnie, Beverly, Brian, Brenden) a play on “Frank & Beans” came to me. I immediately asked my wife Beverly what she thought about the name, and she agreed it was a cool name. A few minutes later I texted Frank & Bonnie my suggestion for the team’s name.
FRANK: And within minutes, we were registered!
BONNIE: Unfortunately, in the days before the race, I came down with a bad cold - fortunately it wasn't COVID.
FRANK: So I decided to run Bonnie's first leg of the relay.
BRIAN: I agreed to pick up the team’s bibs and shirts on Friday, August 26 at 4 pm. When I arrived, I saw race organizer Tes Marshall and notified her that Bonnie was under the weather and was unable to run. Frank agreed to run her leg of the race along with his leg. If I recall correctly, Tes said it wasn’t a problem but would be disqualified for any potential team awards. And jokingly said, “Frank needs to slow down because he goes all out.”
FRANK: We had agreed in advance to wear the Atlanta Track Club 2022 member singlet. The night before the race, I searched all over the house, and unfortunately never found it. I ended up wearing a Peachtree Road Race singlet that was at least the correct shade of red.
BEVERLY: Brian and I were up at 4:15 am the morning of the race. I went downstairs to make sure I had all of Brenden’s items packed. Once we were dressed to run and packed everything in the car, I got Brenden up and ready for the race. Brenden was extremely excited because he loves races and seeing “the people” as he likes to say.
BRENDEN: Mommy and Daddy had told me about the race the night before so as soon as I got up, I was ready to go to the race. I was thinking I would see Freddy the Falcon at the race also, but Mommy told me that he might not be at the race. I enjoyed my ride in the “dark” to the city. When we arrived and parked the car, I was ready to get in my stroller. Shortly after we arrived. Uncle Frank pulled up and I immediately asked where Pancake was. I was a little sad about it at first, but I got over it quickly.
FRANK: Our cat Pancake doesn't like riding in cars. But Brenden got over his disappointment, and we walked together to the start.
BEVERLY: Brenden and I walked down to the start line to cheer on Uncle Frank. Brian joined us shortly after. We took a few photos together and told Frank to have a great race.
FRANK: As the time approached 7 am, I took a position in the middle of the pack. Tes was making a bunch of undoubtably really important announcements that I couldn't hear, but I figured that I wouldn't be up front so I would just follow the others. At 7:06 am, the airhorn sounded. We were funneled over the rather narrow timing mat, then we were free to run south on Walker Street.
BEVERLY: When the race started Brenden wanted to run also so we let him run about 100m with the races at the end of the start line. He was excited about that.
FRANK: Knowing that I was running two laps today, I was determined not to start too quickly. I had told Beverly that I was aiming for about 30 minutes, not any faster. Well, I found myself running a 9 minute / mile pace, as the first part of the route was mostly a gentle downhill.
BEVERLY: After the start, we walked back to the exchange area so I could start preparing for my leg of the race.
FRANK: A minute or so into the race, a rooster crowed, perfectly coinciding with the official sunrise time! By the time we entered Peters Street, about 3 minutes into the race, I felt that I was running a sustainable pace. Mile 1, 9:13 elapsed. Perfect as far as I was concerned. I decided that I could speed up just a tad as we turned east on Peters Street to return toward downtown Atlanta, paralleling the railroad that runs through the center of town.
BEVERLY: Brian and I was trying to time it out perfect so I would be at the exchange when Frank was coming down the hill.
FRANK: Eventually we ran up a small overpass to cross over the railway, then back down to cross Ted Turner Drive. Last year when I ran the 20K, I nearly made a left turn prematurely, but this time I just followed the other runners ahead of me. The intersection was well protected by police, and thanked them as I crossed, especially as they had made the drivers pause for me to cross.
Looking to the north on Forsyth Street. The MARTA building is in the foreground -
running under the building messed up Garmin recording.
The Westin Hotel is the tall cylindrical building in the background.
One block later, we turned left onto Forsyth Street, now running north toward the very center of town. The road had quite a few potholes but I managed to avoid any mishap. Mile 2, 9:00 flat, 18:13 elapsed. Well, I just hope that Beverly wasn't going to be too surprised when I arrived a couple of minutes early. There was a water station on the left but I decided that I could safely skip this time around. I caught up to Kristi Swartz in this section. She was running the 10K. I had thought that I would run with Kristi but I found myself moving ahead. I guess she was playing it smart whereas I was recklessly charging ahead on my short 5K leg, maintaining the 9 minute / mile pace.
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| Kristi Swartz on her second lap |
BEVERLY: About 26 minutes into the race, I saw a man in a red shirt at the top of the hill, I was thinking it was Frank but then realized that it was another runner.
FRANK: Left on Marietta, then three blocks to the left turn onto Centennial Olympic Park Drive. A woman was cheering us on with a cowbell and calling out "Run strong up that hill to the finish!" Fortunately I knew exactly what was coming, and I shortened my stride and passed a couple of people running past State Farm Arena, and up and over the railroad (again). Up ahead I could see Mercedes Benz Stadium.
BEVERLY: While waiting to see Frank at the top of the hill coming in for the relay exchange, I was just hoping that I could have a strong run.
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| Frank, about 15 seconds before he reached the relay exchange zone |
FRANK: I knew once I passed the second stadium, then it was downhill to the finish, or in this case, the relay exchange zone. As I kicked into high gear, I unclipped the relay tag from my running belt, and was looking ahead for Beverly's red Atlanta Track Club singlet. Fortunately there weren't too many other runners wearing that shade of red today.
BEVERLY: As I saw Frank hit the top of the hill, I was ready to go and entered the exchange area. Frank looked strong coming in and I was ready when he arrived for the exchange.
BRIAN: Once Beverly and I realized Frank was in bird eye view of the relay exchange we started strategizing the best positioning for Beverly to receive passage of the relay tag. As Frank was gliding into the exchange area, he gently passed the relay tag to Beverly as to almost fumbling the pass. Afterwards, we jokingly laughed about it and said if the relay tag dropped, we would have been disqualified from the race.
FRANK: The left lane was to the finish, the right lane was for 10K and 20K runners, and there was the relay exchange area. I crossed a timing mat, then I saw Beverly just in time, handed the relay tag to her and said "Go for it!" The volunteer directing traffic through the exchange area called out "Don't forget to stop your watch!" And my watch read 27:39. I had covered mile 3 in 8:58, perfect! I felt pretty good having run well and yet staying within what was comfortable.
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| Nick Varvel is training for Berlin and Chicago Marathons, and raising funds for CURE Epilepsy Foundation |
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| Alice Pate |
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| followed a moment later by Thomas Pate |
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| and Sue Landa |
BEVERLY: When I started my run, I felt strong. I had set my peloton outdoor app for a 45-minute walk + run on with my favorite instructors Jess Sims. This helps me push during my runs and keeps me entertained. As I was running, I was thinking about the other 2 times I ran this race and how much fun I had each time. I always make sure I say good morning to all the police officers and volunteers and thank them for helping. As I was running, I remembered how much I enjoyed running this course in the past because the hill is not that bad. That excited me even more.
BRIAN: While Beverly was running the second leg of the 20k Brenden and Daddy enjoyed some father and son time. Brenden especially enjoyed running through the mist station. He must have done it a dozen times. Eventually, he had to potty, and I took him to the porta-potty. He gets a kick going to the potty with Daddy because it is those rare moments he gets to stand up and pee. (maybe too much information, LOL)
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| Eric Williams, about 15K into his 20K run. We chatted before the race began, and shared with him that many years ago, I was able to grow nearly as much hair. |
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| I'm glad that I enjoyed my hair to the fullest, long before male pattern baldness set in. This photo is from 1980. |
FRANK: After I had cooled down, drank some Nuun, and used the porta-potty, I jogged over the Ted Turner Drive to watch the other runners, cheering on those that I knew.
BEVERLY: As I got to the 2nd part of the race the sun was shining more and it was feeling warmer outside. I was determined to push as much as I could to get to the finish line.
FRANK: As I neared the railroad overpass on Peters Street, I saw Beverly coming down the overpass. She didn't see me at first, I realized afterwards she was probably running into the direction of the rising sun, but smiled when she saw me and heard me cheering her on. Beverly was running well, so I knew that I had better get back to the start-finish area if I wanted to do it at an easy walking pace.
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| By the second lap, the runners were directly facing the sun on Trinity Avenue |
BEVERLY: I was surprised and happy to see Frank towards the end of Peters Street cheering me on. It was even more motivation to keep me running.
BRIAN: Prior to Beverly running her leg she told me her estimated time will be about 40 minutes. Brenden loves Daddy but started asking where was Mommy? I replied, “Mommy is running.” I can tell he was beginning to get irritated/tired, so I offer him something to eat. He did not want any of the snacks we brought but wanted gummies. I said, “Brenden we didn’t bring any gummies.” He gently took my hand and guided me to a table that had Gatorade gummies for runners. I took two packs and Brenden ate them all. Now, he was full of energy and ready to play, dance and as he says speak to the “people.”
BEVERLY: I was so happy when I was passing the Mercedes Benz Stadium because I knew that it would be down hill from that point. I reached in my pocket and grabbed our relay tag so I would have it ready to pass to Frank.
FRANK: And as I had hoped, about 40 minutes after she started, here was Beverly coming down Walker Street to the relay exchange area. I got into the area, tried to stay to the right side so that Beverly could easily move out of the way.
BEVERLY: When I arrived in the relay exchange area Frank was ready to run his 2nd leg of the race. After passing off the relay tag, I stopped my watch at 41:52 and was happy about my performance. Brian and Brenden were waiting for me at the exchange and congratulated me.
FRANK: We managed a smooth handoff, and I took off. The volunteer reminded Beverly "Don't forget to stop your watch!" and only then did I realize that I needed to start my watch! Now I was running quite a bit faster, but I felt good. Same route as before, but at first I was running an 8 min / mile pace. I gradually curbed my enthusiasm but still knocked out the first mile in 8:22.
BEVERLY: After my lap, I was feeling good. I walked over to our area and pulled out an ice-cold water from the cooler and enjoyed sips of water.
FRANK: I wondered if I could sustain that fast pace. After all, I used to be a sub-25 minute 5K runner, so perhaps being nice and warmed up, I could keep up the fast pace for two more miles.
BEVERLY: Brian came over and told me that he planned on running while pushing Brenden so we started to clean out the stroller so it would be as light as possible.
FRANK: Turns out that I was wrong about sustaining the 8 min / mile pace. About 11 minute in, my heart rate was redlining in the 170s, and I had to take a walk break. I counted to 20, then started running again. But I couldn't keep running. Within a couple of minutes, I had to take another walk break. And that was how it was for the rest of the second lap, run a minute or two, then walk, 20 seconds at first, then 30 seconds. Brian was waiting for me, probably expecting me to run another 27 minute lap. Sorry Brian, you will have to wait a little longer, I thought.
BRIAN: At first, the plan was for me to watch Brenden while Beverly ran and vice versa. That plan changed because Brenden decided he wanted to run (ride in the stroller) with Daddy.
FRANK: The lactate was burning inside my legs. Somewhere on Peters Street I smelled burning cannabis. I hadn't noticed it on the first lap but it was pretty strong this time around. Hoping for some momentary pain relief, I inhaled deeply. But there wasn't enough THC or CBD vapor in the air to ease the pain. Mile 2, 9:49, which wasn't too bad. That was going to average out to a 9 min / mile pace for the first two miles, 18:12 elapsed. Maybe I could finish within 30 minutes after all.
BRIAN: Now, I’m getting nervous because I haven’t run a single mile since July 31, 2022 (26 Days). I have not been training due to the demands of work and had to cut ties with my running coach. Without training I felt confident I can complete my leg under 30 minutes but not so sure how I would far pushing a stroller.
FRANK: I was beginning to accept that I wasn't going to finish the lap in 30 minutes. At the water station, I slowed to a walk and also accepted a bottle of cold water from volunteer David Henry. Thanks, that really helped me feel a little better, especially after I poured a bit on top of my head and the back of my neck. Then a man in a yellow Adidas singlet passed me, calling out "Frank, don't walk! You can make it!!" Who was that man? I sped up just enough to catch up for a moment and realized it was Jordan Eison, another really fast runner, running his last lap in the 20K. I shouted back "Jordan I'll blame you for my heart attack" and he simply replied "Don't let me beat you in my last lap!" I settled in behind him for another 15 - 20 seconds. When Jordan was no longer looking, I slowed down to a walk. Jordan quickly moved out of sight.
BEVERLY: We kept a close eye on the time because we wanted to make sure Brian and Brenden would be ready to run when Frank made it to the exchange point.
FRANK: The rest of the lap was a blur. As soon as I passed the woman with the cowbell and started working my way up the hill, I slowed to a walk. A loooong walk break. Hopefully the woman wasn't looking at me.
I missed this billboard on my first lap, but running / walking
more slowly on the second lap, I couldn't miss it.
BEVERLY: Brenden was extremely excited about riding in the stroller with Daddy. About 28 minutes into Frank's run I told Brian to get Brenden in the stroller and head over to the exchange area.
FRANK: The mile 3 alert sounded, 11:01! 29:13 elapsed. I knew that the way the course was laid out, the first and last laps would be a little shorter than 5K, Beverly's lap and mine were a little longer, 3.21 miles to be exact. With the downhill assist for most of the last part, I picked up the pace, redlining the heart rate the entire way, 8:14 min / mile pace.
BEVERLY: Not long after we got Brenden ready, I looked up and saw Frank coming down the hill.
FRANK: And in the exchange area, there was Brian who was going to run with the stroller with his son Brenden. Brian was ready to accept the relay tag, I had it in my hand, and somehow I kept missing Brian's hand. I basically had to completely stop to have enough coordination to make the exchange. And then, thankfully, I was done for the day. "Don't forget to stop your watch" I heard, and saw 30:58.
BRIAN: Frank and I made the exchange and off I were pushing Brenden in the stroller. As I started running it felt awkward but then found a rhythm. It felt more comfortable for me to run beside the stroller rather than behind it. As I ran there was no one in front or behind me. I thought to myself, I must be the last contestant. As I passed each police officer that was securing the road for the race, I thanked them. They obliged, “great job!” I ran Mile 1, 10:07. Brenden was quiet, so I blurted out “Brenden are you good?” No answer. Oh well, so I kept running and pushing the stroller. I started feeling fatigue, so I took 30 seconds walk break and grabbed a sip of water.
FRANK: Once Beverly had established that I was going to live, she said "I'm going to run to the other side to watch for Brian".
BEVERLY: I walked down a few blocks to Haynes street to hopefully see Brian and Brenden coming down the hill at Peters Street. It was a quick walk so I had to wait on them to arrive.
BRIAN: Mile 2, I implemented the run/walk strategy which slowed my pace to 10:41.
FRANK: I leaned against a wall and tried to rehydrate and recover. It seemed to take 10 - 15 minutes to recover. It helped that I could walk through the mist station. I did that several times, very slowly.
BEVERLY: Once I saw Brian and Brenden coming I was trying to get a good video but Brian was running at a quick pace so I could only get a few short videos before he was further down the road. Brian was looking strong and said he felt good. Brenden was knocked out sleep and enjoying his ride.
BRIAN: Right when I needed it, I saw Beverly cheering us on and she said, “you moving pretty fast” at the same time in her motherly voice said “Brenden’s face is in the sun, put down the shade.” So, I did and kept on running. As I approached the Mercedes Benz Stadium, David Henry (Atlanta Truck Club Elite) was volunteering and breaking down the water station. He saw me and handed me a bottle of water. You can always catch David taking selfies with the running community and sharing his wonderful energy.
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| David Henry working the water station - thanks!! |
FRANK: I began to walk very slowly, passing the finish line and stopping around 100 meters from the finish, so that I could run in with Brian, Brenden, and Beverly. Around 9:10 am, Beverly returned.
BEVERLY: When I returned, I saw Frank headed up to the finish line. I meet him and tell him that Brian was running at a good pace, and he should not take that long to get to the finish. I also mentioned that Brenden was taking a much-needed nap during the run.
BRIAN: It was good to finally see the final stretch of the race. As I approached Mile 3 at 10:50 I saw Frank and Beverly awaiting to run the last one hundred meters with Brenden and me to the finish line.
FRANK: And there was Brian coming over the overpass. As he drew nearer, Beverly began running with him, I was running along the sidewalk. I was grateful that Brian wasn't running at full speed with the stroller, that was the only way that I could keep up with them.
BRIAN: Frank was recording our last dash to the finish and jokingly said “this footage is going to be shaky” from trying to run and record at the same time.
FRANK: As we neared the finish line I had to get off of the sidewalk and onto the roadway. With the narrow finish chute coming up, I slowed down and following Brian, Beverly, and Brenden through the finish line.
BRIAN: We crossed the timing mat, and my watch recorded a total time of 32:52.
Team Frank & Bees relay finish
FRANK: Brian thought that we were the last relay team to finish. Our official results: 2:13:45 chip time, 2:14:00 gun time. Turns out that our team was 27th out of 31 teams in the Mixed Open group, and 43rd out of 55 teams total, so I guess we weren't last.
BEVERLY: We decided to go to brunch after walking to the car. Brian and Frank thought about the restaurant Le Petit Marche in Kirkwood. We had visited the restaurant back in May and really enjoyed the food and figured it would be a wonderful place to visit again.
FRANK: I called Bonnie at the beginning of my drive to the restaurant, and was happy to hear that she felt well enough to join us for lunch.
BONNIE: After sleeping in, I was feeling better, and was happy that Frank called me before heading to brunch with Brian and Beverly.
BEVERLY: We ate outside on the patio. Brenden had fun meeting new dogs (especially Jedi) and a little 15-month-old girl name Gia.
BONNIE: It's always great to see Brian, Beverly, and especially their lovely son Brenden!
BRIAN: While having brunch, to my surprise I ran into a childhood friend from my hometown, Brooklyn, NY who came to dine with a friend. During our conversation said she always wanted to run a 5K but only managed to run 2 miles. I encouraged her if she can run two miles, she can run a 5K (not the best advice). I joined Tucker Running Club in 2015, started running five miles around Stone Mountain Park to a 10K, then 13.1 miles and eventually 26.2 miles. If I can do it, you can!
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