September 18, 2021: The Refuge Coffee 5K Run

I ran the Refuge Coffee 5K Run back in April 2017, and enjoyed the route, the race, and the overall experience. Somehow I didn't get around to running this race again, although I was thinking about registering for the April 2020 race, and then the country locked down due to COVID-19. Like so many spring 2021 races that were cancelled or postponed to fall 2021, this event was moved to mid-September for this year. With just three weeks to go in marathon training, running a 5K race wasn't part of my plan, but in light of recent events in Afghanistan and the resulting refugee crisis, I couldn't imagine not participating in this race this year. 

The fall of Afghanistan in August and the resulting refugee exodus hit home for me. Not that I have any personal connection with Afghanistan, but every refugee crisis reminds me of what my mother and grandparents went through during and immediately after World War II. At the end of the war, they ended up in Linz, Austria. This was in the United States occupation zone, which was fortunate for them, as they quickly moved west at the end of the war to stay out of the Soviet occupation zone. Although they were ethnically Austrian, they weren't Austrian citizens, so they really weren't supposed to be there. They feared for their lives if they tried to return to Yugoslavia, where my mother was born. 75 years ago, Austria was a "shithole country," to put it bluntly. The Nazis had run the place for the previous decade, and if that wasn't terrible enough, by the end of the war, the cities had suffered extensive bomb damage, and the people who had survived were starving. Austria isn't that way today. But it was impossible for my grandparents to foresee that things might improve in Europe, after surviving both of the World Wars. They were fortunate to receive refugee visas to immigrate to the United States as permanent residents in 1950. 

In front of a bomb-destroyed block in Linz, Austria, ca. 1945: 
from left-to-right, my mother Cecilie Kefer, grandparents Rudolf and Elizabeth Kefer, 
a family friend Josefina Schwarzer, and my aunt Mira Kefer. 

For too many years, I naively thought that the lines of the poem "The New Colossus" penned by Emma Lazarus and famously inscribed at the Statue of Liberty National Monument carried some legal force:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land; 

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand 

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. 

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she  

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" 

__________

For today's race, I parked my car at a mosque on North Indian Creek Drive, one of the designated parking areas, but the furthest from the race start. Not a problem, I was due to run 6 miles today, so the 2-mile warmup was perfect for this "cutdown week" in my marathon training plan. There was a very light drizzle, but perhaps that diminished the negative impact of 72 degree temperature. 

I was the only person who parked way out here.
Oh, and showing off my new Tesla Model 3. 

Today's language lesson

Good showing today from Clarkston's neighbors in the Tucker Running Club

Mural outside of Balagru Food Mart

Arriving at the Refuge Coffee Company

Ready to begin, lining up behind the Clarkston High School Air Force Junior ROTC runners

Fully warmed up, I took a place to the side and fairly far back in the pack, mostly to maintain some physical distance after removing my mask. The race announcer counted down our start, and sounded the airhorn, at 9:00 am on the dot! I took my time walking to the timing mat, started my watch, and crossed the timing mat. I had set the watch to 2 minutes running, 30 seconds walking, which is the interval plan that I will likely use in the Chicago Marathon. The goal at the start was to begin cautiously, no faster than a 10 minute / mile pace. As I crossed the timing mat, I found myself behind quite a few walkers, so carefully worked my way onto the sidewalk to get around the group, then swung wide on the left turn. We were running downhill so I was careful not to run too fast, but filed away the information that I would run back up this hill in the last 0.2 miles of the race. The first walk break sounded as the route turned right onto Norman Road, so I raised my hand and slowed to a walk. My initial pace was a low 10 minutes / mile, crept toward 10:30 during the walk break, and at 2:30 elapsed went back to running. We were still moving downhill, as I chatted with Emily Grossman, who I didn't really know well although she has been active in Tucker Running Club during the past year. Knowing that I won't have any downhills to speak of at all in Chicago, I just took my time running as easily as possible, not waiting to strain my quadriceps, or anything else. Then I caught up to Judy Tennell, we ran together for a moment, I took a walk break, then caught up to her and moved ahead in the next running interval. Midway through the first mile, the road turned uphill. Again, in Chicago, I won't get any hill work other than possibly an occasional overpass. But on a gentle hill, running uphill is a great way to do a little speed work in disguise, as long as I don't push the pace too hard. 

Volunteers were cheering us along the route, including each corner. After a left turn onto Otello Avenue, we kept running gently uphill. With Jolly Elementary School on the left, the mile 1 alert sounded, at 10:36. I'm getting the hang of this conservative start! We turned right onto Echo Woods Drive, a nice little neighborhood loop, then turned right back onto Otello Drive. The road kept going uphill, I kept making easy progress. Approaching the top of a hill, most people ahead of me were walking, and voilà, it was time for my 30 second walk break! Around this time, I caught up with Carolyn Weber. She was also doing run-walk intervals, so we leapfrogged / occasionally ran together for awhile. As we turned left onto Erskine Road, I saw a water stop. I wasn't thirsty, but I remembered getting thirsty late in a summer 5K several years ago, so I accepted a small bottle of water from a volunteer, jogged slowly as I sipped the water. I managed to gulp most of it down, spilling just a bit down the front of my shirt, as I approached the recycling bin. I passed the mile 2 mark at 20:47 elapsed, 10:11 for the second mile, so nice progression, but still running pretty easily. 

We turned onto the PATH trail, at the mile 13 marker. I joked with Carolyn "Half-marathon distance to downtown Atlanta!" This section is one of the nicest parts of the PATH, through a little forest, nicely shaded, and in the westerly direction, gently downhill. I took a photo during a walk break, about 25 minutes into the race. Sigh, normally I would be looking for the finish line by now - or on a great day, might even be cooling down just past the finish line. There was only about 1 kilometer to go, with easy running on the PATH trail, scrupulously taking 30-second walk breaks at 27:00 and again at 29:30. 

The PATH trail through Clarkston

As we reached the Norman Road intersection at 30 minutes flat, I picked up the speed. It felt great to run faster, especially after 5 miles total of easy warmup this morning! I suddenly passed a bunch of people, even though we were running uphill. Well, perhaps they were running uphill, but I was riding a rocket toward the finish line. Exaggeration? Mile 3 reached at 30:47, 10:00 flat for the third mile. Making the right turn onto Market Street, I was running out of energy, but kept pushing myself knowing that I was almost finished - with the race. Later I saw that my heart rate was 177 bpm near the end. I caught up to a man pushing a baby stroller. As we ran uphill over the railroad track, the man said to his child, "There's the finish line!" I sensed that he was about to accelerate. I wanted to take a walk break so badly, but I wasn't going to be passed by a stroller! While watching carefully to make sure that the police had blocked the normally busy intersection at East Ponce de Leon Avenue, I kept my lead foot on my personal accelerator pedal. The 50-meter dash from Ponce de Leon to the finish line was a gentle downhill. I heard someone yell "Go Frank!" - turns out it was Lisa Calas, who had just set her personal best in the 5K, and was taking photographs of Tucker runners as we approached the finish line. 

A couple of steps ahead of the stroller - with two children! 

Flashing a smile! 

A few steps before the finish line

Crossing the finish line, stopping the watch: 31:59! 7:15 min / mile pace for the final 0.16 miles on my watch. The funny thing about the 31:59 finish time, was that I was due to take another walk break at 32:00. I wasn't listening for an alert at the end, but if I had run a few seconds slower to this point, wouldn't it have been funny if I had slowed to a 30-second walk break with the finish line in sight?

With the walk-run method, I managed a consistent pace from the start to the 30-minute mark. 
And really happy with the jump in speed over the last 2-minute run segment, especially with the 20-foot increase in elevation.  

I really like this year's shirt! They had blue and white shirts:
I made sure that I was in the line for the blue shirts. 

P. S.  This was a surprise! It's a good thing that I picked up my speed at the end!!

________

I didn't open the swag bag until I got home. Inside there was a special bar of soap:

 

"Pure soap made by refugees. Creating jobs in Iraq."

Sisterhoodcollection.com

September 6, 2021: The Big Peach Sizzler 10K

Marathon training continues, but with its challenges. I finished an 18-mile run on a relatively cool 64 degree morning, with 16 good miles on a 3:30 run / 0:30 walk interval. As the miles continued, my feet began to ache, along with my left ankle. Early in the seventeenth mile, my mental training failed me: I ended up walking the last 1-1/2 miles over 30 minutes. Within a few minutes of reaching my car, and removing my shoes, my feet were feeling better, the ankle didn't feel terribly injured, and I felt so disappointed that I hadn't persisted through the end of the long run. Somehow between now and the October 10 marathon, I need a mental strategy to persist through the finish line. 

Driving to the race at "ass o'clock"

The Tucker Running Club organized a team for today's Big Peach Sizzler. I've run the 10K on Labor Day each year from 2014 - 2019, and set my 10K personal best on this course in 2017. But in the midst of marathon training, I was definitely not racing this year, just working in some easy mileage between the 18-miler and a 20-miler coming up this weekend. I set my watch for 2:00 / 0:30 intervals. My plan was to run the first 3 - 4 miles run - walk, and if I felt good, then switch over to 2:00 easy run / 0:30 strides or sprints, simulating this week's track workout for six laps of "stride the straights, jog the curves". Admittedly the 2 minute easy sections would give me more rest than I would get in the track workout, but since this would normally be a 4-mile maximum day, I figured I couldn't go wrong with longer recovery times. I also set my watch to signal whenever my heart rate reached or exceeded 160 beats per minute. 

above: Chris Ludwig, Rebecca Ludwig, Susie Hill,
Jeff Norris, and Rhonda Moore-Kelly with the author:
"Tucker Running Club in the House!"

I started with a few other Tucker Running Club friends just in front of the 11:00 minute / mile pace sign, and behind a runner carrying the United States flag. The other runners had voluntarily spread out a bit to allow physical distancing, which I greatly appreciated, even though I felt fairly safe from COVID breakthrough infection while outdoors. The temperature was a little warmer than I had expected, about 70 degrees, when just 24 hours ago the forecast for this morning had been low- to mid-60's, but as the light increased after sunrise, I noticed that the skies were cloudy, so that was going to help. 

With Bonnie and Long Tran a few minutes before the start

Runners gathering for the start

At 7:30 am sharp, we heard the shot of the starting pistol. Conversations suddenly stopped as we began slowly walking toward the starting line, but I saw Rebecca Ludwig up ahead dashing to catch up with a faster group. Rebecca recently completed her first ultra-marathon, and will run the Berlin Marathon and the Chicago Marathon just two weeks apart! Crossing the starting line at an easy jog, I was looking for Bonnie photographing runners to our left. I flashed her a big smile and raised both arms, and just kept moving with the rest of the group. I was concerned that I would be running too fast, but when I checked my watch, I was on a 10:30 min / mile pace, perfect for practicing a marathon start. With two minutes elapsed, my watch sounded for the first walk break. This year I was far enough to the side to step out of the way to slow to a walk. One runner asked "Are you OK?" and I replied "Yes, doing run-walk for easy mileage today." But I really appreciated that he asked! 

Rebecca shortly after the start

Me, a minute or so later

Carolyn Weber after the start

A couple of walk breaks later, and a nice downhill start, we were on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, heading slightly uphill for a short stretch. The police moved us over to a single lane within a few blocks, which was enough room since we were spread out fairly well. Quite a few others were doing run - walk intervals, so it was easy to stick with my goal for the early miles not to pass anyone unless they were walking. The distance between me and the US flag increased a bit with every walk break, but I just reminded myself, "Not racing today!" At least not for the first miles. Before long, the mile 1 marker appeared, 10:43 elapsed. Right on target, Coach Carl will be pleased, I thought. A group of volunteers manned the first water station early in the second mile. I was expecting water bottles due to the ongoing pandemic, but to my surprise, the volunteers were handing paper cups of water, just as in the good ol' days. 

Race route, same as it always was (since 2018)

The mile 2 marker came up fairly quickly, I thought, for an easy and relatively slow run. 10:40 for the second mile, 21:23 elapsed. Right on track, nice and consistent. My pulse was consistently around 140 bpm. Around this time, Harley Eisenberg called out as I passed him. He and a partner were pushing a wheelchair participant. We leapfrogged a couple of times due to my walk breaks, then I got out in front a bit further to stay out of their way. Before long, we ran by the Oglethorpe University campus, welcoming students back to school, then the Town Brookhaven development where we picked up my race bib on Saturday. The Brookhaven MARTA station came into view, which is where the 5K runners had began about an hour before. I guess I got excited and must have sped up a bit, then unexpectedly I heard my heart rate alert. I don't know what really caused my heart rate to spike, but I immediately slowed to a walk, about 45 seconds. My heart rate quickly dropped below 130 bpm. I tightened the band on my watch one notch, just in case the sensor wasn't ready properly. 10:27 for mile 3, 31:50 elapsed. 

My heart rate settled down again, and I felt really good. After the walk break at 34:30 - 35:00 minutes, I resolved to begin the pace "pickups" at the next "walk break" signal. At 37:00 flat, I picked up the pace a bit. Just 30 seconds, but that felt really good! I slowed back down to an easier pace, then 2 minutes later, another pickup, passing the US flag bearer. By 41:10 elapsed, I had covered mile 4 in 9:20, with just two pickups. Each time I passed several runners. Around this stage, I caught up with Lisa Calas and Susie Hill in Tucker Running Club, ran with them for a moment, then as my watch sounded the next alert, told them "I'm trying to run a negative split" and took off, which coincided with a downhill section. My heart rate exceeded 160 bpm a couple of times, but quickly dropped with each 2 minute easy jog, so I continued this pattern for two more cycles. Then coming off of the 47:30 pickup, my heart rate kept increasing even after I slowed down. I was feeling the exertion, so I decided that I had better take a short walk break, unfortunately immediately after I had jetted past several people. My pulse quickly dropped below 160 bpm, so I resumed running. Shortly after the next pickup, the mile 5 alert sounded near the entrance to Lenox Mall, another 9:20 mile, and 50:30 elapsed. 

Easy 5K with regular walk breaks, followed by a
 tough 5K with 7 pickups and a sprint to the finish

In 2017, I finished this race in less than 50 minutes; in most of the other Sizzler years, I was getting close to the finish line by this stage. But I wasn't racing today. And after the 52:00 minute pickup, my heart rate was redlining, and I was feeling tired. With one full mile to go, I took a walk break, even though I could see Rebecca Ludwig just ahead. 52:30, back to running. Around that time, Rebecca took a walk break of her own. I caught up to her and said "hello!" Maybe she was surprised to see me, but resumed running to stay with me. Rebecca said "I think this is the only time that I'll ever run with you in a race." I replied, "I'll need another walk break in a moment" and did exactly that at 54:30. Rebecca pulled ahead; no problem since I wasn't racing today. 

Shortly after the next walk break, I reached the corner of Peachtree with Piedmont, making the right turn around 58 minutes elapsed. From this turn, I need less than 4 minutes to get to the finish line. I nearly caught up to Rebecca, but at 59:35, at the 6 mile marker, my heart rate alert was making a continuous racket, so I slowed down a little. 9:05 for mile 6, but approaching the 1 hour mark. I had always finished this race in less than 1 hour, and had once run every mile under an 8:15 minute / mile pace. But not racing today. Then the roadway visibly went slightly downhill again, so I picked up my pace again. Less than two blocks to go. I caught up with Rebecca, said "Let's go!" She took off with me, keeping up with me as we made the turn onto Lenox Road. Someone cheered me on, I think it was Jackie Whitlock from Coach Carl's training group, but I was breathing so hard with sweat in my eyes just running as fast as possible not racing today?! Now the final right turn onto Tower Place Drive toward the finish line, DON'T SLOW DOWN. I didn't know where Rebecca was but assumed that she was hot on my tail. The announcer called out "Tucker Running Club! Tucker Running Club in the House!!" so I assumed that he saw both Rebecca and me at the same time. Over the line and stopped my watch, 1:02:03, and turned around to see that Rebecca was the next finisher, just 4 - 5 seconds after me.  

Sue Landa and David Bloomquist finishing together

Rebecca's finish

Lisa Calas' finish

Fist bumps exchanged with Rebecca in celebration. And Sue Landa and David Bloomquist had finished about 20 seconds ahead of me. David called "I want to make sure that I make it into the blog!" and he and Sue posed with me for a photo.       

This man is smiling like he just won the race!

Grandmaster runners after finishing

This race was a lot of fun, even though it was my slowest Sizzler 10K. I ran the second 5K a little faster than I probably should have, considering that I have a 20-miler coming up this weekend. But easy walking and jogging over the next few days should support enough recovery in time for a good, long slow distance run. I hope! 

P. S. Somehow my chip didn't register at the starting line, so my recorded chip time equals my official time. At least I wasn't racing today. 

Official results 

August 28, 2021: The REI ATL 10K

I'm finally recovered from the irritated nerve, and have run completely pain-free since shortly after the Peachtree Road Race. In mid-June, I was just hoping to recover enough to complain more about the heat and humidity than the nerve pain. Hope realized! I don't know if this has been a hotter / more humid Atlanta summer than usual, or if I'm just more sensitive to the heat this time around. Nonetheless I'm still on track with marathon training, completing very slow 14- and 16-mile runs on the previous two Saturdays. With this weekend being a cut-back week, only 6 - 8 miles, I decided to register for the Run the ATL 10K race. It's now sponsored by REI, but still organized by Tes Sobomehin Marshall and the runningnerds / RunSocial group. 

This is a real thing! https://atlantaselfie.com

Mask off for a moment

The purpose of the cut-back week is recovery in the macro-scheme of the training program, to "bake in" the strength gained in the previous long runs without stressing the body. Therefore, the mileage is shorter and the pace is always easy - therefore don't "race" a race. My plan today was to simply practice a patient marathon start without trying to keep up with the other runners at the start, then continue with that easy pace for the remaining distance. I decided to aim for 11 minute miles, using 4:30 run / 0:30 walk intervals, and also set my heart rate alert to chime above 160 bpm. This worked nicely in my last two long runs, so whenever the heart rate alert sounded, I immediately transitioned from running to walking until my pulse was well under 150 bpm. That has kept me out of "oxygen debt" so that I have successfully finished the distances, slowly but hopefully getting the benefit of additional time on my feet. With the warm temperatures, the heart rate monitor sounds much sooner than I think it should, but if my fitness is not up to running that fast, I definitely want to learn that now and not midway through the Chicago Marathon, just six weeks away.

In previous years, I've parked downtown ($10 - $15) or took a Lyft to this race, but this year Tes announced free parking on Fair Street, just 4 blocks or so from the starting line. The logistics of getting to the race were simple, and so I had plenty of time for dynamic stretches, a little socializing with other runners, and an easy warmup - which turned out to be a little faster when I realized that the race was about to begin yet I was still several blocks away! Not to worry, I made it with a couple of minutes to spare. If the group was just a little smaller than previous years, there was still a good energy amongst the runners, who ranged from those running the first 5K leg of the relay up front, to the 20K runners beginning at their slower paces. I enjoyed running the reply myself back in 2017. This year there was a large group representing Back On My Feet Atlanta - organized in 13 four-person relay teams! 

Ready to start! 

As we started, any concern that I was moving too quickly was soon allayed as most of the small group of runners behind me passed me within a couple of minutes. My watch read 10:40 mile / minute pace, so I figured that I was off to the right start. There were some other run-walkers in my vicinity, so I didn't stand out when I took my first walk break at 4:30. To my surprise, my heart rate alert sounded about 7 minutes elapsed, at 164 bpm! That should not have happened, but I slowed to a walk following my resolution. When I checked again after 15 - 20 seconds, my pulse was down to 122 bpm, so I decided that the sensor wasn't getting a good reading. Earlier in the morning, I had loosened my watch for comfort, so now I tightened it a notch, and I think that the readings were accurate for the rest of today's run. 

It was warm and humid this morning, but at least there were solid clouds overhead to block the direct morning sun, so I didn't need sunglasses or a cap today. Around 10 minutes in, I caught up with Judy Tennell in the Tucker Running Club. We ran together for a while, past the mile 1 marker and the water stop about midway through the 5K loop. As I approached the table, I thought of the poor Olympic marathon runner who knocked over a couple of dozen bottles in the late miles on a hot morning in Sapporo earlier this month. In the moment, it looked terribly unsportsmanlike, but watching the video later on, I can accept the explanation that it was an accident. I managed to grab a bottle cleanly, but it wasn't that easy, and I was moving no faster than 5 miles per hour. If I was so fortunate to run twice as fast, I'm quite certain that I could have not have cleanly grabbed a single water bottle. I was already thoroughly soaked with sweat by this point of the race route, even with the easy effort, so it was really nice to have a full bottle of water to sip as I ran. 

I got ahead of Judy after the mile 2 marker, and finished the first loop between 34 - 35 minutes elapsed, averaging an 11:08 min / mile pace - perfect! Although I faithfully maintained the 4:30 / 0:30 intervals through mile 4, I finished that mile in 10:12. I guess I had zoned out or was just enjoying the run, but I consciously slowed down just a bit after that point. Shortly after the mile 5 marker (passed at 54:37, 11:00 min / pace on the dot), I nearly made a wrong turn! There were police at every intersection (thanks!) but I saw a row of cones on Ted Turner Drive and began to turn left. The policeman quickly got my attention before I had run more than a few steps, and a bike marshal waved me back onto  the correct route. As I caught up to the marshal, I said "thanks - that was a bad turn on my part" who replied "I didn't want you to run to Decatur!" Me: "I was looking for a short cut!" Anyway, the correct turn was the next street, Forsyth Street. I had carried the water bottle for the entire lap, and finished the last drops as I reached the water station for the second time, where a couple of plastic recycling boxes were awaiting my bottle deposit.  

I took this photo before the race began.

In the Peachtree Road Race, I had increased my tempo after the 5-mile marker, but for today Coach Carl had encouraged me to run the entire race at the long run easy tempo. Even so, my heart rate alert sounded midway through mile 6 - and while I hadn't meant to speed up, I had unconsciously done so - so I immediately slowed to a walk for about a minute. Even with the extra walk break, and an uphill climb on the overpass in front of the CNN Center, I still covered mile 6 in 10:57, 1:05:30 elapsed. The road leveled out at the mile 6 marker, so I decided, with only 0.22 mile to go, that it would be OK if I sped up to enjoy the finish, as long as I didn't fall or twist an ankle in one of the many potholes dotting the roads adjacent to the State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It felt great to move more quickly after slowly jogging 6 miles. I was now running with midfoot strike and I felt that the rest of my form was good, whereas I had ignored all of that while I was moving more slowly. Within a minute or so, my heart rate alert sounded, and I could feel that I couldn't keep up this pace for very long. But the finish line soon came into sight, I didn't need to run fast for much longer, so I could afford to go into oxygen debt for just one moment. Then I heard the MC announce "Here comes another 10K finisher!" and maybe I picked up my pace just a bit more! Tes was cheering near the finish line. I felt like slowing down with a few paces to go, since I didn't have a time goal for today, but didn't want to acquire a bad habit of not running completely through the finish line! So I focused for a few more steps to cross the finish line, stopping my watch at 1:08:14 elapsed. This was one of my slowest 10K race times ever, but I felt good physically, and was satisfied to have executed the plan, with just a touch of speed work at the very end! 

Atlanta Selfie with Sue Landa after the race.
Sue is training for the London Marathon on October 3! 

July 3, 2021: The Peachtree Road Race 10K, day 1

Due to the pandemic, the Atlanta Track Club scheduled the in-person Peachtree Road Race for two days, Saturday and Sunday, July 3 - 4. When we registered in March, prior to vaccination, I wasn't sure what things would be like in mid-summer, so we signed up for the Saturday July 3 race expecting a smaller number of runners. Fortunately things have improved in this country over the past several months, although the virus slowly continues its malevolent rampage through our unvaccinated population. 

For my part I had planned to run a couple of races in May before formally beginning marathon training. My pre-training was going well, working up to a 12-mile enjoyable long run on May 1, covering the Peachtree Road Race route from finish to start and then returning to the finish. But on May 8, I struggled through an easy 3-mile shake-out run at the hilly park in our neighborhood. I thought that finishing with a set of strides on a flat stretch in front of our neighborhood elementary school might loosen any rust in the legs. But at the end of the third stride, I felt severe pain in my right gluteus. I slowly limped home, a painful quarter-mile even though it was mostly downhill. 

After a couple of trips to a chiropractor, two physical therapy sessions, and strictly following the prescribed flexibility / stretching exercise program, I had some improvement, although I couldn't run-walk more than a mile without considerable pain. I was referred to a spine specialist. After the doctor checked my reflexes, examined my posture and listened to my symptoms, including my observation that walking downhill was especially painful, whereas walking uphill almost pain-free, he diagnosed that I probably had some arthritis in the lower spine that was irritating one of the major nerves into the right leg. He was optimistic that I would recover but that it might take several weeks. He said that mild exercise would help with the recovery, as long as it didn't get too painful, and cleared me to start marathon training. In my next physical therapy session, I overheard the term "O.A." several times, from the therapist working on another middle-aged patient at the next table. I had a couple of ideas of what "O.A." stood for. When the patient asked and was told "O.A. is Osteoarthritis", that confirmed my suspicion that "O.A." and "Osteoarthritis" are euphemisms for "Old Age."

The doctor's optimism was justified: Over the past month, I've progressed from being unable to run for more than 30 seconds, to finishing a 6-mile run-walk at a 12 min/mile pace last weekend. Only after completing that 6-miler without too much pain, was I fairly confident that I would finish the Peachtree Road Race. The irritation manifests as if a small lump is deep inside my gluteus muscle. It is no longer really painful in the beginning of an easy run. Although some pain inevitably begins within a few miles, it hasn't grown worse in the 3-to-6 mile run-walk outings that I've recently completed. Brian Minor and I had originally planned for a mano-a-mano race this morning, but a few weeks ago I told him that I had to back out. Today was just for me to run for fun and hopefully build up some mileage in the early stages of marathon training. My race plan for today was to run-walk the first 5 miles (8K) at an easy pace, 4:30 run alternating with 0:30 walk breaks. If I felt good at the mile 5 sign, then I wanted to race the last two kilometers. I discussed this plan with Coach Carl Leivers, who was supportive: he just wanted to make sure that I didn't exacerbate the irritated nerve by overdoing today's run. 

The first two weeks of the marathon training plan

I had earned a wave B bib with a 6:40 am start, for runners with a projected finish time of 50 - 56 minutes. Based on my current ability, I probably should have started with wave D or E, but the irresistable advantage of wave B was that an early start would give me a better chance to finish before the temperature heated up. Happily, the weather this morning was beautiful and clear, with temperature of 68 degrees, a bit humid after yesterday's rain, but definitely pleasantly cool for an July morning in Atlanta. We had a minor fiasco getting to the start: our BreezeCards for MARTA had expired, I guess from not using them during the pandemic? In the time needed to purchase single day tickets, a train had come and gone. Fortunately another train arrived within 10 minutes. 

Incognito on the MARTA train (above);
Ready to run (below)

We arrived at the staging area at Lenox Square Mall with enough time for me to mentally relax and to loosen up my legs with some dynamic stretches. To support physical distancing, the waves were staggered by 10 minutes, with probably only half as many people per wave as in previous years. I took a position in the back and to the right side of wave B, crossing the starting line around 6:41 am. 

6:18 am, waiting for the National Anthem

6:36 am, wave B walking to the start

6:37 am, we're next! 

The first mile went well. I was running at just above a 10 minute / mile pace, and followed my resolution to walk for 30 seconds when the watch signalled 4:30 elapsed. Although most of the wave B runners were well ahead of me, I was not running alone. As the race progressed, I noticed that I was "leapfrogging" some of the same runners. I could feel the sensation of a "lump" in my gluteus by the end of the first mile, although it wasn't really painful. I finished mile 1 in 10:25, which was initially gently downhill, then gradually uphill. So far so good. Mile 2 was a gentle downhill. Although I noticed a little pain was developing, it wasn't too bad, probably only 2 on a 10-point scale. 10:27 for mile 2, 20:52 elapsed. Those were two of the fastest miles that I've run in the past eight weeks!  

Running at a relaxed pace gave me a chance to look around much more, taking in the sights and sounds, noticing some of the new construction in Buckhead since the last in-person Peachtree Road Race in 2019. There weren't too many spectators this year, but enough people were watching to make it a fun experience. If today had been my first Peachtree Road Race, I might have thought this was a fairly big crowd, both runners and spectators. As I wasn't racing and had no time goals for today - other than to avoid running too fast early in the race, I enjoyed smiling and waving back to the people watching us. This was perfect practice for the first five miles of the marathon to come in October. Even though the temperature was not that warm, fire hydrants were set to deliver a fine spray, spaced about every half-mile. I and most other runners tried to avoid the water sprays in an effort to mostly stay dry. The priests and ministers delivered blessings and sprayed holy water on the runners along the right side of the road, as we ran through "Jesus Junction" near the intersection of Peachtree Street with Wesley Road.   

The finish line is well before the downtown towers in the distance

John Wallace cheering me on! 

Mile 3 was mostly downhill with a bigger elevation drop. I had wondered before the race how the pain might feel running or walking downhill. Fortunately the sensation was constant, no worse than 2 out of 10 for pain. During walk breaks I snapped a few photos with my cellphone, starting with the first view of the high-rise towers of downtown Atlanta in the distance. Then I heard someone behind me calling "Frank, Frank!", turned around, and saw John Wallace cheering me on. He and probably many of the other spectators are scheduled to race tomorrow, so it was really great that he and others came out to cheer us on this morning. I hope to repay the favor tomorrow morning for day 2 of the race! Further along the route, a band was playing The Cure's 1980's hit "Just Like Heaven". Great song, but ... for a long moment, I pondered the irony of hearing a song from an English band on United States Independence Day weekend. 

Go Hawks!!!

Metro Atlanta population.
The city of Atlanta proper has only half-a-million people.

We crossed the bridge at Peachtree Creek, and began climbing Cardiac Hill shortly before passing the mile 3 sign, 10:29, 31:21 elapsed. I definitely wasn't expecting to run quite that fast, but felt OK for the effort so far, which was similar to my recent marathon pace. I crossed the 5K timing mat at 33 minutes flat, then pulled over to the right side of the road to pick up a bottle of water. I wasn't really thirsty, but thought it would be good to hydrate a bit when I had the opportunity, to ward off any thirst before the next (and last) water station around mile 5. Heading uphill, there was a small tent for the Atlanta Hawks and their cheerleaders, and upbeat music from their sound system. The Hawks (surprisingly!) are doing very well in the NBA playoffs this year. At this writing, they are behind 2 - 3 in the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. However, this evening's game 6 is in Atlanta, so there is reasonable hope that the Hawks will play well enough to force a decisive game 7 in Milwaukee on Monday evening. The winner will progress to the NBA finals. Normally the basketball season is over well before July, but ... the NBA season began late due to the pandemic. My fourth mile was 10:45, a little slower than the others, but that was simply because of more walk breaks to take photos, including a couple of short stops. Happily, I had no problem getting up and over Cardiac Hill at the easy pace. I noticed Egg Harbor Cafe on the right side of the street, wondering if we might have brunch there after the race. 

Bridge over I-85, about 4.3 miles into the race

Water spray in Midtown.
Note the orange spray paint marking road hazards! 

We crossed the Peachtree Bridge over Interstate-85, heading into midtown Atlanta. This was another uphill section, but not as steep as Cardiac Hill. I was feeling pretty good, now 100% confident that I would finish. I was even thinking "negative split," if I reached the finish line in less than 66 minutes. A negative split never happens in the Peachtree Road Race (at least not for me) but was definitely realistic for me today. I took one last photo about 49 minutes into my race, then put the phone away, because I was all business. One last walk break, then returning to running as I passed the mile 5 sign. 53:14 elapsed, 10:39 minute / mile average pace for the first five miles, with just two kilometers to go! And now it's ....

HAMMER TIME!  It felt a little unfamiliar to run faster than 10 minute / mile pac,e after so many painfully slow weeks. Then I was ecstatic when my watch showed that my pace had dipped below 9 minute / mile pace. That is close to what I can run the sixth mile of the Peachtree Road Race in a good year. Totally focused on running well, I kept up with almost everyone else on the course at this point. Passing Colony Square at the intersection with 14th Street, I heard another person call my name: it was Tommy Daniels, who I first met in Boston at the B.A.A. Half in October 2017. I barely slowed enough to say hello and shouted "See you tomorrow!" and went back to running my 2K race. 

Turning the corner at 10th Street is always a highlight of the Peachtree Road Race. That is where I try to forecast my likely finishing time. From the corner to the finish line is just over 1.0 kilometers. In a great year, I may cover that distance in about 4:30. At the turn, my elapsed time was 58:40, so I knew that I would definitely finish in less than 66 minutes, accomplishing the negative split. That last stretch along 10th Street doesn't look very long on a map, but it stretches on and on when trying to run it quickly. Right before crossing Piedmont Road, there was a smaller-than-usual overhead camera stand with a couple of photographers. As I crossed the blue ribbon marking the photographer's target, I raised my hands and smiled at the camera. At the same moment, I heard someone shout "Frank! Frank!" and it was Beverly Minor! Brian had passed before Beverly had arrived, and Beverly didn't have a chance to photograph me - I like to think because I was running so quickly at that point - but I waved and shouted "Hi Beverly!" as I passed, then turned back to business, approaching the western border of Piedmont Park. Only then did I see the mile 6 marker, so I still had 0.22 miles to go, about 2 minutes for me on a good day. I was thrilled to check my time after the race and saw that I had moved at an 8:45 min / mile pace for mile 6. 

In the last stretch, I saw a couple just ahead of me to the left: the woman was spitting into garbage cans as she passed them. Then she stopped and vomited orange liquid onto the side of the street. Her partner / friend stopped to check on her. I ran past, fortunately feeling fine myself. The finish line for the Peachtree Road Race always hides just over one final small hill, but knowing it was somewhere not to far away, I continued to run fast, even though I knew that I would still record a negative split even if I walked to the finish line. In the final hundred feet or so, I was shocked to see the same couple passing me to the left. I couldn't believe that I was outrun by someone who had just lost her breakfast on the course. I put on a surge to try to catch up, hoping to pass her. I couldn't maintain the surge, as the couple also sped up to cross the finish line a few steps ahead of me. My official time: 1:04:19; I was delighted to have run the last 0.22 miles at an 8:00 min / mile pace. 

Bonnie smiling about 1/2 mile from the finish

Having run easily for the first five miles, I didn't feel exhausted after I crossed the finish line after my two-kilometer race. I was probably more conscious in the finishing area than in previous years, since I wasn't gasping for oxygen. As we walked into the park, a volunteer told us "Pick up your shirts, then leave the park!" Normally the meadow of Piedmont Park is a huge and festive gathering site, but with concerns about the pandemic, the track club discouraged us from spending too much time together, even outdoors, in the space for which they were responsible this morning. I accepted a bottle of water, picked up my shirt, took a few minutes to chat with Bryan Greenberg while stretching, then found my way out of the park to run into Brian Minor, who was waiting for me. Beverly and their young son Brenden joined us in a moment. We circled back several blocks to get around the finish area, to wait to cheer Bonnie into the finish line. 

My right leg was pretty sore after finishing. Fortunately, between easy walking for a mile or so, and occasionally stretching when we stopped to watch the other finishers, my leg felt pretty good by the time Bonnie passed. We returned to the park exit to meet up with her, and finished up the morning with a delicious brunch at Egg Harbor Cafe! 

Brian outran me by 13 minutes. But I was very happy to achieve all of my goals:
finishing the 10K without exacerbating the irritated nerve, and 
enjoying my fastest run in months, in the last 2K! 

Official result: negative split confirmed!