Atlanta Thanksgiving Half Marathon 2019

This was my comeback race in 2019!!

This  has always been one of my favorite events. It allows me to challenge myself and reminds me that maintaining fitness during the holidays is important.

This year's race was particularly meaningful to me because it is the first time I have completed 13.1 v3rdmiles in approximately 2 years. Also it's the first race I've really run since the Covington Cheerios Challenge 15k in April of 2019.

My plan was to run for 2 minutes and walk for 30 seconds throughout the half marathon. I was committed to doing this no matter what. On the uphills, I would ease up on the pace while taking shorter faster strides. On the downhills, I would pick up the pace depending on how things were going.

I arrived at the 10k point in 2 hours and 18 minutes. I felt really good, but I knew that the most challenging part of the race was yet to come. The last half has some hills that will really slow down an average, middle of the pack runner.

When I reached mile eleven, I looked for fellow runner, Hoyt Baker.  He had told me that he would be there helping manage that segment of the course. I had almost given up on seeing him, when I found him at the 11.5 mile mark reminding runners to stay in the middle lane of the road. I paused and chatted with him. He took a great picture of me and posted it on Facebook later that afternoon.

Much to my surprise, I didn't feel bad at that point. I was glad because I knew some challenging hills were ahead for the last two miles. However, I was thrilled when I saw that we were running around the capitol building because that cut out a challenging uphill.

By the time I had a view of the Olympic Rings, I still had about a mile to go. That mile was mostly downhill. I decided to cut out my walk breaks at that point and put my body in cruise control all the way to the finish in the Georgia State Panthers' Stadium.

The weather was perfect, the run was challenging, but pleasant and I was surrounded by people of good will. I should be in better shape for next years Half. If so, I could be looking at a course PR. I feel great and I want you all to know that my training and weight loss regimen are paying dividends.

Flower Fest Half Marathon Report 2023

Well, I ran the Flower Fest Half Marathon on March 18, 2023. It was a great experience. I wasn't able to reach my goal pace and finish with a 2:30 or faster time.

That being said, I completed the race with a time of 2:45 which was fast enough to win my age group. I was 30 minutes ahead of my nearest age group competitor.

My goal had been to run a 2:20, but I dropped that idea two weeks before the race when a pain developed in my right leg. I ran 20 very easy miles that week. Before each effort, I felt like the leg was getting better, but after the runs the leg pain returned.

Consequently, I decided to stay off my feet for the full week before the race. I did, however, run 3 easy miles the day before the race to test the legs. I felt okay, but still felt some minor twinges in my right calf muscle.

On race day, my condition was questionable. I was prepared to drop out of the race, if a persistent problem developed. I knew that I would be able to reach mile 5 or 6 without incident. I decided to go out at a moderate pace and see how things developed.

I was moving along very well until I reached the hills around mile 6. I started to feel some slight leg pain and decided to ease up on the pace and try to finish the race.

This turned out to be a good decision. By mile 9 things had begun to settle down and my calf wasn't hurting. I was able to do speed bursts until the end of the race. Despite this, I remained cautious about my condition and kept to an overall more moderate pace.

After the race, I was expecting my leg to bother me, but it didn't and I had a comfortable 2 hour ride home.

I hope to try this race again, perhaps next year. Now that I know the course, I should be able to improve my time. This year's run was held on an unusually cold and windy day. Hopefully next year's event will have more moderate temperatures.

Overall, the scenery is beautiful. Most of the run takes you along roads and paths bounded by lakes and the Golf course. Miles 10 and 11 were the exception as we ran through a residential area on the Gardens property. It felt strange after running through 9 miles of spectacular scenery. My mind kept trying to tell me that I was trapped in a maze. As I exited the neighborhood, I was approaching mile 11 and nearing the end of the race.

At that point, my legs began to run on automatic. They were running faster than expected at the end of a long race. Despite that, I remained cautious and kept my overall pace reigned in because I didn't want to overexert my right calf muscle.

My next half marathon is planned for November in Macon, Georgia. I hope to break 2:30 in that run if my legs are feeling it.

Before that race I have three 10k efforts planned. I'll keep you filled in as they happen.

My next race is the Cheerios Challenge 10K in Covington, Georgia. I plan to finish and come as close to an hour as I can. I should be able to do that because I've been training consistently since the Flower Fest Half and my legs are feeling strong and pain free.

Happy running everyone!