Tuesday, January 23, 2007

your guide thru Atlanta

Long Run Report

After running Saturday, I made sure I ate enough and took in enough calories for remainder of day. I did not want a repeat of the previous Sunday when I felt I had very little energy at all.
Got great sleep Saturday night and felt good as I headed out my door early Sunday on a cold and gray day in Atlanta. It even looked like it might rain(which it did, but after I had already funished, thankfully)

I was all bundled up and had water and a Vanilla PowerGel. I made my way up the street and over passed an area called LITTLE 5 POINTS, which is an area I don't like. It's very grungy, dirty, and filled with people who are poor and homeless or PRETEND to be. Even on a vacant Sunday morning, it's not a thrill to be there and lucky for me, I whizzed thru. Next, I ventured thru another area that is not so hot, but it is "up and coming" as they say here. Edgewood is filled with shody, smaller older homes, but it seems like now the area is the tear-downers dream. Tear and build and it looks sooo nice. The biggest lift to the area has been a huge new shopping complex complete with Target, Ross, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy & a few other local favs like Willy's burrito joint. I gotta hand it to the developers as they did a very nice job with this creation.
Next, my legs took me thru more shoddy, neighborhoods called Reynoldstown and Cabbagetown. Both have more homes that are dumpy than nice, but if you bought property here 5 yrs ago, you have a hefty gain.
Passing next by one of the oldest cemetaries in the country, Oakland Cemetery
I see the tall pillars of headstones peeking out and over the red brick wall. Lots of famous people are buried here, including Margaret Mitchell and many Civil War soldiers. I always feel a sense of calm and respect as I run by this land…
Next is a nice stretch of a nice sloping downhill as I make my way into downtown…I see all the highrises in the distance and Turner Field off to my left…home of THE ATLANTA BRAVES and a bit of excitement rushes thru me for the start of baseball season is near….
I zig-zag my way thru the dark downtown streets, passing many people who seem to be just loitering around on this cold, near raining day. I pass by The Georgia Dome-Home of ATLANTA FALCONS and our lovely team who seem to filled with negative press these days. Whizzing by Phillips Arena I think of the THRASHER hockey games with TRIN and how much fun it is to go together. I have just passed an hour mark on my watch and am trying now to outline the rest of the route in my head….
Passing by the new GEORGIA AQUARIUM, I see lots of people in line and in cars waiting for their adventure. I momentarily feel guilty that I HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN YET. Quickly, the guilt passes.
Next, I wander on streets I have never been…streets by Georgia Tech. Not too much else to say about that. This slowly leads me to Mid(gay)Town and by what seem to be newer and newer highrises that cater to the mid-upper/upper class or those WHO THINK THEY ARE. The buildings are gorgegous and I imagine have every latest ammenity inside. AHHHH…What views they must have!!
As my legs begin to tire, I am finally on a stretch of peachtree that will be just a bit downhill for the next mile. I pass by my gym and plow on through one of the most beautiful neighborhoods of Atlanta….the ANSLEY area. Wide rolling streets, beautiful large custom-built homes, and a sort of coziness that always makes me feel welcome.
Now onto my final stretch, I have to duck into Caribou Coffee for 5 seconds and grab some more water. I'm faced with a bit more uphills than I would like, but I keep pressing forward and land back into my neighborhood…back to where I started in Virginia-Highlands.

12.5 miles strong
2 hours, 6 minutes

2 comments:

Kelly said...

Thanks for the tour, AF. Even though I've never been to Atlanta, I could picture your route.

Congrats on the strong 12.5 miles. Woo hoo!

Trinity2 said...

Nice journey! I could picture it all!