Peachtree #6

I ran my 6th Peachtree today. The first one in 1998 was definitely the best because everything was new and unfamiliar. Now, as a "veteran" of this famed race, I know what to expect and not to expect. Expect to be crowded for first mile. Expect hot/humid conditions. Expect to not post anything near a PR. Expect to struggle. Expect to hear a myriad of bands and see thousands of spectators.

As mentioned in earlier posts, i have not run this race for last 2 years and I think the absence made me more excited for the day. Maybe it's that whole things..."absence makes the heart grow fonder". I was really excited for the race and as such did not sleep well at all last nice. Excitement sure has a way of turning into anxiety. Sheesh...

Oh well. I calmed down enough by start time and son enough, my group was off and running. I had definitely expected it to be very tight at the start, but somehow it wasn't. I had room to get my stride going early on, which was a pleasant surprise. I felt naked without my water bottle and ipod, but i needed neither today. Funny how i felt so weird without both of them. I either have one or both of them with me on every run, so i definitely noticed it. Had I not had my Garmin Forerunner on, I would have REALLY felt weird. I digress.

Saw my buddy, S., right after i started. Great to see a friendly face. First mile was about 8:15. Too fast, i thought. By 2 miles, I was at 17 min. Still a little fast. I didn't want to crash after the hills. Between 2-3 miles, I saw 3 different folks from work which was also very nice. 2 of them, i expected to see, but the other was a bonus. Great!! Mile 3 was 26 minutes total.

I felt fine. Felt like i had a good pace and nothing was giving me any trouble. I was taking in enough H2O and about 4.5 miles, I sucked down my vanilla GU. At about 3.5 miles, I was sort of targeting an under 57 minute finish. By mile 4 with a 35 minute time, I knew i was gonna have to start pushing soon to be sure I was under 57 minutes. Miles 4-6 are very deceiving...they are a steady and long uphill to the corner of Peachtree and 10th. I figured if i could just stay solid and pick it up a little until then, i could make my that final push down 10th street for approx 1/2 mile.

What I want to say here is that i felt solid. I felt strong. I felt like i was having a good race and I was very happy inside. This race has kicked my ass in the past and really humbled me and today, i just felt like I was better/stronger. So.

I made the left hand turn onto 10th street and pushed past some folks until my feet crossed the finish line and crossed over the rubber mat recording my chip time.

Peachtree #6 = 55:26

This was not my best time for this race. In 2003, I ran 54:09. But, today i felt better and enjoyed it more.

Hope to have soome photos to share soon!!