After walking the Cooper River Bridge Race, I gained confidence in my ability to do the Peachtree. I trained up over the next three months. My goal was to finish in under 2 hours.
On July 4, 2010, I got my one cup of coffee early and a piece of toast. Headed for the Doraville Marta station and got the last spot on the top of the parking deck. Waited in line a half hour to get a Breeze card, then hopped on the train to Lenox. It was packed. The excitement was already building.
While I waited for my 8:29 start, I sat on the curb and watched folks walk by until we started moving. By the time we got the start line, I was pumped! I started walking conservatively, but… I realized by the time I got to Piedmont Road that I was in trouble. I could feel huge blisters on the balls of both feet that REALLY hurt. I had made a tactical error by purchasing new shoes a week before. But they were identical to my old shoes. But because I was still having trouble with the tendonitis, I invested in inserts. I did walk the week before the race, but not enough. The inserts shifted my weight to the tender parts of my feet! OUCH!!
Find out what's happening in Peachtree Cornerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
I was determined to finish, so all I could do was focus on avoiding putting weight as much as possible on the sore spots. There are large chunks of the course I cannot remember walking. I did take pictures and documented what I saw. I met my goal and finished in 1:57. Then I began training for 2011!
After that I did the Cooper River Bridge Run again this April. I finished in 1:48. Then two weeks later did Corners to Crossing. And I learned from last year. First, I bought new shoes several months before. And I bought my Breeze card in advance to avoid the long lines.
Find out what's happening in Peachtree Cornerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
This year I moved up one wave with a start time of 8:23. I was a little concerned because there seemed to be more runners than walkers in my wave last year. But the ATC seemed to do a better job of classifying us this year, plus the waves seemed to be a little smaller in spite of the larger field. I actually crossed the finish line with some of the folks I started out with!
The most amazing moment came just as the National Anthem finished, a fly over by three military jets going straight up Peachtree Street right over the giant flag at the starting line. What a great way to celebrate our independence! The reaction was spontaneous and enthusiastic. I had goose bumps! Once again, the excitement was electrifying at the start. With no blisters, I was able to walk fairly comfortably. But the weather was terrible. Although on weekends I walked on or after 8:30 a.m., I was still not prepared for the heat and humidity. Seems it was the hottest race since 1997!
I was able to do more sight-seeing this time. At least until we turned onto 10th Street. The sun was directly in front of us and there was no shade. It was the longest mile ever, but I made it again, finishing in 1:49. I did react to the heat. I found my way to a shady spot to rest and eat a banana in the park after the race. When I stood up to go, I almost passed out. An icy cold very wet towel draped over my neck and head made all the difference.
Will I do the Peachtree next year? Absolutely! Hopefully, it won’t be as hot and I can better my time. Plus plans are already under way for the 2012 Cooper River Bridge Race. For the record, if I can do a 10K, anyone can!