Hope you all had a fantastic 4th of July! Each year, since 2015, my mom and I have run the AJC Peachtree Road Race in downtown Atlanta. Of course, 2020 was canceled, and 2021, I ran it virtually. But this year, it was back in full force! It’s always an interesting day.
Early Start
My morning started REALLY early! My alarm went off at 2:35 a.m. I got up and took the pups for a walk, like usual. But also because a trip to Atlanta makes for a long day for them! Got ready and hit the road around 3:45 a.m. We have been meeting at the Indian Creek Marta station the past few times, just because it’s the closest to us from Augusta. We may wind up changing for next year, but as long as we make it on the train early enough, we usually have no issues making it to the Lenox station on time.
Race Start
My start time was 7:50 a.m. I managed to get to my corral around 7:40ish. It felt a lot like pre-COVID times, although there were some people still wearing masks. The race itself was HOT! At first, I thought we’d have some cloud cover and it wouldn’t be too bad. But it was definitely very humid. I was able to run the first 3 miles, but afterward, I did have quite a bit of walking.
I will add… it felt different this year. The energy was different, and I’m not sure if it was the heat, but it seemed more congested throughout. Usually I kind of wind up with a little more room to run freely, but it felt very close this year. While there were still quite a bit of spectators, even that felt a bit different this year. Again, not sure if it’s just because I haven’t run it in person in 2 years or what.
And FINISHED!
At the finish, I waited for the rest of our group and then we headed back to Marta to make the trek home. I’m pretty sure the walk from Piedmont Park to the Midtown Marta Station is about 6 miles itself! One year, I’d run the race, and then on the walk back to the Marta station I couldn’t breathe and had to grab my inhaler! As we came upon that hill yesterday, I looked at my mom and joked… I almost died on this hill once, let me tell you that story. It was just crazy, since I’d run the 6.2 miles with no issues– but it was the walk back to Marta that got me!
Overall, it was a good day. My time was worse that the past 2 or so races, but not by much. I did have to do a lot of walking due to the heat and humidity, but I think that was the story for MANY people. By about 9:15, they’d sent a text warning that the race was under RED conditions and to slow down, hydrate and consider walking.
Check out some photos from my 4th of July at the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta:
