Peachtree Road Race 2014

This year I ran the Peachtree Road Race with my best friend and cancer survivor Rachel.  I had mixed feelings about running this race as my father and brother were unable to run with me (that is a LONG story).  However, the focus of the race for me this year was to run it with Rach and celebrate her brave battle and ultimate win over cancer.  It was great to have my friend back running by my side!  And yet again I was floored by the healing powers of our sport.


 Rachel worked really hard training for the race and I couldn't have been more proud of her!  We started way back in the pack - start wave W (W for work!), so that meant we had plenty of time to get to our start corral and relax before the race.  The trick to running a big race like this where you know you have a long delay from when the elites cross the start line to when you will cross the start line is to stay loose but also stay motivated and positive!

Staying motivated at the start

This year's Peachtree was awesome.  Everything was running right on time and you couldn't have asked for better weather!  I am surprised the winning times weren't faster (although they are WAY faster than I will EVER be able to run!).  The crowd, as usual, was great too - even though we started so late there were still plenty of cheering folks along the course.  We even past a community water station that featured a keg of beer - some runners jumped off the course and were doing keg stands!  (Unfortunately I was unable to capture a picture of this feat!)   My favorite sign on the course was "This is the worst parade ever."   My favorite person on the course was our friend Cason, who came from far away to cheer us on!  (And who will be running with us next year if all goes according to plan!!)

Wearing the "A"!

Through a registration hiccup I didn't have a number come race day.  Since my father was unable to run this year, he graciously lent me his.  It was an "A" number.  (He qualified with a blazing fast 10K qualifier race time of 42:00 minutes - or something ridiculous like that!)  Wearing an "A" number gets you a lot of attention - and sometimes gets you to the front of a very long port-a-potty line!  One day I hope to earn my own "A" number, but for now, I will enjoy the perks that come with having a super fast dad.

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons.  Primarily because it is a holiday that celebrates independence and freedom as well as the sacrifices that are made to protect those liberties.  Our country is so unique and so utterly amazing in that it was created in the spirit of individual liberties at the peak of the developmental period of modern philosophy and science.  Although we are not a perfect nation, far from it, we are definitely a unique nation.  A unique nation that offers her people unique opportunities and I am thankful for all the men and women who serve and protect those opportunities.  Other reasons I enjoy the Fourth is that I like fireworks, BBQ, and road races - all of which happen on this day!

Celebrating a well deserved breakfast post Peachtree!

After the race, after collecting our t-shirts, after shuffling through the food and beverage lines, Rachel and I did what any great American does after running 6.2 miles -eat!  For our post race victory feast, we elected to go the the Waffle House - as any good Georgian would do!

The victors with their swag.