Publix Georgia Half Marathon Recap

So after running the hilly 15K last weekend (March 16th) in 20F weather with wind and light snow, I decided to venture back to Atlanta to run the Publix Georgia Half Marathon.  I have run this race in some form since its inception as the ING Georgia Marathon and Half in 2007.  That inaugural year, I ran the 2007 with many of my "Taper Madness" or former "V-team" friends. Quite a number of them came down to Atlanta to run the race and it turned out to be HOT (80+F) and quite the cluster as there was no sports drink or water on the course.  Needless to say, the race has come a long way and it has become a premier event for the Spring race season in Georgia.  It is a nasty hilly half and marathon course, but what course isn't hilly in Atlanta.  I keep coming back, not just to keep my streak alive, but because it is nasty hilly.  This year since winter has just sucked in NE Ohio, I decided to not only drive down and run, but also stay for a couple of weeks with old friends and take advantage of some warmer temperatures and some hilly running.  Atlanta has both for the most part, but of course, it is supposed to be "cold" by Atlanta standards this week with temperatures only in the 50s.  The hills; however, never go away that easy.

The weekend started out on a high note as a good running friend, Debbie, invited me to come and run the local Atlanta Women's 5K course as a "guest coach".  I spent many years in Atlanta as a "coach/mentor" for the Atlanta Track Club as well as a member of the Open and then Masters Competitive Women's Running Team.  The course run is part of the Women on the Move program here and most of the women involved have never run a 5K and some have never run a step before embarking on the training program.  It is always rewarding to see what can be accomplished when a group of strong, single minded women get together.  The course run was a success and inspirational as always especially when you watch an 89 yr old women out there walking a 5K faster and with more determination than my 21 yr old daughter.

The Women on the Move group pre-run (above).  Debbie & I (below).

Fast forward....  I drove down to the city after the morning run and breakfast and went to the Expo.  I then had a fun dinner with Debbie and actually met up with other friends, Jody & Ken at the Hyatt.  Jody's daughter is a dance and was competing in a dance competition there.  I had not seen her in a couple of years, and she has grown up to be a beautiful girl.  Both Jody & Ken are runners, but would not be participating in Sunday's race.  The last time I had seen Ken was at Boston in 2013 when he went ahead of me as I stopped to hug my daughter at the 40K mark.  Ken did finish the race, but exactly as the 2nd bomb exploded.  A very harrowing experience for a 9/11 survivor/witness as well.

Ken is in the green hat.  

Sunday morning rolls around and I wake up to a warm and humid Atlanta morning.  Well, at least warm and humid by NE Ohio standards as it is already 54F and 88% humidity.  A front is due to roll in and bring with it some significant rain and it does show up on the radar.  I meet my friend, Joe, in the lobby, and we pin on our "Jerry" bibs and head to the start.  (Several of us wear "We Got Your Back, Jerry" bibs in honor of our runner friend with the brain tumor.) All I can think of is that it might be one of those 3H Atlanta days (heat, humidity, and hills!).

The gun sounds and we are off.  Pace feels pretty good at the beginning, but I make sure to hold back a bit as last year Sally & I went out too fast and I was not in nearly the shape that I am this year.  I'm also thinking that I probably can't come close to my best time on the course (1:40) from 2011 as I just don't get to run the hills anymore.  My real goals are to run sub 1:45, not have a mental breakdown, and survive the hill at mile 12.  Joe & I stay together for the first four miles and then I lose him on the first climb.  He expects to run around 1:50, so I knew that he would drop back.  I just try to run a solid effort and use the hills to my advantage while maintaining a solid effort and push as best as I can for the rest of the miles.  I try to keep steady on the climbs and push it on the downhills, and I think that strategy works and I think my splits show that to be true.  Things go along and I'm feeling good right through to the exit of the park, but the weather is changing as the humidity has broken, but the front appears to be moving in.  And then bam, we exit Piedmont Park at just past mile 9, and the wind is strong, steady, and right in your face!  I pray for it to leave as I know that there are two more "big" hills and a couple of smaller ones, yet to come.  The wind stays with us pretty much over the next 3.5 miles and I fight through it as best as I can as I keep thinking about running on Lake Rd and how the wind seems to be constantly in your face.  I make it to the last big hill at mile 11.8 and I feel confident that I will get up that bugger. This is often the place where I "die" on this course and have the meltdown, but today, I don't and I push it as best as I can up that hill and all the way to the finish.  I am very surprised as I run down the final 0.1 miles and see that the clock is just rolling to 1:43 and I know that I have accomplished what I set out to do.  Not my fastest time, but only a minute slower than my race IMS AZ half back in February on what was a pancake flat course.  And no mental breakdown at all.

Coming into the finish.

My overall splits were as follows (and I had 1:43:07 on my watch):

Mile 1 - 8:11          Mile 6 - 7:41          Mile 11 - 7:38

Mile 2 - 7:48          Mile 7 - 7:50          Mile 12 - 8:04

Mile 3 - 7:54          Mile 8 - 7:29          Mile 13 - 7:45

Mile 4 - 7:52          Mile 9 - 7:29          Mile 0.22 - 1:38 (7:31 pace)  (A course is never 13.1)

Mile 5 - 7:37          Mile 10 - 8:06

So can you tell where the uphills and downhills are on the course??

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my race and I feel very good today.  My stats for the race were also enough to make one feel good as I was 5th (out of 273) in my AG, 121st (out of 4428) of women, and 585th (out of 7838) overall.  I also had a great time afterwards reminiscing with my Atlanta running family and waiting and celebrating with my birthday twin, Susie and she completed her 3rd marathon and 2nd Georgia Marathon in a PR time.  

Celebration after the race.

I'm pleased with how things seem to be progressing for Boston, and I have not yet really begun to panic.  I'm scheduled for my last really long run on Friday here in Atlanta and the forecast so far is for rain.  22 miles over hills in 50F weather in rain?  I guess it beats 25F and snow!

For now, 27 more days......