The Countdown Begins..

2 more weeks! Ahh! I'm not entirely sure how that number keeps getting so freaking small..

I've been making myself pretty addicted to training lately, even though my calf has been really bothering me. I ran 4.25 miles on Monday, did a 2 mile or so hike yesterday, going to back to my school to use the treadmills Thursday for a long run, and then hills training on Friday to get ready for Cardiac Hill. So far its been a good system for keeping myself on track - setting a plan way ahead of time for what I'm doing certain days, and when my off days are.

I still don't think I'm totally ready, but I'm feeling a lot more confident about the race now. My dad and I drove the course so I could get a feel for the elevations and all, and it's not as bad as I was expecting.. but it won't be super easy, either.

And we all have our numbers now! Since we didn't submit times, we were all randomly placed in groups. I was in T, Laina in X, and Andy in Y.. Y being the very last time group. So since we're all running together, we're starting in the last group, haha. Darn you and your luck, Andy! The actual race starts at 7:30, but we won't be crossing the starting line until after 9.. over an hour after the first runner crosses the finish line! Crazy.

I write too much. Lainaaa, your turn! Happy running, all. :)

Gather 'round, children!

It's story time!

I’ve been planning this post for a while, I just never really got around to it. I’ve had it typed up, but only just found all the pictures and got them scanned (I hope my dad doesn’t mind that I’m posting these for all of the like 5 people who will probably see this – Hi Daddy!!)

Running the Peachtree Road Race has been on my life goals list since I first started thinking about such a list. This year, I’ve finally decided to bite the bullet and do it.

I can’t even picture my life without the Peachtree in it. My dad’s been running it since 1990, shortly after I was born. When I was young, I would stay at my grandparents’ place the night before, as they live right off the course. We would go down and cheer on all of the runners, admiring the huge variety of runners and costumes. My dad would always stop by, and we would give him some extra water, pour a little on his head, and take a quick picture before he’d be off on his way.

My dad in 1997 taking a water break with us

After the race one year with my grandma, I'm guessing around 2001.

As I was growing up, my dad was an avid runner. He’d be in races around Atlanta almost every other weekend. He has a huge collection of hundreds of race shirts from over the years, and I would often wear an Atlanta Track Club shirt as pajamas.

As a result, I started taking after him and running in some races as well. I was the girl’s winner for the 1-mile Springville Sprint, and I earned my only athletic award to this day – although it’s not as impressive a feat once you hear that there were only 5 kids, and I only beat one other girl. In that same event, my dad won an award for his division, and as a result, some really cute pictures were taken. I also set my personal record for a mile that day – 7:48, a time I am now aiming to beat, almost 15 years later.

Aren't we so cute?

My dad would also come down every year for an annual 5K run in Jacksonville called the Shamrock Run. I would train through my elementary school, although it still took me almost 45 minutes to finish the race.

Aren't those glasses sexy??

I also did the Peachtree Jr. one year, a small version of the race for kids 12 and under, I think only a 3K. It was my first true taste of the Peachtree, but as it turns out, just a snippet of what was to come.

I'm guessing still 1997 or 1998, based on that snazzy haircut.

My hobby of running dissipated some over time, but my desire to run the Peachtree was always there. In 2006, I had my number to run with my dad, my friend Daniel, and his mom. But then I got accepted to a summer Pre-College program, where I would be in Pennsylvania for July 4. I was so close, but it wouldn’t be the last opportunity.

In 2010, my friend Jared and I decided to volunteer for the race. We were in T-shirt distribution and had a blast, despite being in downtown Atlanta and walking to Piedmont Park before it was even light outside. My dad came through my line, and I was able to draw a heart on his race number, so he would always remember the year that I handed him his prized shirt. I also got a shirt of my own – a volunteer shirt that’s even harder to get than the actual race shirt, because there’s only about 3000 of them each year.

We were super tired, but had a blast!

Over time, we’ve developed another small tradition – going to eat lunch at IHOP after the race. It started after we couldn’t find much else open on the holiday, and they had a special of Red, White and Blueberry Pancakes. We’ve been going to IHOP every year since, with each of us wearing any Peachtree shirt we may have earned. Others have tried to protest the tradition, saying we should go to lunch elsewhere, but we refuse. It wouldn’t be a post-Peachtree lunch without IHOP.

Last year, my dad ran his 20^th and final Peachtree, an impressive streak. But this year, I’m going to literally follow in his footsteps and run it for myself. I’ve dedicated myself to getting fit, becoming a better runner, and getting that shirt with my friends by my side. I don’t care about my time, or what place I finish it. I just want to keep my dad’s legacy going and start a legacy of my own.


Lo and behold, I got my number in the mail today. It's really starting to feel real. Like, really real. 

It even has my name on it! Love it.

I haven't even done the Peachtree yet, but I'm already looking at the next race. Some friends and I are talking about doing the Atlanta Marathon Relay in October. I want to do a half marathon at some point, and I plan to make it one of the ones at Disney. And although it's only a 5K, I want to do the Warrior Dash one year.

Bring it on.

Blog? What's that?

Sooo we suck at blogging, yay! And the race is only 25 days away, holy crap!!

Anyways, this is a short post. I did want to say that the three of us finally all got together and ran! We went down a few miles of the Greenway in Alpharetta, and we had a lot of fun. (You bench.) That lovely photo of our.. feet.. is kinda just a teaser for all the pics that I took that day. That I swear I'll post on here eventually.

I'd like to say we haven't been blogging much because we've been running so much instead, but really we're just lazy about this thing. Maybe with a month to go we can change that..

I know personally, I just started a competition with a friend to see who can lose the most weight in two weeks. So now I'll be in full on running mode, eating better, and adding additional workouts. Me and him are super competitive, so we'll see what happens.

I always forget keeping up with this makes me keep up with running.. so I'll yell at myself more to actually do something with this. I do have a few posts in mind I want to do, its just a matter of doing it.

Also, one more random thing about my training: I've pretty much decided I want to do the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February. Super training, activate! It's a women's focused race, but guys can run it too, so my friend was thinking about training with me and running as Princess Batman. And he'd even get his number to say that.. oh goodness.

See you guys on the road!