Fourth of July and the Peachtree Road Race

I lived in Atlanta for 24 years, and for six Fourth of Julys, I ran the Peachtree Road Race. For those who are not familiar, this is a 10k race held in Atlanta each July 4th. Although it is a competitive race with world class runners, the race is also open to those individuals who simply wish to run a 10k. When I ran my first Peachtree, there were 25,000 participants, while this year in 2015 there are 60,000! The main criteria for becoming part of this event is to get your application in early, so that you will be included. And the main reward for finishing the race is the coveted Peachtree Road Race tee shirt!

The first time I ran was 1992, and I had turned 40 earlier that year. I decided that I should do this as a "turning old and forty" challenge for myself. I had always enjoyed running, but never considered being part of a race. Friends who had done the race encouraged me. I turned in my application and got an entry number. Then I realized that I had never run 6.2 miles before, and thought that I should probably start training! I ran almost every day up to the day of the race. The more I ran, the more I ate and the skinnier I became! My first running companion was my tennis friend's husband, Ed, who was a seasoned Peachtree runner, but agreed to run with novice me. I ran my second Peachtree with my husband, Rich, who hardly trained and still ran better than me! After that, I ran with a co-worker, Beth, then my sister Elaine. In 1997, I ran alone (along with 44,999 other participants)! And my final Peachtree, in 1998, I ran again with my sister. After that, I had knee surgery, and did not run for several years.

Moving to Asheville in 2001 put an end to my Peachtree Road Races. And honestly, every time July 4 comes along, I realize that I really miss this holiday activity. I always loved the anticipation before the race. I wondered if I should load up on carbs the night before and eats lots of pasta. (which I always did). If it was predicted to be a particularly hot day (even at 8:00 in the morning), should I drink lots of water before the race and risk having to take a restroom stop halfway during the race? I worried that I wouldn't pace myself correctly and would collapse at what was known as "heartbreak hill". (some people did collapse!). But most importantly, would I like the tee shirt that had been designed for that particular Peachtree race? Indeed, one year my co-worker was really mad that the tee shirt was ugly, and she had trained all of those months for that!!

I have incredible memories of the Peachtree. I loved running with my sister- it was so much fun to do this together. I remember the year that it was cool and rainy on the 4th, and another year that I almost passed out when I got on the Marta train at the end of the race. (I never knew whether this was because I had been sick the week before the race, or because I was crammed into this train with hundreds of sweaty, stinky people like myself!) But I have to say that the best part of the Peachtree was the spectators. Seeing hundreds of people on the sidelines, cheering on those of us running at 8:00 in the morning was such a cool experience! There were 45,000 people in the race, but somehow, I felt that those people were cheering for me - I think all participants I talked to felt that way. In 1997, when I ran alone, I remember being tired at one point, and a man on the sidelines encouraged me as I struggled past, saying "come on, you can do it"!  Being part of such an event was truly special on this national holiday when people come together to celebrate. So today on July 4th, I salute all of the 60.000 people running in Atlanta, and wish that I were there to join you!