As you all know I love running – I haven’t been running regularly for long – only since I had the children – but it is now my means of keeping sane and trim – I love it. It being the 4th July yesterday we went to watch the Peachtree Road Race – the largest 10k event in the World with 60,000 entrants from elite runners to casual joggers to walkers. I have never wanted to enter mainly because of the size of the field and it isn’t run in a loop, so getting anywhere close to home after the race is a nightmare – plus because of the number of runners taking part you can be standing in starting corrals for 2 hours before you even cross the start line. However, I love watching it, and this year we made it to the course in time to watch the elite runners go up the hill past Piedmont Hospital. Now on television you really do not get a great sense of anyone’s speed – except their speed relative to others – but watching the leading men run up that hill made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end – my God they were fast! Not surprisingly the Kenyans and Ethiopians dominated again with the Kenyans taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the men’s race – won with an amazing time of 27mins 37 secs – it doesn’t seem that long ago that running 1mile in under 5mins was a feat! It makes my 10/11 min miles look like a casual walk.
Thrilled, waiting for the runners.
Flying up the hill.
Getting into the swing of things.
Now here’s where I am going to court some controversy. Firstly can someone tell my why Newton think it will help their marketing to set up a tent with beer kegs and pass out beer to runners at 8am? Maybe I am taking the ‘fun’ out of ‘fun run’ but I was really curious about why they did this – am I just becoming a fuddy duddy? I can’t think of anything I would want less at mile 3 of a run in that heat – and it’s not really what I associate with $180 running shoes.
The Newton Beer Kegs.
Secondly, I began running to help lose some weight so I do indeed know what it is like to be overweight, but if yesterday’s race participants were a sample of the US population we are in a terrifying state of affairs. I know we are facing an obesity epidemic but I would guess that almost 90% of the ‘runners’ I saw were overweight and many were walking the race. Now I applaud them if they were taking part as part of their getting fit goals but I kinda think for many it’s the only exercise they will do this year. I felt like holding a banner up saying ‘do this 3 days a week and get healthy!’. It saddened me further that many of the spectators were sitting on lounge chairs with a box of 24 donuts. Okay off my soapbox for now, and these are my own opinions that you’re welcome to disagree with.
After my hot as Hades run this morning I popped into Lululemon to treat myself to a new Swiftly short sleeve t-shirt in blush quartz which I love – and it coordinates well with many of my pace setter skorts. I normally buy the Swiftly tanks but I love the cap sleeves on the t-shirt – it looks a bit more polished – if you consider that important when sweating your t*ts of running. Plus I got to investigate our brand new store on Howell Mill Rd – I LOVE it and they have the friendliest staff!
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