Peachtree Road Race: Etiquette Tips for Running with the Crowd

The Peachtree Road Race prides itself in being the largest 10K race in the world. This year’s event will welcome 60,000 participants to the starting line. Running with that many people coupled with Atlanta’s infamous mixture of heat and humidity can make it a challenge to keep your cool during the race.

The July issue of Runner’s World offered some useful (and hilarious) tips for keeping your behavior respectable during a road race event:

• Alert other runners before you pass: If you plan to pass runners on the road, give a shout out (e.g. “passing on your left”) before making your move. Doing so will help avoid awkward collisions with other runners.


• Don’t run more than two abreast: I’ve seen it before at the Peachtree – groups of people holding hands while running. What they don’t always realize is they are blocking the route for other runners to pass. Don’t be one of these people.


• Look before you expel: This is a funny, but good tip. Watch where you spit or blow. Nobody wants to be the “landing strip” for what you’ve hurled.


• If you have to stop, move out of the way first: When grabbing a cup of water or tying your shoe, move to the side of the street and avoid becoming a road block for other runners.


• Don’t be a litter bug: Try to toss your water cups and other trash in garbage cans along the race course. If you must toss on the ground, watch out for other runners first.


• Deodorant yes; cologne no: Be respectful of those around you and save the cologne or perfume for your “after race” shower. It’s no fun running behind a toxic aroma of sweat and cologne.


• Smile: Yes, it’s hot and humid. But you signed up for the race to have a good time. Make the most of it by wearing a smile. You’ll feel better and so will the other runners around you.
  

The Atlanta Track Club blog offers some great advice for staying hydrated during a run. Be sure to check it out before hitting the race course on Monday.

Atlanta Runners: Don’t Miss Out on These Holiday Races

Had your fill of Thanksgiving leftovers? Take a break from holiday shopping, eating and parties to hit the road with Atlanta runners. The following races promise a festive atmosphere to get you in the spirit.

Santa’s Safety Run 5K – December 5
Safety is key benefit with this race – proceeds support Inman Park Public Safety. With a great running neighborhood like Inman Park and a start time of 10:30 a.m., what’s not to like about this race? Strollers and dogs are welcome too! Early registration closed today, but you can still sign-up at Active.com or on race day at the event.

Jingle Jog 5K & Elf Run Tot Trot – December 11
The event’s web site promises a festive race – complete with jingle bells for runners’ shoes, food, holiday music and a Santa’s playground complete with pony rides. The Costco parking lot on Peachtree-Dunwoody Road serves as the start and finish line. It you plan to run, please bring a toy - the Salvation Army will be on hand to collect toy donations for its Christmas toy drive. The 5K starts at 8 a.m. and the tot trot kicks-off at 9 a.m.

Virginia-Highland Christmas 5K – December 18
While not the easiest neighborhood to park in, it sure is a great place to run. This annual event is limited to 1,000 runners and organizers expect it to fill-up early. The first 500 registrants get Santa Hats to wear during the race. Runners will line up near Fire Station #19 to start the race. Sign-up available at Phidippides or at Active.com.

ATC Resolution Run 5K & 10K – January 1
For those runners (me included) who indulge a bit too much during the holidays, this race promises to get you on the right track. Fortunately, the race start is at noon – allowing runners a little extra sleep on New Year’s Day. Keep in mind that the 5K and 10K races do not allow strollers – if you want to bring the family, consider the 1-mile fun run and the 50-meter tot trot.

This week’s route is from the Virginia-Highland Christmas 5K. Enjoy!

• West on Los Angeles, Pass Crestridge Drive
• Turn Left on Elkmont Drive
• Turn Right on Park Drive
• Turn Right on Orme Circle
• Turn Right on Elkmont (Orme Circle merges to Elkmont)
• Turn Left on Brookridge Drive
• Turn Left on Amsterdam Ave – Amsterdam merges into Courtenay
• Turn Right on San Antonio Ave
• Turn Left on Amsterdam Ave
• Turn Left on Kings Court
• Bear Right on San Antonio – follow to Courtenay Ave
• Turn Right on Courtenay Ave
• Turn Left on Greenland Ave – stay right on Greenland – merges to Hillpine
• Turn Right on Wayne Ave
• Turn Left on Courtenay Ave
• Turn Left on North Highland Ave and proceed 90 yards to North Morningside Dr
• Turn Left on North Morningside Drive
• Go 1/10th mile and turn Right into Morningside Presbyterian Church lot to the Finish Area

Atlanta Track Club Joins the Blogosphere

Earlier this month, Atlanta Runner’s Blog debuted as part of the Atlanta Track Club’s revamped web site. The blog promises to cover a variety of topics, from nutrition and recipes to coaching tips and local race coverage. It’s a welcomed update from the former ATC site, which was informative but dated in its look and structure. So far, ATC has delivered quite of bit of interesting content on its blog. My favorite? The post about products to help combat odor in your shoes and running clothes. Be sure to read the comments – I learned a few more tips about deodorizing sweaty clothes. And speaking of comments, there appears to be a bug in the comment tool that makes it a bit challenging to read the comments. But I’m sure that will be fixed soon.

Along with the blog, there’s a comprehensive list of road races in the Metro Atlanta area plus a selection of events around the South. If you like running with others, be sure to check out the list of local running groups. Regardless of where you live or work in Atlanta, you’re likely to find a group that’s near your location.

It’s great to see ATC grow its voice online. Atlanta has a big population of runners, many of whom will appreciate the insights that ATC has to offer.

Peachtree Road Race: 55,000 Runners hit the Streets of Buckhead & Midtown

That grand old southern event, the Peachtree Road Race, celebrates 40 years of great running. For many local runners, it’s a traditional start to 4th of July festivities. The race starts at Atlanta’s most popular shopping district – at the corner of Lenox and Peachtree Roads.

Elite runners start at 7:30 a.m. while the last group of runners hit the road just before 9:00 a.m. Given our recent burst of summer humidity, it’s gonna feel hot out that at the starting line. But no need to worry since there will be plenty of water stations and bands along the route to keep runners moving.

Not into running the race? Join the thousands of spectators along the course to cheer on the runners. The Atlanta Track Club’s race site lists locations for viewing the event.

Thanks to the end of our multi-year drought, the finish line is back at Piedmont Park. Local runners that I’ve talked to are thrilled to return to the race’s long-established route.

Good luck runners!

Hey Atlanta - It's National Running Day

Today was the inaugural celebration of National Running Day. The mission of this event is to promote the benefits and convenience of running and encourage Americans to adopt the sport as part of a healthy lifestyle. Several running clubs across the country, including the Atlanta Track Club, supported the event. Nearly 100 running events were hosted, starting at midnight and concluding at 9 p.m. I ran tonight with about 20 runners from the Oakhurst Running Club. While the heat and hills left me feeling out of shape, I ended the run motivated to hit the pavement again. So Atlanta, get out and run!

Nursing a Running Injury

In August I wrote about recovering from a bruised toe. This week, I learned that I was suffering from a strained ligament in my knee. During my runs, my knee literary felt like it would give out from under me. Needless to say, I was not happy. Since I’m trying to increase my mileage for the ZOOMA Atlanta Half-Marathon next month, this was not the time to encounter an injury. I’m taking nearly two weeks off from running to give the knee time to recuperate. Thanks to my trainer, Calvin, here’s the approach I’m taking to treat my injury:

· Take ibuprofen twice a day
· Lap swimming for my cardio exercise (in place of running)
· Ice packs on knee for 15 minutes followed by heating pad

I also decided to purchase a new pair of running shoes. My current pair felt as if I wasn’t getting an adequate level of support as my mileage increased. I had been running in Adidas Supernova Classics (which I loved for the high-arch support). It was a tough decision to select a new shoe – I literally spent 30 minutes at Big Peach Running Co. in Decatur deciding between a pair of Mizunos and Sauconys. I ended up with the Mizunos. Hopefully, I’ll returned to a comfortable running experience by next weekend.

Since I’m not running this week, I decided not to post a route. However, if you’re looking for a running route, here are a couple of sources:

Map My Run (Atlanta Running) – This is where I keep maps of my running routes. Currently, there are 20 routes available.

Run.com – The site offers 18 different routes, which are primarily located within intown neighborhoods.

Atlanta Track Club – You’ll find 9 routes in neighborhoods across Metro Atlanta