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.

Six Degrees of Separation

Last night, I watched the Science Discovery show “Connected Power of Six Degrees”. It talked about the science of networks and how mathematicians are discovering that we’re all linked through “hubs” which connect us – essentially six degrees from each other. The internet is a great example of this phenomenon, where sites like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter serve as hubs that link people to both content and each other on the web.

So, you’re probably wondering what this has to do with running. Well, it got me thinking about how I’ve become connected with runners across the country through my blog and Twitter account. Runners tend to be social people and enjoy sharing their passion for the sport with others. I’ve agonized with women runners at Traxee.com through our stories about dealing with injuries. I’ve laughed at the adventures that runners chronicle on their blogs. And I’ve followed the daily observations and activities of runners at Twitter. Last week, I connected with a former Atlanta resident who recently moved to Baltimore and started his own running blog Meep Meep. We used to rely on running groups and road races to meet other runners. Now, with the wide use of online sites and applications, you don’t have to slip your shoes on for an early morning meet-up to connect with people who share a passion for running.

If you’re training for the ING Georgia, here’s a great, scenic to run. You’ll find a map for the route at Map My Run under my group Atlanta Running.

Decatur to Little Five Points – 8.16 miles

· Start at Fellini’s at Commerce St. and Sycamore Place
· Turn right at Howard Ave.
· Stay on Howard/Dekalb Ave. for approximately 2 miles. Pass the East Lake Marta Station
· Turn right on Ridgecrest Rd.
· Turn left on McClendon Ave.
· Stay on McClendon for approximately 2 miles. Pass Flying Biscuit Café and Candler Park.
· Turn right on Moreland Ave.
· Turn right on Ponce de Leon Ave.
· Take Ponce de Leon Ave. through Druid Hills to Downtown Decatur
· Once in Downtown Decatur, turn right on Church St.
· Turn left on Sycamore St.
· Turn right on Sycamore Place
· Cross Commerce St. and return to Fellini’s parking lot

Training for ZOOMA Atlanta

I kicked-off my training last week for the ZOOMA Atlanta Half-Marathon with an 8.5 mile run. Yesterday’s long run was a fantastic 9.5-mile route through Decatur, Lake Claire and Druid Hills. With the arrival of cooler fall weather, I’m looking forward to long weekend runs as I prepare for the race. The ZOOMA Atlanta site features training stories from two women bloggers. For additional training inspiration, read the blogs from other women runners that are linked to the ZOOMA site.

Runner’s World is also a great resource for training information. Look for the article on half-marathon training from Doug Rennie. It includes recommended training schedules for novice, intermediate and advanced road race runners. You’ll also find some great blogs at the magazine’s site, such as Marathon Moms. Bloggers Dimity and Sarah write about the challenges of balancing family time and work demands with fitness and training schedules.

This week’s route is a 9.5-mile loop, courtesy of the Big Peach Running Co. in Decatur. You can find the route at Map My run under my group Atlanta Running.

Decatur – 9.5-Mile Route

· Start at Big Peach Running Co. and turn left on E. Trinity Pl.
· Follow E. Trinity across the railroad tracks onto N. Candler St.
· Turn right on Green St. and run through the nature path
· Cross over S. McDonough onto Oakview Rd.
· Stay straight on Oakview and turn right onto E. Lake Dr.
· Stay on E. Lake through Oakhurst and into Lake Claire
· Cross over the railroad tracks and turn left on Ridgecrest Rd.
· Turn right onto McClendon Ave.
· Run up and down the hill on McClendon
· Turn right on Lakeshore Dr.
· Stay straight onto N. Ponce de Leon Ave.
· Take a slight left turn onto Ponce de Leon Ave.
· Take a slight right onto W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
· Turn right onto W. Trinity at the church
· Turn left onto Commerce Dr.
· Turn left onto Clairmont Ave
· Turn right onto Scott Blvd.
· Turn right onto Willow Lane
· Turn left onto Church St.
· Turn right onto Forkner Dr.
· Turn right onto Sycamore Dr.
· Cross E. Ponce de Leon and stay on Sycamore
· Cross Commerce and turn left onto Candler St.
· Turn right on E. Trinity Place and return to Big Peach Running Co.