Hotlanta Half Marathon

Yeah, don't get me started on the name. We know, we know. Don't call it Hotlanta...

Back to the point.

This one's all about Dave today!

He just ran his second half marathon, and is already planning more in the weeks and months to come. Back in November he got what he considered a "wake-up call" from his doctor. He needed to lose weight, eat better, and start being more active. He got to hear about all the things that could happen if he didn't change his ways. He started running after work, lost a good 20-30 lbs, and feels better than when he was a college athlete.

Yay! Go Dave!

For some crazy reason, however, he picked this nuts race in the middle of August. It was hot, humid, and full of hills.

To quote him "it sucked."

Suckage aside, we had a good day. After watching Dave start, the gals and I headed over to Centennial Olympic Park and played till the runners started to flow by.

They were at their 11th mile and the hill that passed the park was insane.  I sat with the gals next to some other people cheering on runners and patiently waited for Dave. I packed the gals lots of snacks, juice, and things to do (thank you My Little Pony stickers). They didn't complain a single bit! Finally we saw Dave and the gals clapped and screamed "Go Daddy Go!"

I ran back over to Underground Atlanta and was able to make it before Dave crossed the line.

Hooray!

Dave and the gals after the race.

The gals thought that Dad's medal was pretty awesome.

The gals also had their first train ride. Madeline was scared at first, but they both ended up loving it and screaming for the train.

The Trail Bites Back

Oh man did I start out this run like a cocky bitch.

Gorgeous day. Cloudy. Breezy.

Perfect for running. My new found love for running the trail eases my achy bones and keeps my mind calm. I started out confident and strong. Leaping over roots, avoiding turtles, and even circumventing a few scary bugs.

Y'all. This nature kid hates bugs. Did I ever tell you about my camping trip to Florida? No? Well long story short, finding palmetto bugs on the inside of your carefully placed bug net after you've already crawled inside to go to sleep is NOT fun.

Anyways.

After avoiding a particularly frightening bug, I descended down the trail, picked up speed, and caught my foot on a root. I tried to over correct, ran faster, but I knew my big ass was going down. Right now I'm blaming the bug for my misstep. It surely could not have been my fault.

I felt like I was going in slow motion. All I could think was: "Ouch. This is going to hurt." There may have been some choice expletives running through my head as well, but we won't worry about that.

Then I went all GI-Joe and Superman mixed into one. Instinct kicked in, I tucked, put my shoulder down first, and completed a masterful roll/flip and popped back up so quick, you would have thought I did it on purpose.

Now when I fall on a regular run (I have to admit that it's happened more than once) boy does it hurt. I usually go straight down, bust my hands and knees, and my ego hurts the most of all. This time? Instead of looking around ashamed, hoping that no one saw me, I looked around and wished that someone saw my masterful feat.

I only had a small cut on my knee, and since I was already standing again, all I had to do was brush off the dirt, and finish my run.

So thanks trail running. I'm now able to add on another reason why I like you so much. When I fall, my body and my pride doesn't hurt so much.

There's No Overthinking When You Are On the Trail

Today was one of those days that I needed to desperately get out of the house.

I needed to be by myself.

I needed to just get away for a few.

I wanted to go for a run, but my foot & knees have been bugging me lately. So a jaunt around my hood wasn't what I was up for. Not to mention, our new locale is just not very running friendly.

As soon as the gals' heads hit the pillow for nap time, I was in my car heading for the Laurel Ridge Trail.  It's just around the corner and follows the shoreline of Lake Lanier, the Chattahoochee, and the Buford Dam. It's well shaded and good for any type of hiker or runner. While it doesn't have a lot of traffic, it does have a lot of beauty.

I haven't done a true trail run in ages. I'm going to rectify that and do this more often, because I had a blast. I needed some time out of my own head, not to worry about the day to day, and a trail run was just what the doctor ordered. I couldn't be bothered by my problems, because I was too busy concentrating on not busting my ass while dodging all the roots and rocks! I felt like I was back in Maine at summer camp bouncing all around the trail. I was having fun.

The trail is a loop and with the direction I go, the Dam is close to the finish. This makes for some steep running at the very end of your run, but it was a good challenge! I was beat!

The best part about this trail is that it starts and ends right on the lake. So it was nice to cool down after my run right by the shore. I will definitely be coming back to do this trail again, even though it was a challenge, I wasn't bothered by my usual nagging knee and foot pain.

I'm probably in the market for some trail running shoes now. Anyone have any recommendations?