Strong Legs, Run

I ran my fastest 10K race this morning in at least three years.
I did the Kids II Strong Legs Run 10K this morning, held at Turner Field in downtown Atlanta.
I know I've mentioned this before, but downtown Atlanta is hilly. The roads are deceptive when you are in a car, but on foot, it's easy to see.
The race started early, and it was lovely to see the sun shining on the gold dome of the Georgia Capitol.

Morning breaks on a beautiful fall day

I had not run this race before, but some veterans told me the route was changed a bit this year. Turns out some road construction was the cause of that, but the race did turn down Auburn Avenue, an historic African-American area, and we turned a corner right at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached. The King Center is right near by. It reminded me of a half marathon I ran several years ago downtown and when we ran by the church, the choir was out singing. It was incredible!
No choirs today, but it still was wonderful to run by there and be reminded of history.
This race was timed, as many are that I run, but when I read the instructions, it said that it wouldn't be timed beyond 75 minutes. It has been a long while since I've run a 10K in under 75 minutes!
But I did so well in the 10 miler last Sunday, I wanted to try to push myself. I thought I had a shot at coming in right on the money.
Turns out, I was off by just 2 minutes! I came in at 1 hour, 17 minutes. And that's the best 10K time I've had in years. And it turns out the results were published, so maybe I didn't read the instructions correctly. That mistake pushed me, however, so it was a happy mistake on my part.
I even found a penny during a short walk break. I saw another penny, but I had to let it be. I was pushing for time at that point.
As tired as these strong legs are, I've got another race tonight -- that crazy 1:50 am race that starts right before the time change, but more about that later.
For now, I'll just say my strong legs do run.