Running better than the government

This morning was the Atlanta Marathon. Less than a week ago, that race was not on my radar.
But my friend Angela had signed up for the 10 Miler that is part of the race festivities, and since I needed to get a 10-mile training run in for the upcoming half marathon, I signed up.
The irony? Angela promptly got very sick with a sinus infection, so I ended up running it by myself!
I was a little unsure how I would do, but I thought this race would be a good estimate of how the half would go, and whether I would be able to better my half marathon time from earlier this spring.
After finishing five minutes better than my goal time this morning, I feel confident that I can do better in two weeks!
The race started early and was a point-to-point race, which meant I had to get to the finish line to park the car at Atlantic Station even earlier than expected and walk the mile and a quarter to the start at Piedmont Park -- in the dark. Race organizers handed out glow sticks for us so we'd be even a little more visible.
It was cold this morning, but not freezing, as predicted earlier in the week.
Because the race was part of the marathon, there was really great race support on the course. Cheering stations were about every mile and a half.
I tried to take some photos along the way, but it was hard, since I was pushing myself. I even left four pennies seen along the route right where they lay. You know I was determined if I didn't pick up any found money to feed the pig!!
Neighborhoods competed at the cheer zones for cash prizes to their nonprofits. For example, Briar Vista Elementary School not far from my house was a cheer zone, and if they win best cheer zone they get funds for the school. They dedicated their cheer zone as a zombie zone. Folks were dressed up as zombies and there were funny signs.
Actually, there were funny signs all along the route. A couple of the funniest, to me, were the signs that read "You run better than the government" and the similar "Running better than Congress," a take on the recent 18-day federal government shutdown.
Another funny nearer to the end of the course was one that said "This is not time for Walken" and had a photo of actor Christopher Walken on it.
My only complaint was that the second to last mile was uphill, and I do mean uphill!
But, as you can see, all was forgiven once I got across the finish.

Finisher!

My new hardware

In all, another great race sponsored by the Atlanta Track Club.
So what do you know? I do run better than the government!

Run Like Hell, in the rain

Well, what's another 5K in Atlanta if I can't do it in the rain?
Jeez, I should have known the Resolution Run on Jan. 1 in a real downpour was going to set the tone for this year's running!
Saturday was one of my favorite races in Atlanta, the Run Like Hell in Historic Oakland Cemetery. I ran it with my friend Erin. And wouldn't you know, it was a light drizzle and cool for the race.

Me and Erin

A section of Oakland Cemetery

One reason I really love this race is folks really go all out for Halloween and come in costumes. There is a lot of originality in some of the costumes, but I sure wonder how they run in them!
Here's a funny costume of a hospital patient. I ran most of the race near this guy and the butterfly gals who were with him.

Hospital patient costume

Then there were these fun costumes:

Mario Brothers

Minions

Thing 1 and Thing 2

Bud Light six pack

 I saw this Bud Light six pack on the route. They were one of the last runners on the course, and they were about to hit a really tough hill that is part of the  course. I don't know how they were going to make it!
Despite the rain, it was a decent run. It was a light rain, so it wasn't too bad. When we finished, we took a quick peek around the cemetery. Here is the grave of historic golfer Bobby Jones. I think I've posted this grave site before, but those who visit often leave golf balls for him.

Bobby Jones' grave site

Once the race was finished, I was home in time to cheer on my Missouri Tigers, who beat the Florida Gators to remain undefeated. this is an exciting year for Missouri! And the volleyball team beat Florida today to be 23-0!! How about that?
I'm still in training for the Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon.
Today's 9-mile training run was hard. I really felt like I had dead legs. I know it's OK to have one crappy run before the big race. I'm hoping this was it.
Otherwise, I'm going to have to Run Like Hell to get to that finish line in three weeks.

The 12th State, or Back to the Homeland

My bucket list is a little lighter after last weekend. I ran a 5K in Nebraska, knocking off the 12th state I've done a 5K in.
I have a little history with Omaha, Nebraska, where the race took place. I was born there and my aunt lives there.
So I signed up for the Komen Race for the Cure in Omaha, hopped on an overbooked Delta flight and ran the race! I also had a wonderful visit with my aunt.
I arrived Oct. 4 to a very small airport, Eppley Airfield. I get so spoiled going through Atlanta, which is huge, that I suppose anything that only has one restaurant and one newsstand in the ENTIRE terminal will feel small to me.

Arriving in Omaha

On Saturday, Oct. 5, my aunt and I did a little touring, including driving by the hospital where I was born.

Where I was born, many, many years ago!

Then we parked and walked all over downtown Omaha. It was sunny and cool when we started but it got much cooler, cloudier and windy as the day went on. But we had fun anyway. We stopped for a bite to eat a Chinese restaurant that has been downtown in some shape or form since the 1940s.

Beautiful inlaid tables were all over the restaurant

The tables all had beautiful inlaid mother of pearl. We both had soup and egg rolls. It was kind of the perfect lunch, since it was so blustery outside.
Then we found the First National Sculpture Parks, which are throughout downtown.

Me with the bison

Me with the pioneers

In the photos of me with the pioneers, the press room of the Omaha World Herald is the building behind me. The Omaha World Herald's main office is an office tower a few blocks away. We had parked in a little park area, sort of at the start of the riverfront area.

Along the little riverfront area

We were going to walk over to the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge but we drove over instead, so I got to visit Iowa as well.
As you can see, there is a line on the bridge denoting the two states. And my aunt says this is the only pedestrian bridge traversing the Missouri River.

In both states

The Omaha skyline, seen from Iowa

 The Iowa side has a nice park area as well, including an amphitheater.
My aunt then was showing me a few more of the sites and she wanted to show me the Joslyn Art Museum. We weren't going to go in, but we were walking around the outside and I could see a Dale Chihuly glass sculpture inside, so we went in. The admission is free, thanks to a generous donor, but we got there just 15 minutes before closing. We did a very brisk walk through some of the exhibits, and I did get to see the Post-Impressionists room, my favorites! Got to see a couple Monets, a Renoir, and several others.

The Joslyn Art Museum

Dale Chihuly artwork

It was fun, even if a bit brief!
The race was cold, and what else?, rainy! I even brought my rain poncho, but left it at the condo. It wasn't raining when we left for the race, which was held at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, which is the convention center.

Ready to start

Bundled up! It was cold

There were a few hills on the course, but not too bad. We did go by some of Creighton University's buildings/campus. That was nice. Otherwise, I didn't recognize too much of it from Saturday's walk. But then, it was raining, so I kind of kept my head down.
In all, it was a great weekend!
At the airport Sunday after the race, I was struck by how small the airport was, but thankfully, there was this:

821 miles to Atlanta, 20 feet to the bar. Ha! 

 I didn't partake, but it was a funny sign.
I've run races in four states this year. I can't believe I got that many in! I really thought I'd sort of get two per year, and it would take me a long time to get them all in. It still will likely take a long time to get them all in, but that's part of the fun
Although I was born in Nebraska, we moved to New York when I was four. But I spent many of my childhood summers in Trenton, Nebr., visiting my grandparents. Trenton is all the way across the state. The very last time I was in Nebraska, prior to this past weekend, was for my grandparents' funeral in 2009. They died within a week of each other at the ages of 95.
It was nice to revisit my home town, none of which I remember. It was even better to visit with my aunt and pick up my 12th state.