Heating up summer running

Remember how wet I was for the Peachtree Road Race?
Just two weeks later I ran the Atlanta Track Club's Decatur YMCA 4-miler and wished it was raining! What a hot 4 miles!
My friend Angela joined me on this one, too.

Angela and me at the finish

Here we are at the finish, looking all sweaty. This one is not too far from my house, and after the race Angela and I went out for breakfast. I can assure you I ate back every calorie I burned on this morning's run! Oh well. Sometimes it's not all about the run, but who you are doing it with.
I'm so grateful to have a host of running buddies in Atlanta, and outside of Atlanta, too. More on that next time.

Running in formation

After a two-week hiatus, I'm running again.
I usually take a couple of weeks off in July, shortly after the Peachtree Road Race 10K. Sometimes it's a voluntary hiatus. Sometimes, it's not. A couple of years ago, my knee hurt so badly after the Peachtree, I took a long time off.
Right after the Peachtree, I went to visit my brother and his family in North Carolina. They had just moved there from Minnesota. It was great to visit with them and my two youngest nephews.

Me and my nephews

When I got back, I ran the DeKalb-Decatur 4 Miler with my friend Angela. I've run this one several times. It's a good little race, with not too many hills.

Angela and me

Then I took that time off. Really, I haven't been running as much this year. It has been so rainy, that when I might have wanted to go out for a run, it's been storming. I don't mind rain, but I do mind thunder and lightning.
So my two-week break was a good one. I ended the break with a new race for me, Atlanta's Finest 5K.
The race benefits the Atlanta Police Foundation and runs in downtown Atlanta.
I ran the first two miles in front of Atlanta police cadets running in formation. I was doing very well (for me) but at mile 2 there was a decent hill and I started to lose a little steam. I took a walk break and the cadets passed me.
When I finished, I walked around to see some of the police displays.

Robot from the bomb squad

Mounted police

The mounted police were there. I kidded that they had an unfair advantage (except they didn't run the race!)
It won't be long before I'll be training for the half marathon in Savannah in November. That's when I'll look back on my summer break with fondness.

A slow 4 miles

Today was the DeKalb-Decatur YMCA 4 Miler. I ran this race, which is sponsored by the Atlanta Track Club, last year, but I'm quite sure I was slower this year.
For one, it was hot and humid. Welcome to summer in Atlanta.
For another, my IT band has been bothering me for weeks. When I ran the Peachtree Road Race 10K 10 days ago, I really noticed it then. By the time I finished the race, my right knee hurt. My right leg was no better today.
Time to get in for a Rolfing massage, which I did after the race. I'm hoping that will help a bit, as well as some yoga tomorrow.
Nevertheless, I ran the 4 mile race, albeit slowly, with my friend Rachel. We've run a few races together this year so far. It's so much fun having a running buddy.

Me and Rachel, post race and still smiling.

I haven't been running nearly as much in the evenings after work this summer, instead going for brisk walks. But my usual running route is still offering surprises.
There is a beautiful garden along my route, and the homeowners plant rows of sunflowers on a vacant lot next to their home. The sunflowers are in full bloom now.

A busy bee on the sunflower

You can barely make out the busy fellow in the center of the bottom sunflower. Some of the sunflowers are now bent over as squirrels try to climb up and make a tasty treat of the flowers and seeds.
My little piggy bank got a tasty treat today. I found a dime and two pennies, some on the race route and some on the way to a post-race breakfast with Rachel.
There's a saying that "Slow but steady wins the race." I can tell you that is not true, but slow and steady does finish the race.