Cartersville 10K

I took a short break after the Philadelphia Half in late September, but only a very short one.
See, I signed up to run another half marathon in Mississippi in mid November!
I decided I should try to get in four states this year in my quest to run a race in all 50 states, and I can drive to Mississippi fairly easily.
So I'm still running my long runs on Sundays, except last Saturday I decided to run the Atlanta Track Club's Cartersville 10K, making Saturday my long run day instead.
I'm glad I did!
I had a great race and improved my "best" 10K time in 2013 by three minutes! Whoo hoo!
The course itself was really flat and had some very rural scenery along the way. Cartersville is pretty far north of metro Atlanta, and you can see it was likely a lot of horse farm and regular farm kind of territory. I saw hay bales in fields as I ran.

You can see it was a pretty flat course, which meant it was a fast course! I think this is one I will do again next year. And see if I can drop a few more minutes.

Philly Fourteen

Just a little over two weeks ago, I completed the Rock N Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon on Sept. 21, and completed a race in my 14th state.
My mantra leading up to the race was to complete "Philly 14."

Welcome to Philadelphia, runners!

View down Arch Street, toward my hotel

I've been to Philadelphia twice before, but I must say this trip was simply wonderful. Great weather, great food, great friends, and a chance to vacation solo and with friends and family.
I arrived Thursday, Sept. 18, by myself. I spent the first two days alone, but not really.
I stayed in City Center and walked all over, stumbling upon Chinatown, which was just two blocks from my hotel, and visiting the Franklin Institute.
But first things, first.
I picked up my race number and racing gear on Friday, directly across the street from my hotel, at the Philadelphia convention center. I had a little fun there, too.

Almost also directly across the street, was Redding Terminal Market, this vast reconfiguring of the old Redding rail terminal that is now an enclosed, but vast market stall area.
I stood in line for about 45 minutes at Carmen's to get a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. It was fun chatting up the local in front of me and the tourist, like me, behind me. And the sandwich was yummy, but I was glad I ate it on Friday, two days before the race!
Then I wandered over to the Franklin Institute, around 3:30 pm, after all the schools were out. I saw lots of school kids, many in school uniforms and nearly all of them toting a backpack of some sort, as I made my way there.
Turns out, since I got there after school was out, I had the science museum very nearly to myself! I walked up to everything I wanted to see or do. No lines, no waiting. Very few people.
 The museum closed at 5 pm, and that was the sorry part. Just as I got to the area of the locomotives, and then the space part, it was time to close. I kind of had to rush through those things. And I didn't get to go into the planetarium and see the exhibits and films there. I'll have to go back!
I met my friend Nancy for dinner Friday night. We went to Vedge, a vegan restaurant she wanted to try. It was really, really good.
What I find maddening was I didn't get a photo of me and Nancy together! It's been nearly six years since I've seen her and I forget to get a photo!
Nancy and I know one another because of breast cancer. We are both survivors. But I'd like to think we'd have been friends without cancer, too.
Saturday my sister Jody arrived from New York. We had lunch back over at the Redding Terminal Market, this time at a Greek restaurant stand. It was really yummy. I could have had just about every meal in that market!
We also wandered over to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, you know the museum made famous by the Rocky movie. The one with all those steps! There really are a lot of steps. We got there late in the afternoon, and again, the museum closed at 5 pm, but we got to see much of the impressionists, post-impressionists and some of the modern artists.

From the top of the steps

What I didn't know, was that Alexander Calder, the sculptor who worked with big kinetic mobile sculpture, was the son of  the artist who made Swan Fountain, and the grandson of the artist who sculpted the William Penn that sits atop City Hall in Philadelphia.
Jody and I had dinner in Chinatown Saturday evening. We tried to get into Maggiano's for some pasta, but it was so crowded we couldn't get in. Our choice of just picking some restaurant at random in Chinatown was better.
It was a Malaysian restaurant, and I had the pad Thai. Jody had the chicken mango, and I think hers was better, although I really enjoyed mine.
My high school friend Peggy arrived Saturday evening, and we both were up early Sunday morning to run the half marathon.

At the start

When Peggy and I first started running together about 15 years ago, I was the stronger runner. The tides have turned and she is now the stronger runner. She pushed me on this race. Pushed me beyond my comfort zone at times.
So many people think running is all physical, but I can tell you it is not. As I was being pushed physically, I had to fight mentally not to slow down, not to give in to negative thoughts that I couldn't do it.
I did injure my right arch during the race, and it's still bothering me. It had me limp the last four miles. I wasn't doing too badly on the race until then, but once the pain in my foot started, it was hard to fight against that.
Still, we finished the race in 2:52, a full eight minutes better than my Portland half marathon time!
I was very pleased.
The course itself was lovely, and flat! The morning was warmer than I expected. I wished I had brought a tank top, rather than the T-shirt I wore. But it was OK.

Peggy and I making our way to the start

In the frame

waiting to go

Getting close!

Along the river

Peggy on pace

Selfie time!

We started very near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and traveled toward City Hall on Ben Franklin Parkway. We rounded Love Plaza, with the iconic LOVE statue, twice. We ran toward Chinatown, passing the Liberty Bell, although you could not see if from the street, and eventually back down Arch Street, passing my hotel. We came back toward the museum and on along the Schuylkill River, which was lovely. We even saw some crewmen rowing that morning.

Beautiful course

In the rock tunnel

My only regret was I finished the race and had to hurry up and rush back to the airport. I made a mistake and booked a flight way too early. I couldn't have my celebratory glass of wine with Peggy after the race!

Finishers!

Finisher!

Race medal, one of my favorites

But I take away great memories from Philadelphia, a city I'd love to visit again.

Losing another baby

I've lost another of my precious kitties.
Pollock was a stray that came to live at my house eight years ago. She was a sweet cat, but was my "special needs" girl since she had some health and litter box issues.
I'd been giving her thyroid medicine daily for the past three years, but earlier this year she began losing weight, a lot of it. Then in late July she stopped eating.
I took her to the vet and blood work showed her kidneys failing, but not in failure. We got her stable again, but about three weeks ago she began to fail again and on Sept. 12 she was so weak I had to take her in to the vet's office to put her down.

Pollock

I named her for Jackson Pollock because she was a tortoiseshell cat and looked like the artist had used her fur as a canvas. She had no rhyme or reason to her pattern, but she had a little white tip on her tail, like a little paintbrush.
So right now it's just me and Felix. Felix is feeling a little lost, I think. He's only ever had other cats in the house with him, and now being an only cat is new.
I don't think he'll be an only cat for too long. I went to an animal shelter to look at a cat today, a black one. But she was so shy she wouldn't interact with me. That's not the cat for me. Felix is going to want to play. I need a cat that is going to be a little more lively.
I may even consider another tortoiseshell cat. Pollock taught me a lot of things: being more patient and having to take care of a special needs cat. She also taught me the beauty of a tortie.
I will miss my special baby.

Meaningful Miles

I'm well behind in my blog, but I've run some very meaningful miles in the past two months.
I'll start with the Meaningful Miles 4-miler that benefited Back on My Feet, a nonprofit that teaching homeless men, and now women, the joy of running.
Atlanta has a chapter and I've wanted to run its charitable run for a couple of years, and this year I was able to sync my schedule.
It was one of the most joyful pre-race atmosphere. The event began with an explanation of Back on My Feet, with testimonials from some of the participants. Then we all did the "circle up." It was very powerful.

Hearing what Back on My Feet means to participants

The course itself is pretty rough. There is a hill early on that I've had to face before. And facing it during an August race. Grr.
They had photographers at a great spot along the course, however, and so here I am along the race.

Downtown Atlanta

Who's that runner?!

My next race in August was the Magnolia Run. This is a big race that benefits the Epilepsy Foundation and always has a great turnout. But it was another hot, humid race.
That's pretty much been my running this entire summer. Hot and humid.
But some of those hot and humid miles were very meaningful.

Spectacular 4th

What a spectacular Fourth of July in Atlanta, and a spectacular Peachtree Road Race 10K!
I've written about this race before. It's the pre-eminent race in Atlanta -- and the world's largest 10K. You get to run it with 60,000 of your closest friends!
Normally, it is hot and humid in Atlanta for this race, bordering on really miserable, but a hurricane named Arthur made this one memorable. The morning was cool and not-quite-so humid. A really lovely running morning!
I was supposed to meet up with my friends Rachel, Mary and Ellie before the race, but logistical errors meant I only saw Ellie, and it was after the race.

American flag at the start

Getting ready to start

 Even though I turned in what I thought was a good time, I was pretty far back in the waves this year, wave N. So I didn't get to start until about 8:30 a.m. I was very happy for a cool and low-humidity start!
The race is really fun, almost a parade if you are too far back, but I love the crowds that come to cheer on the runners.
St. Philips Episcopal Church always sets up its holy water and every year I make sure I get a little sprinkle. Keeps me going for the rest of the year!

Getting blessed during the race

The pastor who blesses the runners every year

Somewhere along the route in Midtown

 This isn't too far from Mile 5, if I'm not mistaken. I should be coming up on the High Museum. What's great about the race is you really get to see what's along Peachtree Road from Buckhead to Midtown. In a car, you are too busy paying attention to all of the other crazy Atlanta drivers!

Runner with flag

You see all kinds of things along the route. There was a brass band (not part of the bands along every mile of the course this year), people in costumes, patients at the Shepherd Spinal Center cheering us on from their wheelchairs, and many, many others.
I grabbed a couple of Rachel's photos, too, because she got some great things that I saw along the course as well.

Rachel and Mary at the start

Rachel on route

I finished with a pretty good time for me. I was pleased. And I felt good all along the course. I guess it is true -- a crappy 5K before a big race means I'll do OK!

Ellie, Dave and me at the finish

 I met up with my co-worker Ellie and her boyfriend Dave at the finish. They had great times, just over an hour, for the race.

Meb Keflezighi on the Peachtree course 

 I'm sorry to say I didn't see Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi on the Peachtree course this year. He started at the back of the pack and tried to pass as many runners as he could for charity. I did have an hour head start on him, but I did hear him speak at the grandstand at the finish. He passed about 22,000 runners/walkers!
In all, it was a spectacular Peachtree and Fourth of July. Wish they could all be like this!

Running the Rails

I've always said a horrible race before a big one means I'm going to do OK on the big race.
I hope that is true, because I did just horrible on the recent Run the Rails 5K in Atlanta.
I ran the race with my friend Rachel, and the course was along the new Atlanta Streetcar rail line, which has not been put into service yet.
The morning was hot and humid, and I hadn't been feeling well all week, so it really is no surprise I didn't do well.
The fun part of this race was, however, the number of folks I ran into who I know! And running downtown is always fun.

Rachel and me before the race. #BeDowntown

At Woodruff Park, the race start

Rachel's a faster runner than me, and I did try to keep up for about the first mile, but I just couldn't. My legs felt like lead. So she continued on and I walked and ran the rest of the way. What's below is a mix of her and my photos.

Rachel along the route

Running through downtown Atlanta

One of the new Atlanta Streetcars

Running through Centennial Olympic Park

Downtown from Centennial Olympic Park

The one good thing about Rachel being a faster runner than me is her being able to get a shot of me coming through the finish line!

Finisher!

Then it was fun running into so many folks I know. Michelle, Walter (whom I used to work with) and others.

Kwanzaa Hall and Rachel

Me, Walter and Rachel -- all once-co-workers!

Wes, Michelle and me

While I might not have felt great for the race, it was great to run this downtown and be part of the celebration of the new Streetcar.

The Equitable Building

Be Downtown

This was supposed to be a once and only race, meaning once the streetcar is operational, they won't be able to host the race again, so it was fun to Run the Rails just this once.

Sunny Summerfest

Wow, June is almost gone and I've yet to talk about all that has gone on this month.
First, an article about me came out in Competitor magazine! I was really excited that the Southeast Editor, Giannina, asked to do a profile about me and my quest to run a sanctioned race in all 50 states.
Gina, as I know her, and I used to work together, so she has known about my bucket list. Still, it is nice to get a little positive publicity about it!
What was even more exciting, to me, is my article was in the same issue that featured Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi. To me, it was an honor to share the magazine with him.

Here is a link to the article. Well, it's a link to the magazine. I'm on page 95. :)
I love that Gina captured the essence of why I'm doing it.
That came out on June 1. The following weekend, I was queued up for one of the races I talked about in the article: The Virginia-Highland Summerfest 5K.
The morning broke rainy. In fact, I woke up in the night to thunder and lightning. On my way to the race, it was still raining lightly, but I was rewarded with this:

Rainbow before the running

You can't really see it in this photo, but it was actually a double rainbow. The second rainbow is very faintly to the right of the first one.
By the time I got to the race the rain was over and it was hot and humid. Welcome to running in Atlanta in the summer.
Not my best time ever, but not my worst.
This was the first year, however, that I've run it that Elvis made an appearance!

Elvis has not left the building!

All in all, June got off to a rocking start. I was a minor celebrity, who SAW a minor celebrity!