It pays to hear the announcements....

I did something at today's Tour deCatur 5K that I have never done before. I started in the wrong race!
I heard the announcer call for everyone to get lined up at the start, so I did. I noticed other folks with 5K race bibs on, but there were also tons of little kids. You guessed it. I lined up for the one mile fun run!
I realized my mistake as we came back toward the finish. But I also saw the other 5K folks lining up for that start, so I scooted out of the one mile fun run race and queued up for the race I intended to run!
I got a four-miler in today!

Early luck of the Irish

I ran the Shamrock N Roll 10K just a week after the half marathon.
It was a crisp, clear morning. A really beautiful morning for a race.
At first, I wasn't sure how I would do because I'd been so tired after the half marathon that I hadn't run at all.
This is that two loop course around Atlantic Station. The course isn't that great. And there is that hill up Northside Drive. And as a 10K participant, I get to do that hill twice!
As it turns out, I did pretty well on this course. I ran it in one of my better 10K times.
There were photographers along the course and this year the race photos were free. But then, sometimes you don't want the free ones. I mean really, you can't get me when I'm smiling? Because I did smile at you Mr. Photographer. And I waved! Where is THAT photo?

I must be thinking how much I dislike this course!

Oh well, what are you going to do? I had the luck of the Irish on the course, but not with the photographer.

A running party in New Orleans

I've completed a race in my 22nd state, and not only ran a race, but did so in the party city of New Orleans.
We had great weather, great food, and great drinks!
I ran the race with my long-time running buddy Jessica, and a new running buddy, Nicole.
We got in a couple of days before the race and got our race materials, then wandered the French Quarter. We ate a muffuletta at Central Grocery and even had some pre-race hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's. Even so, we made it to race start!

Me, Nicole and Jessica at the start

We're jazzed to be here!

Here we go!

This race was part of the Rock N Roll running series, so there are bands all along the course. We started near the French Quarter and then headed down toward the Garden District.

A jazz band along the course

 The course seemed to go a long way down the Garden District and we traveled along the trolley car tracks, then turned around and came right back.

Mardi Gras beads in the trees

 The race was about two weeks after Mardi Gras, but evidence of the celebrations were all around! There were beads up in the trees. There were broken beads along the road, too.

Bagpipers along the course

Running near Jackson Square

We eventually ran through the French Quarter, right by Jackson Square, before turning up the Esplanade and then to City Park, where we finished.

As you can see, we had glorious weather. 

Finished!

How every half marathon should end

 We finished the race and made it back over to Pat O'Brien's, where I had a hurricane, fried oysters and chicken gumbo. The gumbo was only so-so. I should have had another dozen of those oysters. The breading was made with some of Pat O'Brien's bloody Mary mix and they were so good!

The new bling

Yummy post-race lunch

And so I've checked another state off the list. Louisiana makes No. 22. It was good to be back in New Orleans. I was there about 20 years ago and I loved being back.
I hope it's not another 20 years before I'm back again.

On a mission

What a great run I had Saturday morning at the Atlanta Mission Race Against Homelessness 5K.

It was held in downtown Atlanta and the weather was nearly perfect. It was in the low 40s to start and overcast. Would have been nicer to see a little more sunshine, but I've run this race when it was 19 degrees out, so I won't complain!

The race starts and finishes at Centennial Olympic Park and it was a big pre-race party at the start.

Me at the pre-race party

 There was a big stage and the emcee was getting everyone up and dancing. There were even mascots Freddie the Falcon and Courage the Lion (from Fidelity Bank) and they had a good ol' time doing a mascot dance off.

How mascots get down

I ran the race in 38:05, so I was pretty pleased. It was Mission Possible!

Running with heart, and soles

I'm a little late blogging about the Feb. 6 Hearts & Soles 5K.
This one always seems to be chilly and this year was no exception. I think we were right at the freezing mark when we started.
My friends Erin and Angela joined me at this Atlanta Track Club-sponsored race.

Erin and me

Erin, Angela and me

I didn't think I'd done all that well on this 5K, which is a pretty boring out and back near Georgia Perimeter College in Decatur, but when I got home and checked last year's time, I actually was just a hair faster. Not bad!
I was under the weather the rest of the weekend. The head cold that has been going around the office finally caught me, so I didn't get out for my 9-mile training run Sunday morning, and it's supposed to be really cold tomorrow for my 10 mile run. Goodness, I'll be in New Orleans in two weeks preparing for the Rock N Roll New Orleans half marathon. Training hasn't gone all that well.
I think I have to face facts: Three half marathons a year for me are too many. And I really shouldn't do a half marathon unless it's in early April or late March. The weather here is just too crummy to try to train. So I'm pretty sure I'm just going to do two half marathons next year, one in April and another in September and then just run a couple of 5Ks or 10Ks to get in four states. I think that will likely be my MO from now on. It will be kinder on my body. And my heart and soles. :)

Running with friends, and dogs

I'm a week behind posting about my Jan. 9 race, the Frostbite 5K: Run With the Dogs.
It was a little too warm again this year for it to be frosty, but there were plenty of dogs (and humans) at the race.
I like this race. It's close to my house and it starts at 9 a.m., so I'm not up super early on a dark winter morning.
One of the nicest surprises this year was my friend Julie and her dog Brewer ran with me! I should have guessed Julie might be there, but I neglected to email or text her before the race, so it was a very pleasant surprise to see her just as we were lining up for the start.

Julie at the start

Brewer is here too!

I ran the Atlanta 10 Miler with Julie last fall and she's doing a run 3, walk 1 minute program, so we followed that (mostly) during the race. We came out really fast and that hampered me later on the course, but overall we did really well. We'd get to our walk portion of the program and Brewer wanted to keep running! I think he helped us be a little more speedy for this race.

Finishers!

I need to remind Julie that we've done this race together three or four times (except for the year when lightning forced the cancellation, but Julie and Brewer were there!)
In fact, I met Brewer almost right after Julie and her husband Chris got him. I think I met Chris, who was then her boyfriend, at this race.
I even found 27 cents this morning, so the found money pig got fed!

The found money pig

So 2016 running is off to a great start, running with the dogs (and friends).

A chilly, hilly resolution

Atlanta's unseasonably warm weather decided to leave just as I'm ready to return to running.
So this morning's Resolution Run 4 miler was sunny and crisp. The race is in Brookhaven and it was kind of fun to see some of the areas I usually drive right by.
Here I am before the race, even wearing that Ugly Sweater Run hat, which I actually needed today!

Pre-race selfies

I looked for found money during my walk breaks, but didn't find any. I counted up all of my found money for 2015 last night. I earned $3.09, just enough for a small coffee at Starbucks. :)
At the end of the race, I went to the area that asked you to share your resolution. I put down to run four more states in 2016. You can barely see it in the photo!

It doesn't matter. It's a resolution I very much hope to keep. Happy New Year!