Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Race Recap - PNC Atlanta 10 Miler
119 Plays27 days ago
In this bonus episode, we’re recapping AJ’s soggy adventure at the 2025 Atlanta 10 Miler. From early alarms and Atlanta road closures to running several miles through pouring rain (with a smile!), we’re sharing all the highs, lows, and laughs from race day in Atlanta. It’s one of those races that tests your patience, your pace, and your poncho.
This was race 2 of 3 towards earning the Atlanta Track Club Triple Peach medal for 2025. Next up is the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon.
Recommended
Transcript
AJ's Race Weekend Experience
00:00:00
Speaker
This week, AJ ran the Atlanta 10 miler the day after we ran the Peachtree city classic. And so on today's bonus episode, I'm going ask him all the questions about this race. He's going to fill us in on all the good details.
00:00:17
Speaker
You're in charge of this bonus episode. I am. I am. right. What do you want to know? Okay. So tell us what was the pre-race experience like? Well, pre-race, like ah two days before, you went with me up to Atlanta. Yes. We live outside the city. And so you went up with me and we did like the expo and all that. And I thought it was easy. I mean, getting it was nice to go there because that's where the race started. Yeah.
00:00:37
Speaker
And so to figure out parking and, oh, okay, I see where, you know, because we did kind of circle the parking garage a lot trying to figure it out. So all that was good. It was really easy. And then pre-race on the race day itself, I got there way too early.
Early Arrival and Race Start
00:00:49
Speaker
um because, you know, it's Atlanta, right you know? And I'm glad I did yeah because part of the freeway was closed. oh gosh And so two lanes of the connector, if you're from Atlanta, you know, like that's not good. and Do you think they knew that before? I don't, I don't. Yeah, gosh.
00:01:07
Speaker
So that was a little hectic, but that's why I wanted to be there early. Totally. Right? yeah And so, yes, I got there with plenty of time, got an incredibly good parking spot and I'm looking at my watch going, well, now what do I do for two hours?
00:01:19
Speaker
ah that'slarious Because at a Disney race, you know, you got plenty of things to see and do. Right. And this, I mean, they had a DJ, but it was also really early in the morning. There's apartments all around and whatever. It was like quiet zone.
00:01:30
Speaker
So yeah anyway, it was fine. It was, you know, nothing necessarily to write home about. Yeah. But also nothing bad either. Well, that's good. Yeah. So at Disney, we would be waiting for hours in the corral. What was the corral experience like at the Atlanta to Miller?
00:01:45
Speaker
Um, you've done Atlanta races with, with me yes and you just kind of walk up. Right. And it's, you know, you they have little ropes and whatever, and you just kind of just walk up and you just, no one's really checking your bib, you know, or there was that one guy. Yeah. So that, this felt just like any of those experiences we've had before yeah where it's like, you can walk through any of the other corrals to get to where you want to. You can walk right up through to a, if you wanted to, you know what i mean? And someone might eventually stop you, right but it's just, uh,
00:02:14
Speaker
It feels very loose, you know. But um I did have, I went, so sorry, you need to cough or something? No. No. Okay. I went. do we You looked like you going No, I was itching my face. Okay, perfect. So I went all the way up and I just instinct slammed right up against the front of the corral.
00:02:32
Speaker
Got my spot, you know. yeah And i heard myself from a previous podcast episode say, why is it exactly that I'm trying to like be the first one out of the corral?
00:02:43
Speaker
I had no reason. I'm like, all these people are way faster than me. Legitimately, you could tell they were going to be smoking me. like, why am I fighting to be up front? So about 10 minutes before the race, I just went to the back of the corral.
00:02:55
Speaker
Like I just walked straight to the back and took it easy, you know? And our whole wave went at one time. So it really didn't benefit me to get way up there with all the, you know, college athletes or whatever. So anyway, the corral experience was good.
Running in the Rain
00:03:08
Speaker
it um I wore a poncho. I was going to ask you about the weather next. Yeah. it Rain was in the forecast. You look at like the aerial map thing in the weather app and you could see this huge red thing moving our direction, you know?
00:03:23
Speaker
Anyway, I wore this poncho and it like lightly sprinkled just a little bit, you know, like barely at all. And then the minute... That they said, all right, B, let's go, go, go, go. go Like that.
00:03:36
Speaker
I ripped the poncho off. And i'm I'm talking seconds later. The entire sky just unleashed its fury and poured on us.
00:03:49
Speaker
That's terrible. For six miles. Oh, gosh. I mean, just downpoured. Yeah. so So as dry as I stayed with all the little sprinklies, it did not matter.
00:04:00
Speaker
Oh, no. Because the minute we were out, it poured down rain. Yeah. And I didn't, I didn't, I, uh, this is kind of, kind of a funny moment is, um, we said recently on a podcast, I said, Hey, if it's raining, you should go out and run in the rain because it might rain on you on race day.
00:04:15
Speaker
So I actually, it was like, I had a a grin on my face because I had said in that podcast, Hey, if it's raining, say, yay, it's raining. This is awesome. Right. I get practice this. And so here I am just soaked, like, like the streets, you know, like they're Atlanta streets. So like you'd step in like ah like a pothole type gully thing. You'd be like ankle deep in water. Oh gosh. And my, so my shoes were squishy and whatever. And I'm grinning from ear to ear because I'm like, I said that this is a good thing.
00:04:43
Speaker
You need to practice it. Right. So here I am going, here I am practicing it with 6,000 other people that's pouring down rain in the dark. Yeah. Yeah. And I couldn't, i mean, what are you going to do about it? Right. Like you can't do anything other than move forward. Have a good attitude. Yeah. Right. And I saw some people pretty upset that it was raining.
00:05:01
Speaker
Yeah. I thought, So now what are you going to do? Right. Who are you going to complain to exactly? Yeah. You're just going to have to keep running. Would you rather they canceled the race and now you get nothing? Yeah. So like, let's make the best of this. Totally. You know, and the good news is I never got hot.
00:05:14
Speaker
Yeah. Right.
The Challenging Course
00:05:15
Speaker
Like, I mean, that's a positive thing. So anyway, that, that long answer to, to, uh, how the race started was wet So speaking of things that might make me frown, tell me about the course.
00:05:25
Speaker
Was it real hilly? Atlanta is north for being a very hilly city. yeah And we experienced a little bit of that on the Peachtree Road Race, which is their 4th of July 10K.
00:05:36
Speaker
We experienced a little bit of it. We did. um That was fractional compared to the amount of hills we did on this one. I'm so glad I wasn't there. And it it was it was a bit much. Yeah. And so, um, my running coach said, I want you to take it. Cause I have, um, uh, a race for time. This was not for time. This was for the metal, right? Uh, you know, the the finisher metal and the t-shirt, which ended up being terrible t-shirt. I was so bummed about that. anyway, that's a side note.
00:06:00
Speaker
So my running coach said, take it easy for the first six miles. And I want you to do race pace for the last four. yeah And I'm looking at the course map thing and the last four is where all the hills were. ahchi And I text him. I'm like, hey, this is where all the hills are. I'm giving you a heads up.
00:06:16
Speaker
So I did. I ah ah was under pace of what I was supposed to be, but I was also running uphill for the last few miles until the last mile. The last mile was flat.
00:06:26
Speaker
I mean, it was awesome. And my pace, like, like, I mean, too, like, yeah, like shaved two minutes off the previous mile yeah because, you know mile time, because now I wasn't running a hill. I running flat, but my body was in like,
00:06:42
Speaker
up the hill
Memorable Moments
00:06:44
Speaker
mode. Right. yeah so as soon as it was flat, I felt like I was just yeah right. so right So, yes, it was a very hilly course, which makes me a little nervous for the Thanksgiving day half, which is in Atlanta.
00:06:55
Speaker
This was 10 miles and obviously the house only three more miles, but it's like a different part of Atlanta. And I think it's worse. Great. Oh my. So we'll see. Okay. hey Um, so tell me like, what are some of the things about the race that you loved or maybe didn't love?
00:07:10
Speaker
I love these Atlanta races. They're loud. They, I mean, they got DJs and whatever, like they're just, it's a rowdy, it's a rowdy situation. i think you experienced that at the peach tree. Yeah. um So I liked that.
00:07:22
Speaker
yeah It was crowded on the course, unfortunately. Like it was only, i think 6,000 runners or something. I think it might've been less because they had 5k too. So it was probably split between the 5k and this.
00:07:33
Speaker
So it, we were always in like two lanes and which we never got to use the full width of the road, you know, like four lanes or whatever, like we would at Disney. And so imagine if we were were running through the parks the entire time, that width where it's only two lanes wide yeah and we never got to like clear out a little bit. That's what happened on this course. So I didn't love that, but the energy was good. So yeah all the people I was running with, like just the vibe was nice. Now,
00:08:02
Speaker
Again, that was Corral B. I have no idea what A, C, D, E. I have no idea what the vibe was like in that. But um the vibe in my Corral was good. That's good. So I did love that. I love seeing Atlanta, by the way. I think I've said it before. Yeah, you have. um I don't walk around Atlanta by myself.
00:08:18
Speaker
You know, like there are parts of Atlanta you don't want to do that. Right. You know, but this gives me an opportunity to see the city that we live in. Totally. Well, that's good. um Do you have a favorite moment?
00:08:29
Speaker
It probably tied between that like grinning from ear to ear because I was soaking wet. Soaking wet, yeah. And i had just recommended to our friends on the podcast. I just said, hey, if it's raining, be happy about it.
00:08:41
Speaker
And I just i just got a chuckle out of that. I really did enjoy that. And then that last mile was was really, really fast. Yeah. and so And it felt good. Like I came into the finish chute feeling strong.
00:08:52
Speaker
And anytime you can walk across the or go across the finish line and not collapse or feel like you have to poop your pants, I'm Like that's a good day. Yeah. And that was this day. You know what mean? Where I didn't feel like my stomach was whatever. Like I just, I went, I got my medal. I went to the snack thing. I got some water, took a selfie. And I was like, do i need to use the restroom before I go home?
00:09:13
Speaker
No, just go when I get home. but You know what I mean? like I just, it was nice to be able to walk away from something. Yeah. And that's not a bragging thing. That's just like a success in
Recommendation and Wrap-Up
00:09:22
Speaker
training. Yeah. You know, like the hard work paid off kind of vibe. And so that was probably my favorite.
00:09:27
Speaker
Good. Um, do you think that you will do this race again? i would love to do it again. Good. It, for all that, that I just said, like it, yes, it was a hilly course and it was crowded at most of it, but.
00:09:40
Speaker
It just felt good. I loved seeing Atlanta. I loved where it started in Atlantic station and it ended in the same spot. I i loved that. Getting in and out was easy. The metal's awesome.
00:09:51
Speaker
The shirt, which I don't usually wear the participant shirts from stuff anyway, you know, like it's now a Modalon shirt. of the la So I don't need it for the shirt though.
00:10:03
Speaker
Would you recommend this race? I would recommend it. Yes. yeah For who? Yeah. Good question. Yeah. um If you just love... So I got to see so several parts of Atlanta. So like we went down... like If you know Atlantic Station is real cool and vibey, whatever. But then I got to see things I know. like We love to eat at you know a place called Grindhouse Burgers. like We went running by grindhouse like oh look there's grindhouse you know and a church we used to go to we're right by passion you know what i mean like yeah that was that was cool but then we also turned and then we went in these really cool tree covered neighborhoods you know where you just it's got that like
00:10:40
Speaker
old the Atlanta vibe. yeah And then I've never been on the Atlanta belt line ever. And we turned left on the belt line. The belt line, at least in this part of town was nice. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was really nice. I was like, I would come up here and run on this path system. Yeah. yeah So if you want to see Atlanta, even if you live in the suburbs or whatever, like it's a really good way to do it.
00:11:00
Speaker
Yeah. And I did not get the sense that people were like, Hey, look, I'm trying to qualify for something. Get out of my way. i did not get that sense. Like that's good it felt fun. Yeah. You know, also the race photos were free.
00:11:13
Speaker
They were included. Well, that's nice. I know. I did not expect that. So if you want some race photos, if you're running through Atlanta, if you want to see parts of Atlanta, if you don't mind a hill or two or three or four or five or six, right, then this race is for you. I mean, i I had a good time.
00:11:29
Speaker
If it's, if you're new to running, you're maybe not. You know what i mean? Because those hills will, will kick your butt. Yeah. I mean, they really will. And that again, don't mean to brag like they kicked my butt.
00:11:42
Speaker
I mean, there were times where I was, my heart rate zone went into the red. Right. yeah And so, you know, if you're, if you're newer to run that maybe, maybe not this one, but if you don't care about your time and all you want to do is have a good time and whatever.
00:11:54
Speaker
Yeah. I said, do it. Awesome. Well, thanks for sharing about your race. Yeah, it was super fun. I'd like to do it next year. If you want to do it with me, great. If you don't want to do it based off everything I just said, then that's fine too. I'd love i'd love to do it again because it was it was a good race. So Atlanta 10 miler, I'm in. Awesome.
00:12:16
Speaker
Thanks for joining us for this episode of One More Run, the podcast. If you like what we're up to, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram. You can find links to all of that at AJandErica.com.