Hotlanta Half-Marathon (Fulton County, Georgia)

It's been about six weeks since my last race, but with all of the big trail miles I hiked in England last week, I was hopeful that I could do okay at today's Hotlanta Half-Marathon. I had picked up my bib earlier this week and so, I didn't have to get to the start line super early. Luckily, parking in downtown Atlanta was easy to find . . . strange, but welcomed. I find a spot just a couple of blocks away from the World of Coca-Cola, where we will start from. After walking to the start, I get in line to use the bathroom, always a good practice before starting a long race. 

From there, I find the pacer for my expected time and join in the massive group of runners awaiting the start. I'm hoping to come in around 2:40:00, but we'll see how it goes. That's still much slower than I was a couple of years ago, but especially here in Atlanta on a hot (almost) summer day, I'm not going to kill myself just for a good time.

With a quick countdown, the we're off. As I pass under the inflatable arch, I start my own time on my phone app. The first part is downhill, but we quickly hit the first uphill. I'm always terrible at uphills, but I'm feeling really good this morning and try to run through it, which I do. It gets me breathing pretty hard, but on the next flat section, I'm able to recover.

There are a quite a few people running this race. I don't know the exact count, but probably upwards of 3,000. In all honest, that's not a big race, but for downtown Atlanta this time of year, it seems pretty big. I maintain a pretty good pace as we make our way around Centennial Olympic Park, which commemorates the 1996 Summer Olympics, which were held here.

After doing a little loop on the southern end of the race route, I really feel the heat and humidity starting to kick in. I make it a point to hydrate at every water stop. Volunteers are offering fruit punch Powerade, water, and cups of ice. At most stops, I take all three. I know this heat is going to be a struggle today and I don't want to end up having a heat stroke like mother has recently experienced. A couple of the aid stations are also handing out disposable towels that have been soaking in ice water. I take advantage of these as well and after wiping my face with them, put them over the back of my neck until the water evaporates off my skin, They do help a bit.

Next, we run past the State Capital Building, which is pretty cool. I haven't been this close since moving here. It's sun reflects off of it's giant golden dome almost like a cheerleader urging us on. The trail continues along several streets. The police are out in force today and doing a terrific job of directing traffic at each intersection and keep the runners safe.

Eventually, we hit the Atlanta Beltline, which is a paved multi-purpose trail. No cars are allowed though, which is nice. I don't notice it at first, but there is even rubber-like track surface strip on either side of the pavement for runners. This surface is much easier on the body than is the pavement. I take advantage of it when I can. I also find myself walking a bit here and there, as the heat is really getting to me.

At one point here on the beltline, we go under an overpass. Beneath it, there is a huge amount of interesting and in some cases, quite artistic, graffiti adorning the cement surfaces. It adds character. We run past New Realm brewing, which I have visited before, but not recently and I think how much I would enjoy a cold beer right about now. From there, we run past the Ponce Street Market and are soon back on the streets, where the police are again protecting the runners at intersections.

Nearing the end of the course, we do a loop through Piedmont Park and then it's back on through a number of twists and turns as we head towards the finish line. I'm still struggling with the heat and the hills (which are plentiful), but I'm not feeling terrible. I have had to walk more than I would like, but I attribute that more to temperature regulation than exhaustion. Finally, with the finish line in site, I make one last push and cross under the arch once again, this time from the opposite direction. According to my own app, my time was 2:48:44. Not great, but considering, I didn't collapse from the heat, I'll take it.

I grab a bottle of water, while one of the volunteers hands me my completion medal. I then find someplace in the shade to cool down a bit before driving home. While I sit there fiddling with my phone, I overhear a woman telling her young children how proud she is of her husbands who sets panting nearby. Apparently, this was a bucket list item for him and his first half-marathon. I congratulate him with a fist bump and tell him that he's likely to get addicted now. He asks how many I have run and I respond that I've run about twenty-five half-marathons and two full marathons. He laughs and says, he'll see how he feels tomorrow. I wish him and his family well and had back to my car. After putting on my flip flops and a fresh t-shirt, I head home. It's been a very, very hot and humid day for a race, but I'm thankful that I was able to complete it without incident.