My friend Terri and I set a great plan into action for running the 2008 Georgia Marathon together. After scoping out the details, we decided to stay in the Omni Hotel so we could roll out of bed, take the elevator down to the lobby, walk out onto the plaza, and start the race! One problem, Mother Nature had other plans!.
On March 14, 2008 an EF2 tornado swept through downtown Atlanta causing great damage to many of the city’s buildings. As a result the race expo had to be moved from the Georgia World Congress Center to the Georgia Dome, and our reservations for the Omni Hotel were moved all the way across town to the Sheraton. Our accommodations at the Sheraton were fine, but the move across town resulted in a lot of hilly walking over the course of the weekend.
We flew into town on Friday, March 28th, two weeks to the day after the devastating tornado rolled through the city. Other than lots of boarded up windows (which really stood out on the mirrored high-rises, and the occasional pieces of missed glass on the sidewalks, the city was in amazingly good shape.
We headed straight downtown to meet my nephew Rob (he works downtown) for dinner at Ray’s In The City. After dinner, Rob gave us a quick walking tour of the attractions nearby and we ended our walk at Centennial Olympic Park.
Saturday morning we slept in (because we could) and then headed across town to the Georgia Dome for the race expo and packet pick-up. We got our workout in for the day because let me tell you, Atlanta has got some hills! We spent a couple of hours milling around, bought a few items, picked up our packets, and headed to the Hard Rock Café for lunch. We spent the rest of the afternoon resting our legs in our hotel room while reading and watching Sex in the City reruns (my first time watching the show).
Being in Corral 5 meant that I didn’t plan to run very fast!
After two beautiful days in Atlanta, we awoke on race morning to a damp and cold day. We warmed up on our thirty-minute walk from the hotel to the race start and timed it so we wouldn’t have to wait too long for the starting gun.
Not surprisingly, the course was very hilly. We ran through gorgeous neighborhoods with stately homes up on hills with big well-manicured yards, through isolated and lonely quiet industrial areas, past hopping neighborhoods, and finally ended back in the city at Centennial Olympic Park.
It was windy at times and we would get bone-chillingly cold whenever we had to stop (stupid shoelaces). Eventually I warmed up and tossed my gloves which proved to be a huge mistake. My fingers got really cold when the race course changed directions and we started running directly into the wind. I found a pair of discarded wet gloves along the road and put them on. Terri was completely grossed out!
Terri and I stayed together the whole race and Terri counted down miles at each marker. She would say something like, “Six miles down, 20.2 to go, and 14 until we see Rob…” About half way through the race, I decided that this countdown just made the race seem to go on forever, so I never did it again on my own (plus my math really stinks in the last half of a marathon). As indicated in the countdown, my nephew Rob, his wife Heather, and their dog Regala were meeting us around mile 20. It was amazing how looking forward to seeing them kept our spirits up during the cold, dreary race.
We were so excited to see our cheering crew, that when I rushed over for hugs, I frightened poor Regala and she trembled behind Heather until Terri and I turned to continue our race.
Terri and I finished yet another marathon together, this time in 4:40:18 (10:41 minute/mile pace). It certainly wasn’t our fastest marathon together, but it wasn’t our slowest either (we saved that honor for two years later at Steamtown).
After the race we walked back to our hotel, and even though we were exhausted (and if I haven’t mentioned it before, it was a hilly), the thirty minute walk was probably very good for us before we got on a plane to head home. Somewhere along the way back we found a Mexican restaurant and stopped in for our post-race lunch. We had a late check-out at the hotel which is very important after running a marathon. Showering after a race is always a very good thing, and I’m sure everyone on the plane was very appreciative!
At the airport, we treated ourselves to margaritas and relaxed for a little while, reflecting on yet another wonderful weekend away – just two running girlfriends with no worries. Just before we boarded our plane we saw a racer in his racing wheelchair. We talked to him for a little while and found out that he had won the wheelchair division. It was really great to meet him and hear about the race from his perspective.
Flying back to Virginia at sunset provided us with the most gorgeous clouds I’ve ever seen. I regret not taking any pictures…
- Questions:
- Have you ever been to Atlanta?
- Have you ever been in a tornado?
- Who’s racing this weekend?
I am most impressed by the fact that you were able to get on a plane, post-race! I can understand the 30 min of walking (it feels so good to walk/shuffle after 26.2, but getting on a plane immediately after is not my idea of fun! I bet it was a hilly course!
Amy recently posted…Trying Pure Barre
I wish I knew about the benefits of compression socks back then. I keep thinking that I had to be dehydrated from the marathon, then I had a margarita, and then I got on a plane… I’m surprised my legs functioned when it was time to get off of the plane.
I went to Atlanta for work about a year ago (December 2012) and I know of the hills you speak! We also ate at the Hard Rock Cafe when we were there. Centennial park was really neat to see, too, and I bet it was a neat place to have the race finish. Good thing y’all had that 30 minute walk before getting on a plane to fly home. I cannot imagine getting on a plane right after running a marathon!
Meagan recently posted…Beating boredom on the treadmill
At the time that walk seemed cruel, but in hindsight it was a very good thing!
Great race recap. Never been to Atlanta before and never been in a tornado. We have dust storms out here in AZ and those can be pretty crazy, but nothing like a tornado. No race this weekend, but have 4 in 4 weeks starting the end of April.
http://runningschlub.blogspot.com/
The Running Schlub recently posted…Please Bear With Me
Four races in four weekend! How fun! What distances?
Should be fun. 4.2 miles, 5K, 10k, and 5K.
The Running Schlub recently posted…Please Bear With Me
What a fun race recap. I had to scroll back to the top to make sure I was reading a recent post (I kept seeing the 2008 date all over your recap). It’s fun to reminisce old races. I think I would have picked up the discarded gloves too, if I was cold, ha ha.
Marnie @ SuperSmartMama recently posted…My Running Story
Thanks, and thanks for visiting my blog! I’ll pop over and check yours out as well. My goal is to finish up recapping all of my previous marathons over the course of this year.
To answer your questions:
I was in Atlanta once – love the aquarium!
We actually had a tornado a year or so ago – so weird for Maryland. Didn’t touch down near us, though.
YES! I am racing this weekend. I never thought I’d say that. I haven’t run since that time I tweeted you almost two weeks ago, but I figure if I did it then, I can do it on Sunday. I can handle a 5k, right?
Dana recently posted…The story of her life
Good for you! I predict your first race recap on Kiss My List! Are you running the 5K with your family?
[…] Back in the day, she and I ran most of our long runs together and traveled to Atlanta for the 2008 Georgia Marathon and to Scranton for the 2010 Steamtown Marathon. Additionally, we ran several Marine Corps […]