Opportunity Knocked

Yesterday Ella Ann and I went walking in the park with a friend and her little boy. I was asking her what she was going to do for the 4th and she said that her and her husband were going to run in the famous Peachtree Roadrace but he had to work (he's a resident also) and she didn't have anyone to babysit her son so she told me I was welcome to her number if I wanted it. OHHHH YES!!! I have been wanting to run in the Peachtree Road race since we moved here but haven't been able to as of yet. It is the largest race in the world with 55,000 people running the 6.2 miles down Atlanta's main road, Peachtree Street. The main reason so many people run it is to get the coveted Peachtree Roadrace t-shirt, and I was one of them! :) I've longed for that shirt! hahahahaaa! I have to tell you all about my morning!! Okay, so I woke up this morning at 5:45, drank a ton of coffee, and ran outside my home to hop on the MARTA bus to take me to the MARTA station so I could get on a train that would take me to Lenox Mall where the race begins. I had never ridden MARTA before so I was very nervous about the whole thing. I was in the very last group to go (see my number) so I didn't have to be there at the start of the race, which was at 7:30 (I made it up there by that time, though). Dad, you may want to sit down for this if you are not already because you will probably have a heart attack after reading what I did! :) I was standing at the bus stop (ohhh you HAVE to ride MARTA to this race because parking is too limited and EVERYONE rides it for this race) and this man, he was probably 65 or so, slows down and asks me if I wanted a ride to the MARTA station downtown where he was headed. He was wearing a number, and he was old so I figured I would be safe! So I said, "Sure", and got in the car. Did you pass out yet Dad??? The man introduced himself, as did I, and he informed me that we were going to park at his office and walk across the street to the MARTA station. After he told me where he worked, I realized who this man was! I know him, or his name, rather!!!! He and the man I worked for before I had Ella Ann are best friends and I did a lot of work via my boss for the guy carting me to the station!!! After telling him who I worked for he then recognized my name and said that my old boss was just talking about me the other day!!! Okay, so how incredibly weird is that!?! We both couldn't get over the huge coincidence!

After getting on the train with a zillion other runners, you couldn't move an inch because the trains were so crowded, I walked all the way to the very, very back of the sea of people to where the thousands of runners in my group were congregating. After waiting over an hour, I started at 8:50 and crossed the finish line at Piedmont Park at 9:40. I didn't stop and walk once!!

I have to tell you all about my trip down Peachtree because it was one of the most exciting things I have ever done. To see a city running and being part of it was so amazing! A new group starts every 5 minutes to leave some space, but it was still really crowded. Thousands of "fans" lined the streets for the entire 6 miles cheering us on, giving us water, smoothies (yes I drank a smoothie while running), ice chips, American flags to wave, and dozens and dozens of bands and djs played music about every 2-3 blocks!!! I saw doctors running in scrubs and stethoscopes, people running draped in the American flag, people were decked out for the 4th along the streets, including their pets, belly dancers, cheerleaders dressed in zero clothes dancing on top of buses, and the best part was running through "holy water to be blessed" as I passed some of the churches!!!! Isn't that hilarious!?!?! There was even a group of "drunk runners" that are famous for running the race because they run it, obviously, drunk and you know them when you see them because they have t-shirts on advertising their drunkeness AND they drink the whole 6 miles down! CRAZY!

I knew it was a big deal to see and even participate in this massive event, but I didn't realize the extent of it until I saw it with my own eyes! It was neat to see swarms of people in front of me running down the road! When I finished, I walked into the park to get my precious t-shirt and saw really no green space in the huge park because it was covered, I mean covered, with runners. I walked down a road that leads to our home and Spencer and Ella Ann picked my tired butt up. I told Spencer he HAD to do it next year just to say he did it! It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I took lots of pictures with my phone along the way but cannot upload them to the blog. Here is a picture of me after I showered. I forgot to take one when I was all gross and sweaty after running but still wanted you all to see my new shirt and number to prove to you I completed the race without one iota of training! :)