Run Walk Repeat

A Fun Life At All Paces

Race Report: Historic Roswell 10miler/5k

by


This was an inaugural race and consisted of a 10 mile race with medal and a 5k race.  Since I have kind of petered out with my running since the princess I opted for the 5k – I actually drove the course of the 10 mile to decide if I wanted to do that race.

Packet Pickup:
Early Packet Pickup was at the local shoe store, truly my favorite, sponsor Abbadabba’s. I walked right in  around 2pm and picked up my bag with my race swag including lululemon tote, travel toothbrush – thanks Dr Bill, Hawks ball, and loads of coupons for local businesses – including a one week free trial at SkyZone Fitness! Abbadabbas offered a free technical Team Abbadabbas shirt to anyone who spent $50 in the store – I scored some cute Birkenstock sandals on sale! Race day packet pick-up was easy too, I went with my friend Wendy the morning of. 

Shoes I purchases to get Team Abbadabbas Shirt!
Some swag and my Race Bib #34895 oh yes!

     
The Race Course:
I drove the 10k, lovely rolling hills through beautiful neighborhoods.  Started at the cute shops on Canton Street and wound around Roswell towards the High School ended back at Canton Street.  My friends who did the 10 miles said it was hilly – your typical Georgia rolling hills, but they would for sure do it again. The 5k started at Canton Street as well, was about 1/2 mile of nice and flat, then a mile of hills….then back the same route. Not the most exciting route and you know I hate hills, but it was a completely straight course – except the turnaround.

Race Day:
Printed out my Team Run3rd Dedications and wrote the dedications for those who had submitted.  Suited up in my Sparkle Tech Sparkle Skirt “American Graffiti” since well this was a historic race, thought I would be a little patriotic.

Drove to the race – in 15 minutes, you have GOT TO LOVE THAT, parked at City Hall in a snap and ran into my friend Wendy from our Atlanta Running Princesses group. We met up with our online running friends, OK, I actually have met all these ladies in person and know Bonnie from Preschool, but I met Dorinda and Wendy online through the Nest website when we were all new mommies – now we are all princesses!

Dorinda, Me, Bonnie and Wendy ready to go!

Walking around I felt like Norm on Cheers with all the hellos I got….man I knew ALOT of people at that race, from preschool, Bootcamp, runners….. it was fun seeing everyone. 

Wendy and Dorinda walked up to the 10 mile start while Bonnie and I headed to the 5k. I fired up the Ipod touch with my Interval Runner App from Delta Vee and picked Mullets For Miles from rockmyrun.com as my race mix.

The race was a good one, crowds thinned out pretty quickly from the start and it was easy for me to get into my 1/1 intervals from the get go – I had plenty of room to move to the right on my walks!  I was JUST at a mile when the race winner – some high school cross country track star came speeding down the other side of the street.  Of course I cheered for him and the first lady I saw!  Hey I will never win, but got to encourage your fellow runners you know? 

I hate hills but just plugged along, my goal was to make it under 35 minutes. Because I haven’t been running, a little huffy and puffy, but that is my own fault.  Right at the bottom of the last uphill, my music stopped… and I was left with my thoughts and interval cues. I thought of Melissa’s photo of Kristen cutting the ribbon at the AFLAC Cancer Center at CHOA and how now Melissa spends every weekend driving to CHOA with donuts for the patients and and families and how after every holiday she scours every Walmart and Target for goody bag items for the kids. I got teary eyed. I thought about my boy – and of friends Patty and April whose sons who were also gone too soon. I started crying, I thought of Kristen’s Aunt and what a great place Roswell is which kind had me happy to be near such a cool place, so by the time I reached the top of the hill I was happy again. Felt good to be done with those hills! 

I saw on the clock I could make my goal and I totally HOOFED it looking stylish in my American Graffiti Sparkle Skirt!

Finishing the race as if I could win something 

Goal, under 35min…CHECK. Splits: 11:18; 11:17; 11:06 AND the .14…. 8:43 minute mile! YEAH Finish Strong! DUDE, that last .14 was Boston Marathon Qualifying time…I am now amazed at people who can keep that pace for 26.2 miles – 0.14 wore me out!  This was actually the fasted 5k time I have run this year. Yay me.

Got my water and banana then wandered over to get my total fun post race treat….

Krispy Kreme YES I run for donuts!

I wandered over to the finish to catch Bonnie coming down the street looking strong too -thumbs up!

We got our Caribou, Race Tshirts and headed to Mac McGee’s Irish Pub – the new pub on Canton for our free post race pint – hey I am part Irish!  I have to say, enjoying a quiet moment in a pub at 8am with a friend chatting about running and mom stuff was fun.  It was a very festive atmosphere on Canton Street and in the area, a band was playing and people were having fun.     

Post race swag, Coffee, Beer, Towel, Frisbee and Race Tshirt!

We saw our online Atlanta Running Princess Tracie – famous for her race pigtails and said hello.  It was GREAT finally meeting her in real life since we had been chatting and virtual Princess Race buddies training for the 2013 Princess Half. She was also sporting the Sparkle Tech Sparkle Skirt – its a cool club we are in!

Tracie the rock star, Finished the 10 Miles STRONG coming back from knee stuff!  Sporting her medal
BLING BLING…10 mile Finisher Medal, It was gorgeous!
I said goodbye to Tracie and headed back to the Shirty table before I left.  The shirts for finishers were REALLY cute, but I thought the Ladies sizes seemed to run small.  I opted to switch mine for a Men’s shirt – there were no ladies shirts a size bigger left in what I had chosen when I signed up. The men’s shirts were technical shirts and while unisex is not exactly flattering on me, I will wear it – that would not have been the case in a too tight cotton ladies shirt. I heard this from others too, which I don’t want to be negative, it was an amazing morning, but this as the ONLY comment I heard that could be taken as complaint – women’s shirts ran small.  Meh, its a shirt and they switched mine out no problems since it was later in the morning.
CLOSING…THANKS CHRIS!  
I want to thank Chris the organizer of this very fun event!  I know her from preschool and used to be in her Outdoor Fit Classes. She is the one who put the running bug back in my ear “Would you ever do another half marathon” she asked me 4 years ago.  I told her “No Way”, yet here I am years later with 3 under my belt and 1 or 2 more planned for this year.  Thanks Chris for a great morning and a race that went off without a hitch.  All my friends had nothing but good things to say.  And because of your encouragement for me to get back out there, I have made some great running buddies both online and in real life! Win, win.
If you are in the ATL area, put the Historic Roswell 10miler/5k classic on your radar for next year.   You will have a blast while getting your fitness on!    
Stats:  
724 Finishers in the 5k, I was in 382 Place.  Official Time: 34:47:30
Hey, in my Division, the total was 62 Runners…I was in 29th Place….Woot I beat more people than those who beat me.

Julie @RunWalkRepeat
Follow Me
Latest posts by Julie @RunWalkRepeat (see all)

About Julie @RunWalkRepeat

Wife, Mom, Southerner, Former Cubicle Dweller, Sting Fanatic and Reluctant Runner. I got started on family a little later in life than most and run for my health. A fan of Food, Entertainment, Travel, Galloway Running and Disney, I like to find the fun in all things in life.

Comments

  2. Amy Ruiz says

    I just stumbled across your blog. I ran the 10-mile this year. I’m from Suwanee, but decided to make the treck to Roswell for this race, because I thought it would be cool to run in the inaugural running! I definitely enjoyed it! I really hope they find a way to put it on again next year (I see the city wasn’t too happy with some of the roads they had to hold up traffic at). I would definitely do this race again next year if it fits into my schedule! Here’s my recap http://grabbingmyrunningshoes.blogspot.com/2013/04/historic-roswell-10-miler.html

    Also, I am glad to read a blog from someone else you runs 1/1 intervals! I always feel so out of place running such short intervals outside of Disney. You are right though, this race cleared out so quick that I was able to take my walk breaks without getting in anyone’s way!

    • Julie Franklin says

      Thanks Amy! I hope they do it next year it was a fun one. Roswell is such an active community, really they have great trails and awesome rec, the mayor is a huge supporter of a healthy lifestyle…so hoping we will be there again next year. Without my 1/1 I wouldn’t be out there…..I know people think its short, but I heard Jeff Galloway does 30/30! Thanks for stopping by, I am checking your blog out!

  5. Kristen :) says

    Way to go Julie!!! Thank you for running for my aunt; it means a lot to me 🙂

    • Julie Franklin says

      Thanks Amy,I really do have fun at my races. This one was so close to home and I knew so many people, it was like a party! VERY well organized too. LOVE THAT!