I kicked off 2020 with a great trip to one of our southern states, good ole Georgia. This race was called the Freakin’ Freezing 5k and was anything but that! I stalked the weather channel app for 2 weeks prior and realized I would be running in freakin’ 62 degrees. Perfect! So as usual, I flew out early Friday morning. I usually indulge in a Detroit Coney dog pre-flight in the airport but this time I tossed it up with 5 straight up pieces of bacon. It’s protein…. As you all know at this point, food is a very vibrant part of this journey. I actually think I have had BACON in all 17 states so far, which could be a whole separate journey. Well, I boarded my non-stop flight to Atlanta which was pretty non-eventful till 1/2 way through… So let me expand on a few things before I explain more. I am 53 years old and my life the last month can be defined in 2 words…. HOT FLASH! Ok, back to the flight. I was listening to my peaceful, meditation music when all of a sudden my body felt like I dove head first directly into the EQUATOR! If you have ever experienced this, the first thing you do is peel off clothing and search for something to frantically wave in front of your face. Well, here is your visual… I’m the middle seat. I instantly start to whip my sweatshirt off and in turn elbow Mr. 18A and Mr. 18C at the same time. Of course they were both mortified because 18B is now in a tank top sweating profusely like a hooker in church. I apologized to both of them and rode the remaining 1 hour flight sleeveless and ready to get off this metal menopausal machine!
Once I landed , I Ubered to my hotel and was able to check in. The ladies at the front desk already were on my list of favorites. The hospitality down south in our country is amazing. I experienced it in Memphis, Charlotte, and now Atlanta. I got to my room, unpacked and relaxed for a bit before embarking on my Friday escapades. I really wanted to visit the Coca Cola museum downtown Atlanta to grab some polar bear attire to wear for my race in the morning. As a Diet Coke connoisseur, this is a very fitting theme for me. The tour was super cool and I bought a few items in the gift shop and was ready to move on.
I walked about 6 blocks up toward Peachtree St. to find a place to grab dinner. I immediately was drawn towards the Atlanta Braves Sports Bar because of the flashing BBQ sign out front and I also have 2 family members who are huge Braves fans. I went inside, grabbed a seat , a Chardonnay and ordered my pre-race dinner. Ribs and Mac & Cheese! It was unbelievable. I finished every piece of meat and every last chunk of carbohydrate. I went through 5 napkins and 3 wet wipes but soooo worth it.
As I was bathing myself and removing the BBQ sauce from my body, I noticed a pitching cage in the back of the bar. I called my server over and asked her what it was all about. Well, for $5, you get 5 balls to pitch to a catcher with a batter standing there as well as a radar gun clocking your speed. Well Howdy Partner, sign me up! Hmmm, as an ex high school pitcher, of course I am going to kick some butt in there right? Ummm, NO! I grabbed my 5 balls and got ready for my first wind up. (Think the female version of Mark Fidrych from the Tigers ). The first pitch was literally straight into the catcher’s mitt at a impressive speed of 55 mph. Damn, I thought, I still got it! Well, not really, the next 4 pitches went completely downhill from there. Pitch #2 was in the batter’s balls, #3 was at the batter’s head, #4 hit the catcher on his skull and #5 bounced twice before even arriving at the catcher. Wow, my poor High school softball coach would of been mortified watching. Sorry Coach Wiktor!
Well, time to head back to the hotel and wind down and get ready for the 5K in the morning. This Diet Coke drinking polar bear needs her rest.
RACE DAY
I got up at 7am to grab my usual Robust cup of coffee and some protein from the free breakfast in the lobby. I slipped my new polar bear attire on and caught an Uber to the race to check in at Fourth Ward Park and pre-stretch before the 9am start. The park was gorgeous and the weather was 62 degrees which was very pleasant. This course was the flattest so far and it was about time!!! My pace was a 10:20 per mile and I actually came in 3rd place out of 25 women in my age range . I was thrilled . Once I crossed the finish line , I grabbed a water and my victory banana and headed back to the hotel to shower and plan out the rest of my day.
I headed back downtown to the Ponce City Market which ended up being such a fun afternoon. Lots of shopping, food and great scenery. I started at a cool restaurant named, Venezia. I ordered Pasta Carbonara and it was so tasty. I shopped for awhile and ended up finding another cute restaurant to grab a quick cocktail before heading back. I chose to sit at the bar which always leads to great conversation amongst the locals. I had a wonderful jalapeno margarita and met an amazing new friend. Her name is Katie and we instantly hit it off and just chatted for an hour. I love meeting people from all over, it makes the journey more interesting. We swapped info and it was finally time for me to head back.
I chose to take a quick dip in the pool before bed to relax my 53 year old sore body and wind down before heading back home in the morning.
This state was one of my favorites. I am starting to see how similar we all are. We may look different, sound different, and eat different, but overrall, we are all the same. We all love our families, we love our friends and we just aim to be happy every day in our lives. Our country is a gem! I savor every mile of it now and every person I meet along the way.
Thank you Georgia for an amazing weekend . You were a PEACH!
Next up……. Disney Princess 5k in Orlando, Florida in February.