3.20.07

The first day of Spring! Today is an off day, rest day, slept in until 7:30 -- nice!

Today, I will think about more Dirty Tricks by Jeff Galloway:

Oxygen molecules
The night before a marathon, I pretend to collect several million oxygen molecules in a sandwich bag, which I pin onto my shorts. [Don't think I'm going to actually do this! -- I'll just pretend.] During the latter stages of the marathon, when the oxygen doesn't seem to be as abundant, I take off the bag and squeeze it out in front of my mouth or nose. Before squeezing, I exhale every third or fourth breath completely. Just one or two squeezes will last about 100 to 200 meters. The best part of this trick is seeing and hearing the reactions from the people around me in the marathon. If you're a real salesperson, you may try to make some money from those folks who went out too fast and are now severely oxygen-deprived. Just bring along some extra bags.

Marathon Coverage
For those of you who live in the Metro Atlanta area, be sure to tune into 11 Alive News each night this week at 7:00 p.m. 11 Alive will feature 7 stories in 7 days (they started on Monday night) related to the ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon .

On race day, friends and family of participants can watch 11 Alive News at 7:00 a.m. for LIVE COVERAGE of the race start and then check back in at 11:30 a.m. for complete coverage of the winners, highlights from the race, interviews and inspiring stories in a complete wrap-up show. 11 Alive is your Marathon Station!

Several people have asked me, "So, where exactly are you running?" Here's the lowdown:

The staging area for the start & finish is Underground Atlanta in the heart of downtown Atlanta. The start line is on Peachtree Street in front of Woodruff Park. The course is delightful. You will start and head North on Peachtree Street and turn right on Ralph McGill Avenue. Then into the Sweet Auburn district, which houses the famous Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Martin Luther King Center. You will also run by the house where Dr. King was born and then on through historical Inman Park with its magnificent restored homes. The course continues through the eclectic Little 5 Points area, neighboring Candler Park, down Ponce de Leon, past Agnes Scott College, on to the quaint downtown square of Decatur, by the Emory University campus, the Lullwater area which features the house from Driving Miss Daisy, then onto Freedom Parkway and around The Carter Center for one of the best views of the city, continuing into the Virginia Highlands neighborhood with spectators cheering participants on as they head into Piedmont Park and finally back down Peachtree Street to the finish line where the party begins at Underground Atlanta!

Marathon Elevation Chart

I have isolated 6 different areas of the course that seem to have significant hillage according to the elevation chart provided.

1. 1.5-2.5 mile
2. 6 - 7.5 mile
3. 13.1-13.8 mile
4. 16-17.2 mile
5. 20.8-21.1 mile
6. 22.6-24.1 mile

The last one is of the greatest concern to me because it in itself is significant, it's toward the end of the race, I know I will be tired... However, it is one of the most beautiful spots to run -- through Piedmont Park entering the Park Drive entrance from Virginia Avenue, exiting at the Charles Allen gate onto 10th Street. I am familiar with this route from the Peachtree Road Race and the 3-Day.

The first hill will be through the Sweet Auburn area. This is a very scenic part of the course and I am hoping that it will take my mind off the hill itself.

Q: What do you call the last person that crosses the finish line in a marathon?
A: A Marathoner. :~)