This week, Esprit de She came to Atlanta. The race happened in midtown at Piedmont Park. I appreciated being able to check in on site then walk right over to the start line. We started the race a little after 7pm on 10th Street. Half of the street was closed because of the race, but the other half was not. So that was interesting. I appreciate how the race announcers encouraged all walkers and slower runners to move to the back. All races need that 😉 Running at night outside was a new experience for me. I didn’t really know how my body would react. I thought I would feel tired and want to quit. But, honestly, that didn’t hit me until the very end. My foot fell asleep around mile 4 though and it sucked. The temperature was around 62 degrees. At first, I felt fine with my long sleeve shirt, but around the halfway point I got warm and wrapped it around my waist. I ran the race with my cousin Danielle.
Finish line photo
Favorite parts of the race:
– Running through the park at night – this was pretty fun to do with a big group. Not as scary as running through a park alone at all
– Race swag – I really liked our bags and race tees. The shirt fits loose at the bottom and is more like cotton than a moisture wicking performance tee. Great for yoga, running errands, zumba or even a run with the right sports bra.
– Dinner post race – the kale salad really hit the spot for me. I ate every bit of it on my plate and wished for more. The food was made by Fig Tree Catering. Plus we received Yoplait yogurt and Happy Family items. I tried Happy Squeeze at Blogalicious so I was happy they came out. I haven’t tried the kiwi, banana and apple yet either. I saved mine for later! Perfect purse sized snacks!
– Race vendors – I enjoyed shopping just after I finished. I wish I bought the white Esprit de She hat they were selling. I also really wanted to get a pair of the Sony wireless headphones, but I didn’t want to make an impulse buy. I missed all of the Athleta gear, but on our race bib we received a 20% off coupon for purchase so I will have to visit their Atlantic Station location. I received a Moxie tank from the folks at Lifetime, sponsors of the race. I will do a full review, and I noticed it on the sale table next to hoodies, hats and visors.
– The music – Nathan Sexton provided the post race sounds. I enjoyed his acoustic renditions of classic rock and r&b tunes.
Least favorite parts of the race:
– No lights – A few parts of the race were pretty dark. I wish the volunteers had some flashlights or something. I need a running headlight if I want to run at night in the future.
– Parking – We parked a little far away from Park Tavern. So it was a 1.3 mile walk to/from our cars. Next time I’ll scout parking online first for a safe street to park on closer to the Park. Fortunately, I was with my cousin so the walk wasn’t too spooky or unsafe. In fact, I felt safe, walking to and from the car because we passed other casual walkers and runners along the way and we parked on a residential street. Park Tavern was hosting an event that night and didn’t offer space to park.
– Post race temperature drop – The temperature drop hit hard post race. In fact, it made me want to leave sooner since I didn’t have a workout jacket on :(. I wished for some yummy soup and heaters around the food area to help combat the cold. The cold weather froze the fondue too.
– Einsteins – I thought there would be more socializing happening. Everyone was separated and throughout the restaurant so it was difficult to talk to new people. The drinks were great though:
Cranberry and ginger seasonal cocktails at Einsteins
I had a pretty great run during this race. I started thinking about everything and realized that I need to really work at focusing on running my race and not on my surroundings. That’s often the hardest thing to do. To center your thoughts on yourself. I struggle with that and I’m working through it! I did end up with a PR of 1:04 besting my first Peachtree Road Race time of 1:06 and coming in 11th place in my age group! So I’m very excited. I always tell myself that I want to run a 10K in less than an hour. With a little hard work, I feel like that goal is achievable. Now, I need a plan to get from 1:04 to under an hour. That’s always the hardest part 🙂 I enjoyed being an Athleta Esprit de She race ambassador and hope to run the race next year! With a few improvements, the race can only get better and better.
What are your upcoming race goals?
Disclosure: I received free entry and additional perks for being an Esprit de She Ambassador. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
