Al Toll Masters 15K Road Race - Race Report

The February 19th, 2011 Al Toll Open 5K and Masters 15K Road Race is a Macon Tracks running club event in, of all places, Macon, Georgia.  The 5K is an out-and-back course and the 15K is a counter-clockwise loop course.  My buddy Jim and I would be running the 15K.

We left home at 7:00am with our wives coming along as our personal cheering committee.  Our little group arrived at the IKON business park just after 8:00am.  Jim and I checked-in and got our t-shirts.

Al Toll Memorial 5K and Master 15K cotton long-sleeve t-shirt

The "27" in the design represents the anniversary of the race and the picture has got to represent the hilly course.

The weather was far warmer than it has been during the past few weekends...or even months for that matter. The temperature at the start was about 56-degrees and almost 66-degrees at the finish with blue skies and no wind.

Timing was done with index cards.  I finished 5th overall and 2nd in my age-group with an unofficial finish time of 1:04:14 at a 6:53 pace.  Jim finished 1st in his age-group with an unofficial finish time of 1:57:51.

Al Toll Memorial 15K award

Jim, Mary Ann, Susan and I just after arriving at the race

Parked right at the start/finish

Less than 2 minutes to go

The race director giving last minutes instructions

Almost - Almost there!

Almost there!

There!

Jim at the finish

"My back hurts...I can't feel my legs"

Jim and I had plenty of aches and pains.  Jim's back hurt, my back hurt, Jim couldn't feel his legs, I had pain in my right foot.  It was great fun!

"Good Job" Jim!

The awards presentation and food area

Food and drink

The 15K Awards

Bringin' home the bacon

In 5 weekends Jim racks up 5 races and 5 awards

Jim and I with our awards

On our drive back to Lake Spivey we stopped in Forsyth, Georgia for lunch at Grits Cafe.  The restaurant had just been reviewed in the Atlanta Jounral-Constitution and everybody wanted to check it out.  Luckily for us a nice person from Bolingbroke and her friend from McDonough were kind enough to take our picture outside the restaurant.  We were all there for lunch.

Outside Grits Cafe in Forsyth, Georgia

One of several dining rooms

One of their appetizers

Our entree's

The Monroe County courthouse in Forsyth, Georgia

Overall the race was great.  Smaller races have a whole different feel from their bigger cousins.  The looped course was hilly but scenic, and the awards and t-shirts were nice too.  Our trip to Grits Cafe finished off our little outing with high marks.

Freedom Run 10K - Race Report

The Freedom Run consists of a 5K and 10K race in Morrow, Georgia.  The 10K course is USATF certified and one of the top ten Atlanta Track Club Peachtree Road Race 10K qualifying races in the metro Atlanta area.  Luckily for me it's close to home and starts at 9:00am.  That means I didn't have to drive far and could sleep-in.  Registration and packet pick up was in the gym area.  The gym provided a great place to get in from the cold, stretch and warm up.

The 10K course starts and finishes on the campus of Clayton State University and includes two clockwise loops through the neighborhoods that surround the college.  The 5K course is a single loop.  My buddy Jim ran the 5K and I ran the 10K.  The timing was pull-tab with a gun (horn) start with both races starting together.  There were two different finish lines, one for each race.

The 10K course is on MapMyRun.

10K finish line water station

The 10K finish line

Jim in need of URGENT assistance at the computer

The post-race Waffle House breakfast

Race Director, Mike Mead presenting the awards

CSU Cheerleaders address the runners

I hear the CSU (NCAA Division II) Lakers women's basketball team are doing very well this year.

The 5K and 10K men's overall race winners (Nice shirts guys!)

Jim and I with our awards

Jim took first in his age group.  This was Jim's fourth race in as many weeks where he "brought home the bacon".  I was 3rd overall and, since the overall winner was over 40, I won the masters overall award with an time of 41:32 at a 6:41 minute per mile pace.

White Swans

Canada Geese

Canada Geese wondering why I'm taking their picture

The weather was perfect, a cool 31-degrees at the start and around 36-degrees at the finish with blue skies all the way.  I didn't get my sub-40 minute finish.  The Charles Harris 10K on February 26th will be my next attempt.

Steve Lundquist Aquatic Center

To prepare for the 2010 Ironman Augusta 70.3 triathlon I swam in Lake Spivey.  This year the lake has been drained for dredging and other maintenance.  The neighborhood pool is also out of service until May. 

Steve Lundquist Aquatic Center

With those swim options gone, my wife and I took the time to check out the Steve Lundquist Aquatic Center.  The aquatic center is located at 9045 Tara Blvd. in Jonesboro, Georgia.  Named after Jonesboro resident, and 1984 Olympic gold medalist, Steve Lundquist, construction of the facility was completed in 2006 and features indoor heated 25-meter and 50-meter pools.

50-Meter Pool

25-Meter Pool

For $3 I purchased a resident day-pass.  I was the only person in either of the 2 pools.  Luckily for me, there were several lifeguards on duty...should an emergency arise.

My First Swim at the Aquatic Center

In addition to the pools, the facility include a workout room and basketball court.

I was pleasantly surprised with the facilities.  The water temperature was perfect for me.  The pools were clean and not crowded.

St. George Island or Bust!

Feeling a bit nostalgic, I thought I'd write about my greatest cycling accomplishment before it's replaced by greater deeds.

Back in 1989 through 1991 I lived in Griffin, Georgia.  Griffin is a small town south of Atlanta better known as the birthplace of John Henry "Doc" Holliday than as a cycling mecca.  During those years American Greg Lemond was winning the Tour de France and cycling was alive and well in the United States.

Local bike shop owners Jim and Stuart Ogletree supported cycling in Spalding County and it was great fun.  There was the Spalding Sprockets local bike club, avid cyclists, the Griffin Century, and even a female Olympic cycling hopeful in our midst.

In the summer of 1990 several of us decided to ride our bikes from Griffin to St. George Island off the Gulf Coast of Florida.  If I remember correctly, we were Edwina, Harvey, Jim Ogletree, Pat, Sam Cobb, Stuart Ogletree, and myself.  There many have been a few others whom I can't recall.  We planned to cover the 320-mile distance in only 2 days.  We left Griffin early on a Saturday morning and stopped for the night in Bainbridge, GA after 200-miles on the first day.  The final 120-miles to the island were covered on the second day.  We were well trained, and everyone had a great ride.  The most amazing thing for me was after 2 days and over 300-miles in the saddle, Edwina, Harvey and I were able to sprint up the bridge incline to the island.  The layers of dried sweat and salt that covered my body both days was also pretty amazing too, albeit kind of gross.  It was summer after all!


View Larger Map
Day one - Griffin to Bainbridge.


View Larger Map
Day two - Bainbridge to St. George Island.

The route on the maps is probably not the exact route we traveled but you get the picture.

Hopefully, that awesome experience will be replaced this fall with memories (and pictures) of my first successful Ironman.

Edwina did attend the U.S. Olympic trials but didn't make the team after having succumbed to food poisoning.

What's your greatest achievement in fitness?