not running the peachtree but a different kind of race.

Hey folks.  I know it's been awhile.  I'm going to use this tiny platform to tell you how excited I am about walking the peachtree road race this year.  It will be my 3rd year participating in the race. Here's a little more about why I'm walking.

While I would love to shoot for another PR this year in the race...Christopher's insight into his experience of carrying the jerry can last year (filled with 5 gallons of water at the halfway point)- how difficult it was, and how it totally changed his perspective on the need for access to clean water everywhere- was both challenging and gut-wrenching.  Challenging because, these days, I am thrilled at the idea of physically challenging my body (my sore muscles hate me for this right now).   Gut wrenching  because I think of children having to make an Xmile round-trip every day to fetch water (dirty, disease ridden water).    

I feel a little selfish about posting those two reasons, because one of them is about me...and this whole thing is so obviously not about me.  But maybe God will use this to take my eyes off myself for just a hot minute (literally HOT minute) when I am walking.

I'm joining in with Christopher and approximately 60 others (as of this past sunday) to raise funds/awareness for CharityWater by walking the race carrying a yellow jerry can.  

You can join too.  Registration for the race is by lottery, and it's open March 15-22.    If you would like to join is, you can email me at gtbrookie@gmail.com or Christopher at wewillnotstop2012@yahoo.com.

running chronicles // Peachtree RR 2011

Atlanta's famed Peachtree Road Race took place this past Monday morning in historic fashion.  Up until this year the cap was set at 55,000 runners.  In 2011, it was set at 60,000.  It is the largest 10k in the world.  This was my second year running in it.  While it was almost unbearably hot, I really enjoyed it.  It's like a big 6.2 mile party!  I trained for a couple of months in prepartion for the race, and learned a few things in the process. 

1. I can run in the morning!  I used to despise morning runs. I've learned this time around that I CAN and actually enjoy running in the mornings.  While it can be considerably more humid, the temps are much more merciful!

2. It is wise and good to plan my long run routes with a pit stop somewhere in the middle (e.g. gas station where I can buy some kind of sports bev.)

3.  If you've been a runner for any period of time, you might have heard others raving about those technical socks that "are SO worth the thirteen fourteen bucks!"  It is true that on any run longer than 5 miles, it's very easy to get blisters (sweaty feet + cotton + friction = painful blisters).  I find it absurd to spend that amount of dollars on socks, so I've learned a very cost-effective solution to this.  Layer your socks!   On my long runs I've been wearing a thin pair of socks underneath my normal running [non-technical] socks.  Works like a dream!

4. An Ipod shuffle taken on a long slow run (7+ miles) is priceless -thanks to my sibs for that one!.

I ran the Peachtree this year in 1:04:25.  While it wasn't under an hour like I had hoped, I was satisfied, as it was a tie for my 10k PR (my time included about a 1 min potty break, so really I ran it in about 1h3m!).  I am confident that I can break that glass ceiling this fall.

One last thing.  I think I learned about runner Ryan Hall through Runner's World.  He's ridiculously fast (ran the Boston Marathon in 2:04 this year, fastest ever by an American) and He's a Christ follower, which he is very vocal about (see here and here).  He's definitely an inspiration to me as a Christian who happens to be a runner.  I saw on twitter last week that he would be competing in the Peachtree (also the USA Men's 10k championship) and I prayed that I would meet him.  Low and behold, he was at the Expo for the Race (#claustrophobia #swag) and I got to meet him!!  I was totally starstruck!!

xoxo,