This is my second time running the Hot Chocolate Atlanta Race. The expo was well organized and had some of my favorite vendors. There were numerous volunteers and packet pick up was very easy. This year I ran the 15k so I could earn the medal. I also served as a Hot Chocolate Ambassador. The race started at Turner Field and we ran through the different areas of Atlanta, including Georgia Tech. The terrain was classic Atlanta with the numerous rolling hills. The hill leading back to Turner Field felt like a cruel joke because it was so steep. Overall the medal was awesome and the chocolate was delicious.

Expo
The Expo was at 200 Peachtree which is not really easy to travel to, especially from Marietta St (no turns at all on Peachtree street). I worked at the expo as an exhibitor for the Hot Chocolate ATL Race so I spent quite a bit of time at the event. I also had a chance to visit a few of the vendors. The expo traffic was light. I am not sure whether it was due to the number of participants or if some people picked up multiple packets (I did).

Race
The race started at 8 am in Midtown Atlanta and the runners were divided into 3 corrals. There were many pacing teams that ranged from 1:45 to 4:30.

Miles 0-7
The first part of the run was through Midtown, Freedom Parkway, and Virginia Highlands. I unofficially ran with the 2 hr pacing group for the first 7 miles. Since I don't practice interval running, I didn't run with them. It was cool watching them, they were like soldiers. After mile 7 they left me. The route was classic Atlanta running (hilly, hilly, hilly). We did run on the Beltline, which is flat. I was enjoying the flat route bliss, but once we exited the Beltline it was back to the regularly scheduled Atlanta hilly terrain.

Miles 7.01-13.1
For the second half of the race, we ran from Virginia Highlands to Piedmont Park via 10th Street, Piedmont Rd, and Monroe. Hills, chills, and thrills. Finally, the finish line appeared all of my efforts were rewarded with an awesome medal and great freebies. I even took a picture with Jeff Galloway.

Overall, I would recommend the race to runners of all levels and I may run again next year.

My first marathon was the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon. The race was well organized and I really enjoyed it. Here is my analysis of the race by mileage.


Miles 1-13.1
My goal for the half marathon was to run at a comfortable pace. I decided to not focus on my watch and just run. I would check my watch to check the mileage and quick glance at the pace, but I continued on with comfort. The terrain in Savannah is so flat that I kept looking around expecting to be punked by a hill. In Atlanta, the hills are everywhere and they are relentless. I maintained a 9:45 pace for the half marathon.

Splits
5k-30:19
10k-1:00:35

Miles 13.1-19
The pivotal mile for the race was mile 15. During my training, mile 15 was the distance that determined the outcome of the race. I had no pain at mile 15 and I carried on. Fatigue started to set in during this mileage and I started to average 10.5-11 min/mile. I started to slow down so that I would have the energy to finish.

Miles 20-26.2
MIle 20 will always be known as GU or die. I don't like GU or jelly beans due to their flavor. When I got to mile 20, my brain was shutting down and then there was GU. With apprehension, I accepted the watermelon GU and slurped it down. It was like liquid gold, it jumped started my brain and I continued on the finish line.

From 25-26.2 my fingers were numb and I had been doing intervals since mile 20, but thanks to great runners I finished strong. My unofficial time is 4:39:27, which is 9 min longer than my predicted time but I will take it.

The scenery is not as nice as ATL, but the flat course makes up for the lack of nothing to see on the interstate.

I was the 1:45 pacer for the ATL 10 miler. It was classic ATL running (up the hill, down the hill). The scenery was nice, but the terrain was tough. I ran the course the week earlier so I knew what to expect. Also, knowing the course helped me to prepare the runners who wanted to pace with me throughout the race.

The packet pick up for cumbersome since it was at Big Peach Brookhaven, which has crazy parking. Even with the crazy parking, the packet pick up was quick. The race boxes, medals, and long sleeve shirts were nice. I will definitely be running this race next year.

DIVAS Peachtree City Half Marathon was awesome. Even though it was in ATL, it wasn't as hilly as the normal ATL races. We ran though the trails of Peachtree City, which is south of downtown.

The Good: The course was relatively flat (keep in mind that is someone who mostly runs in ATL) and nature-like. The weather was nice and the crowd were encouraging. The tiaras and boas at the end were great. The parking and transportation were well coordinated.

The Bad: I didn't like running though the tunnels on the course. The course also ended on a hill. It took a lot of energy to muster the strength to complete the race.

What could be improved: The expo wasn't that great. I expected it to be a large expo like the Publix Race or Peachtree Road Race, but it was at a small community center with a few vendors. Also the shirt is not sweat wicking so it isn't the most comfortable to run in. It would have been nice if they had moved the medical tent outside of the restricted area so hurt runners didn't have to go through "security" to go back and seek help.

Overall I liked it and I already registered to run the race in 2015.