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The winning design

Kara Stanley, a 12-year-old from Woodstock, was named the winner of the AJC Peachtree Jr. T-shirt design contest.

The 26th running of the 3K will take place at Piedmont Park at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Stanley’s design was chosen from the top five entries selected by the Atlanta Track Club.

She is a student at Chapman Intermediate School who has participated in the AJC Peachtree Jr. since she was in the third grade.

She hopes to run her first AJC Peachtree Road Race next year.

Continue reading AJC Peachtree Jr. winning T-shirt design selected »

Take that meeting standing up, gentlemen!/AP photo

There are plenty of jobs that require standing up and even moving around the majority of the day. But if you’re not lucky enough to be a dogcatcher, fitness instructor or landscaper, chances are you’re spending the majority of the day sitting.

There are days when I literally have to peel myself from my desk chair because I’ve been sitting so long. In the back of my head, I know it’s probably not the best thing to be sedentary for so long, but like gorging on tortilla chips at Mexican restaurants and having that fourth beer, I try not to think about it too much.

It got harder not to think about it after reading an interview with Gretchen Reynolds, the Phys Ed columnist for the New York Times and author of the book “The First 20 Minutes.” She says sitting for long periods of time is pretty much the worst thing you can do for your body, and recommends standing up for two minutes every 20 minutes to combat accumulations of fat in …

Continue reading Stand up for better running »

Women's winner Sharon Cherop of Kenya, left, and men's winner and compatriot Wesley Korir kiss the trophy at the finish area of the 2012 Boston Marathon in Boston, Monday, April 16, 2012. / AP photo

Hills and distance were only two of the challenges runners doing the Boston Marathon on Monday had to contend with — unseasonable heat threw another hurdle into the mix. Temperatures reached 87(!) degrees, scaring away more than 4,000 runners who had registered for the race, and causing 2,100 who did run to be treated for dehydration and exhaustion.

Which begs the question — how prepared are you to run in extreme weather? The temps for last year’s Peachtree Road Race were 74 degrees at the 7:30 a.m. starting time, and it only got hotter. For PRR first-timers who haven’t run in humidity, make no mistake — it was sock-drenching, T-shirt soaking humidity. I don’t say that to scare you, but to prepare you.

The treadmill may be tempting on days when it feels like the air is so heavy, it …

Continue reading Dealing with the elements »

Kathrine Switzer was nearly thrown out of the Boston Marathon in 1967. / AP photos

Whether you’re a race newbie or a running veteran, we can probably all use a little running inspiration as we enter the fever pitch of training season.

I got some last week in the form of this story from NPR about Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to successfully run the Boston Marathon as a numbered entry. She was nearly pushed off the course by a race official in 1967, five years before women were officially allowed to run in the race, but still managed to finish in four hours and 20 minutes.

Switzer continued to be an advocate for women after her marathon finish, becoming instrumental in the fight to make the marathon an Olympic event for women.

The PRR has allowed women to run since its inception in 1970, but it’s inspiring to think about the women who paved the way for equality in the sport overall.

Who is your running inspiration? Is there someone that keeps you going when you think you’ve …

Continue reading A little bit of inspiration »

A soon-to-be new best friend?

You know those people who always seem to be chugging from their Nalgene bottles, espousing the benefits of drinking 9,000 gallons of water a day? I am not one of those people.

I wish I was. I really do. I just really don’t like drinking water. I make sure to get every last drop out of my coffee mugs, but when it comes to plain old agua, I have to force myself to drink even four of the eight recommended glasses a day.

As you can imagine, this aversion to water poses quite a problem for a runner, especially when the temperature rises. I try to give myself pep talks about how much easier my runs are when I’m hydrated, but it’s still a struggle. Sports drinks help somewhat, but I find many to be dehydrating.

I know it sounds like an odd problem, but I also know I’m not the only one — there are plenty of articles online about learning to love the taste of water (there are some good tips here and here).

I’m making it my goal to drink more water this …

Continue reading Waging a war with water »

To me, the idea of running barefoot is like reading the “Twilight” series as an adult. I guess I understand why some people do it, but it definitely isn’t for me.

To justify the idea of pounding the pavement with unshod feet, barefoot runners point to studies supporting the idea that their natural running form is is compromised by the constraints of padding. But all I can think of every time I think I come close to trying the barefoot thing is that I like my feet clean and rusty nail-free.

It was nice, then, to read this recent New York Times blog post making the case for running shoes. The piece references a study wherein 12 men with extensive barefoot running experience were asked to run in both lightweight running shoes and in socked feet with small weights attached to the tops of their feet, equaling the weight of the shoes.

The study concluded that when barefoot runners and runners with shoes carried the same weight on their feet, barefoot running used almost 4 percent …

Continue reading Barefoot in the park? »

The lottery entry system for the AJC Peachtree Road Race will close at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

Go to http://www.ajc.com/sports/peachtree-road-race/ to register.

Winning entrants will be notified March 26 by email.

Winning entrants can pick up their numbers on July 2 or July 3 at the Peachtree Health and Fitness Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center, or they can pay $7.50 to have it mailed.

Those wishing to run in  a group of as many as 10 people may select “Group” when they enter the lottery. If their group is selected, each participant will be slotted into the appropriate start wave based upon their submitted finished time.

Atlanta Track Club members will receive guaranteed entry opportunity into the race as long as their memberships are current as of Feb. 1. “Streakers,” those who have participated in at least 10 AJC Peachtree Road Races, will receive special consideration if they aren’t selected in the lottery.

The registration fee is $35.

Continue reading AJC Peachtree Road Race lottery closes soon »

Operation Homefront Georgia and Kilometer Kids were named today as the official charity partners for the AJC Peachtree Road Race. This is the first year that the Atlanta Track Club, which organizes the July 4 race, has named charity partners.

Operation Homefront, based in East Cobb, provides emergency assistance to military families and wounded veterans in Georgia.

Kilometer Kids, an Atlanta Track Club group, is an incentive-based youth running program. It was started in 2007 and now helps more than 2,800 kids from 53 schools in at-risk neighborhoods in Atlanta.

The money raised through the AJC Peachtree Road Race, the world’s largest 10K, will benefit both charities.

Those interested in raising money for the charities, or a charity of their choice, can do so through the online site CrowdRise.com, according to the Atlanta Track Club.

Charities interested in raising funds  through the AJC Peachtree Road Race should email Peachtree@CrowdRise.com by March 15 with this …

Continue reading Peachtree Road Race names two charity partners »

Organizers of the AJC Peachtree Road Race will accept submissions for the T-shirt contest until Feb. 28. For more information on how to enter, go to www.peachtreeroadrace.org/event-information/t-shirt-contest.

The five finalists, selected by judges from the Atlanta Track Club, the AJC and local graphic artists, will be revealed on www.ajc.com/peachtree on March 15.

The public has until April 30 to vote on their favorite design. The winning design will be unveiled on the Fourth of July, race day.

“The unveiling of the T-shirt design at the finish of the AJC Peachtree Road Race has become a cherished tradition at the Fourth of July event, and it’s always wonderful to be able to showcase the work of talented artists through the AJC Peachtree Road Race T-shirt design contest,” said Tracey Russell, Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club, said in a statement. “The contest also provides a fun way for event participants and Peachtree fans to have a say in what’s …

Continue reading AJC Peachtree T-shirt designs accepted until Feb. 28 »

Lottery registration for the 43rd AJC Peachtree Road Race will open at 7 a.m. Thursday and will stay open until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, March 22. The 10k race, which features 60,000 runners, will be run on the Fourth of July. Go to http://www.ajc.com/sports/peachtree-road-race/ to register.

Entrants for the race will be randomly selected after the lottery closes. Entrants will receive an email by March 26 with the results. A searchable database will also be on www.peachtreeroadrace.org and www.ajc.com/peachtree on March 26.

Entry is $35 plus processing fees.  Winning entrants can pick up their numbers on July 2 or July 3 at the Peachtree Health and Fitness Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center, or they can pay $7.50 to have it mailed.

Those wishing to run in  a group of as many as 10 people may select “Group” when they enter the lottery. If their group is selected, each participant will be slotted into the appropriate start wave based upon their submitted finished …

Continue reading AJC Peachtree Road Race lottery opens Thursday »