Sizzlin'

This morning, I ran my second 10k of the year (and, to be honest, ever): The Buckhead Sizzler - so named because the course is relatively flat and runners expect good finishing times. My Peachtree Road Race time on July 4th was shamefully near the 75 minute mark, and today my goal was 55 minutes.

I'm happy to report that I finished the Sizzler in 54:33 (an average of about 8:47 per mile). If the same rules apply to next year's Peachtree as this year's, today's results should qualify me for a "time group placement", meaning that I won't start in the back of the pack. My next goal is to run a 10k in 50 minutes, so maybe I'll speed up even more between now and next July.

I have posted my personal GPS track here. My GPS seems to think that I went a shade further than the official length of 6.21 miles, and so does GoogleMaps, and so does my car's odometer. At least the race organizers and I agree on my finishing time, which is all that matters. I can only tell you that it felt like a million miles, and it took everything out of me. Readers who are marathon runners continue to have my utmost respect (though increasingly I question your motives and sanity).

My Oscar Moment: I'd like to thank my parents (immortalized here in this must-see portrait), who came out and cheered me on, and my wife, who not only was the most enthusiastic fan on the course - baby in tow - but has made all my athletic growth possible over the last five months.

The Peachtree

Mark and John Truslow, photo by Patti Truslow

Today I ran The Peachtree Road Race, a 39 year old tradition integral to Atlanta's celebration of Independence Day. The Peachtree is a 10k for which I started training at the beginning of April primarily in an attempt to lose some weight (20 pounds so far, more to go) and also to participate in something I'm often too lazy even to watch.

I can not boast about my results, beyond saying that I ran the whole way. That in itself is quite an achievement for me, as I could not run at all in April and could not run much more than three miles at the end of May. Somehow, I made it.

Actually, I made it with the positive encouragement of my brother. I knew that I wanted to lose the weight, and he not only gave me the athletic goal, but the constant support that I needed to get it done. Thank you, Mark.

Duck Dash

Since early April, I have been exercising four to five times a week as part of an effort to lose weight. As my calves allow, that exercise generally takes on the appearance of something like running.

Earlier today, my brother Mark (a great motivator and far more accomplished runner) and I ran a 5k race called the Duck Dash near his home in Cartersville. This was my first athletic race, ever, of any sort, and I'm glad that I did it.

If you'd like to see an interactive report on how the race went, you can check out this link.