Publix atlanta half marathon at the Olympic Trials
Flying over the US Olympic team trial marathon the day before the Publix Atlanta is possibly the most inspirational sight you could ask for before starting your own half marathon. 700 of the country’s top runners were competing for their chance at the Olympic games set for Tokyo as we landed down in Atlanta. You could feel the excitement as thousands of runners gathered; Little did I know, this would be my last “in-person” running event and travel for the year as COVID was sweeping the nation. I had already planned (and payed for) a half marathon in New Hampshire, Yosemite, CA, and Paris, Italy. Sadly those were all cancelled. The 2020 Publix half marathon was my last “Hoo-rah” and I was proud of the outcome. This was the most prepared I have ever been for a race. I had just completed Whole 30, a nutritionally sound diet with no sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes or dairy. I was strong- and shooting for a half marathon under 2 hours.
The Run
The race starts in Downtown Centennial Olympic park at 7 am. It was a good thing there were THIRTEEN thousand at the start line, because the temperature was a chilly 30 degrees. The course wove through the very hilly streets passing Georgia State University, historic downtown, Botanical Gardens, ending by the aquarium and world congress center. Let me repeat, very HILLY streets. Up, down, up, down, UP! Regardless of the terrain I hit my PR at 2:02:41. SO CLOSE to under two hours! Although I was literally THREE minutes away from my goal, I was still very proud. I knew that every mile I gave my absolute best, and on that day- my best was over two hours. After the race came the fun part, the RUN-cation!
All. The. Food.
Luckily we had recommendations from a local urbanite. The Atlanta Beltline had everything we needed (and it sure was fun to cruise down the rest of the day). Even for March the weather was beautiful. Start your morning at ‘Just add Honey’ tea company for a morning brew. Then hit up Ladybird for breakfast and a mean bloody. As you may recall, I had just taken a month of strict NO sugar, alcohol, grains etc. so why not go full out to celebrate my PR?! Next step along the beltline, was the Pour-taproom. With 85 variety’s of beer and wine on tap for tasting and a huge scrabble board; gosh, don’t threaten me with a good time!
Next absolute must have, chicken and waffles! And although the waffle house is very well known, Atlanta Breakfast club takes the cake! (or waffles). Don’t miss their killer breakfast menu.
Food near the venue- gosh there were SO many to choose from! A few with highlights included: Tin Linzys- loads of delicious tator tots. Amalfi pizza- very cute atmosphere. Wahlburger– who doesn’t love the Wahlbergs?! Max lagers Wood fired grill and Brewery- very fancy, and walkable from our hotel- even in heels! If you’re interested in the Best Cioppino in the US, check out Seattle!
Things to see
Atlanta is a lively city with nearly half a million residents. If you can think of something you’d like to do, you can likely find it in Atlanta, Georgia. But I’d like to share a hidden gem just outside of of the city; Stone Mountain, Just 20 miles outside of Atlanta. I had visited my grandparents in Georgia every summer as a kid and idolized the large properties with green grass that required a ‘tractor’ to mow. And of course, every little girls dream, visiting the cabbage patch factory all hold a dear place in my heart. But the Stone mountain Laser show Spectacular should not be missed! March was a bit too early for the laser show spectacular as it’s a summer activity, so the wind and rain were a bit more forceful this time of year! haha It is still definitely worth visiting Stone mountain and riding the tram up. Next state, Wyoming!