before the Peachtree Road Race

Most of us will lay out our Peachtree Road Race uniform the night before. We will also pin our number to our outfit before we go to bed. The night before sleep is way less important than the night before the night before. We may stay up a little later the night before. Getting hammered the night before a race is not recommended but years of research have determined that Racing Under the Influence (RUI) can reduce the pain normally associated with "paying the price" during the race.

The first thing we will notice about the 4th of July is helicopters. Those of us that live near the course will hear the helicopters before we leave the house. Helicopters are everywhere. It is tradition to play "Rocky" while getting dressed.

With Rocky and Helicopters buzzing around our ears, it is important that we remember to walk out with our racing flats. "Racing flats" are another word for our lightest pair of running shoes. They are where the rubber hits the road. They are our most important piece of equipment.

Most of us will be meeting at PRUMC. It is important to remember that much of

Peachtree Street

will be closed at some point so; the drive to the Church will have to be on alternate streets. We will open Sports and Recreation where we will make our final preparations for the race.

Those of us with 4 digit numbers or less will get to run straight to the starting line and stand among the fastest men and women on earth. The spectacle of the PTRR starting line is as good as the race. Fast folks are warming up with their game face on. The press truck is loaded and ready to roll. Atlanta Track Club officials are walking around trying to bring order to the chaos. A big dog preacher says a prayer then the National Anthem is sung with a fly by at the end. Everyone takes their places and Tommy Owens (no relations) fires the gun.