For the past four and a half years of running and training in Atlanta, I have always used the same route for my long runs. It is a 10-mile route from where I live and runs along Peachtree Road (except for the half a mile at the start to get to Peachtree Road and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard towards the 10-mile end). I would run out along this route and head back when I have covered half the distance I wanted to run on that day. For example, if I plan to run 14 miles, I would run along the route until I reach mile 7 and head back in the opposite direction.

I wrote about this route two years ago here and I have another post on how I handle my hydration needs during my long runs here.

Part of this route is also almost the entire course of the annual Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. This year, I ran the Peachtree for my fifth and last time, along what is the first six miles of my long run route. I decided to pictorially record the key landmarks at the mile-markers of my miles 1 to 6 (which can also be miles 14 to 20, depending on whether I am running out or running back and on the distance covered for the day).

For simplicity, I label the place where I start my runs mile 0 and count the miles up to 10, going north along Peachtree Road. Coming back, my mile-marker numbers simply denote the number of miles left for me to run. The Peachtree Road Race starts at mile 6 and head south. In other words, the race is run in the same direction as if I were heading home.

Mile 6

In fact, the race does not start exactly at my Mile 6. This place, almost at Mile 6, is the holding area for runners on race day. Mile 6 is a little further up north (to the right), just round the corner from Phipps Plaza, at the junction of Peachtree Road and Wieuca Road. Mile 6 is an important hydration point for my runs of 14 miles and above. I would always stop here to refill my bottle before heading further out.

Mile 5

Mile 5 is at the junction of Peachtree Road and Piedmont Road. To the left, there are Wells Fargo (it was still Wachovia when I started running in Atlanta) and The Container Store (not in the picture). It takes me about an hour to get to this point so this is where I would normally squeeze a pack of GU Gel into my mouth before continuing with my run. A CVS Pharmacy opened here in the past couple of years and I started patronising them regularly on the way back from my longer runs.

Mile 4

At Mile 4, there is a Publix on one side of the road and a Walgreen Pharmacy on the other side. I have used Publix for a toilet break before, big business. Speaking of that, there were a couple of occasions when I sneaked into Intercontinental Hotel between Miles 5 and 6 to use their restroom. I said “sneaked in” because it felt rather awkward to be all dripping in sweat while walking in the lobby of such a classy hotel. Nonetheless, the toilet experience was first-class (obviously, race-day port-a-loos are nowhere close) and I was there early enough in the day to not have curious guests staring at my body oozing with sweat as I washed my hands.

Mile 3

Mile 3 is at Peachtree Battle Promenade. This has never been a hydration point for me. It is around here that the route reaches its lowest elevation in the area. What it means to me is that when I am heading out, this is the beginning of an uphill climb. It gets easier when I am heading back home when the same stretch becomes downhill. However, when I reach Mile 3 when heading back, it was also time to change gear for another steep climb.

Mile 2

This part of the route is a hill, an uphill climb when I am heading back home. This is where Piedmont Hospital is and the hill is given the name “Cardiac Hill” by the Peachtree runners. In the early days of the race, runners were joking that running up the hill was so tough that they could just drop to the ground and be hospitalised at Piedmont Hospital once the get to the top. I also remember reading in some running magazine that this hill is among one of the steepest to be featured in a race route in the US, so this is serious stuff.

There is another CVS Pharmacy at the top of this hill. When I am really tired and thirsty on a hot morning, this CVS is the motivation I give myself to get to the top. That is where I can get a cold drink and a snack.

Mile 1

The Equifax building marks Mile 1. This point is of psychological importance. Running out, it means that I had overcome the first mile. Running back, it means that I had only one more mile to go.

Mile 0

Nearing the end of a long run, I would decide at this point if I were to make a right turn on 17th Street and keep running home. In that case, I would end up at Mile 0, which is close to my place.

On the longer runs, I always feel tempted to continue straight along Peachtree Road and end my run on 14th Street at Piedmont Park instead. The distance covered is about the same, but this would allow me to slowly stroll back along 14th Street and stop by at the Starbucks at Colony Square for breakfast. (What? After all the energy bars, GU Gels, chocolates, Gatorade and with a couple of hours more to go before lunch, I still wanted breakfast?) Almost all the time, I would end up giving myself a treat for having woken up so early and for being bothered to be running on the road for some 3 to 4 hours or more. Just bagel and mocha, nothing much, but they always taste so good.