Strolling By The Lake, Virtual Peachtree 10K, November 2020

Fit To Ride

 
Awareness of the outside world. Waiting. Waiting for the outcome of The Great Thanksgiving Migration. Waiting for the changing of the guard. Waiting for the next crisis. Waiting for the next horror. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
~~~

Peachtree Road Race 10k
Official – November 26-29, 2020
My date – Friday 27, 2020
Bib number – 38033
Location – Beeswax Creek Park
Time – yes, there was one
Results, Overall – 14,156
Results, Gender – 7170 of 7307
Results, Gender/Age – 767 of 788
Trackers – race app, Map My Walk

Digital bib & finisher certificate.

Results

The Numbers

The race-specific tracking app sprung a leak. It had me at 14+ km when my estimate said 9 km. I switched to Map my Walk to finish. I finally went back to check the figures. The first app had me at 2 hrs 17 min. The second as 13 minutes. This put me within seconds of my guess at 2 hours 30 minutes that I had filed as my result.

That makes sense. I can walk a 5k in under an hour if I am on a paved road and paying attention. That would mean a sub-2 hour 10K. My average goes as high as 20 minutes per km if I am off-road, taking pictures, and/or stopping to take notes. That would put me well over 3 hours. Two & a half is a likely result of spending the first part of the walk distracted and the second half motoring on to get done.

Not sure why the app blew up. I thought it was GPS problem but another walker had the same problem with Android. The Apple app worked just fine, at least in our small data pool. I’ve done plenty of virtual races that worked with standard tracker apps. I wonder if they were doing something clever &/or cheaper by making their own.

The app talked to me, at least for a while, at various points as if I were running on the Altanta streets. I quite liked it. Some didn’t. But then, I tend to walk alone.

I wish they had used a regular race tracking app. I’d rather have useful numbers than chat. Not that I do anything with the numbers. Data is always interesting in its own right.

The Distance
Friends were doing the virtual 10K. So, I signed up for variety and to see how I felt about double the distance from my usual 5K.

Done. Probably won’t do again until I can walk actual streets. The trail was 2.8 miles, or 4.5 km. I got the idea the first time around. Didn’t need to see it again. I’m not concerned about my ability to walk the distance. I’d walk a marathon if they’d let me.

My knees handled the distance well. I am trying to walk more ergonomically, rather than stomping around on stiff legs like the Tin Man with rusted joints. Also, I was on dirt, which is more forgiving.

The Trail

“Alabama Power – with the help of numerous partners – is able to provide more than 45 public recreation sites on the 11 reservoirs it manages across the state.” Alabama Power Shorelines: Recreation

The area is mostly use for the boat ramp onto the lake. I saw a handful of other walkers in three hours. I was startled by the crowds in the two parking lots, at first. We rarely see cars in the second lot, much less see it full. Then I thought about it. As long as one doesn’t invite strangers onto one’s boat, and one is careful around the dock and ramp, being out on the water is about as socially distant as one can get. Even more so than on horseback.

The Information Signs
These did not post as legibly as I had hoped. Still, you get the idea – birds, fish, Power Company.

In Farewell, More Digital Loot

Finishing certificate with badges: Running City USA, Earned My Turkey, My First Peachtree

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott