After a 3 year hiatus I ran the Publix Half Marathon yesterday. Even though Publix has its ups and downs (more like a hill obstacle course), it is one of my favorite races. There is nothing like a scenic tour through all the best Atlanta neighborhoods.

This year was quite interesting because they said a prayer before the race. In my mind I thought it was a nice gesture, but was it a sign? I should have known something was going to happen. This year's race had a slightly different course than previous years. Before the end, let's start at the beginning.

The expo for the race was held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown in Atlanta. The expo was small, which was great for my wallet. Number and tee-shirt pick up was a breeze. There were plenty of props for photo opps.

Race day was great. The weather was perfect and I finally got enjoy the course. That is something I have not had the chance to do in awhile. I ran intervals, but I am proud that I ran faster than I did in Miami and Gasparilla. The course was the same as previous years until mile 12. For the old course at mile 12 we would run down Marietta Street for a flat mile to the finish. This year we ran down Luckie Street to a rolling hill finish. I thought about the pre-race prayer and thought the race organizers must have known that we needed divine intervention on that last mile. I finished strong and will be back next year.