Have you ever had one of those races when everything just seems to line up perfectly – the weather, your body and even your stomach? Ahem. Sunday was one of those races.

First, I’ve got to share I got my PR with a few minutes to spare. Hot Damn! I’m super excited because this was a really hilly course.

My official time was 1:08:33. My last 10K I came in at 1:19:35 and my best 10K was 1:11:03.

I definitely attribute it to my eating healthier, strength training and losing weight. I also believe it was mental. I set a goal and I was determined to stick with it. I BELIEVED I could do it.

This was also my first race with, MJ, my new MOTOACTV.

Isn’t she pretty?

Yes, Lola is still around, but the good folks at Verizon Wireless know how much I love running and sent me her to tryout (I’m a Verizon Wireless Ambassador so I test products for them and share my opinion). I’ll do a separate post about MJ shortly but let’s just say I’m loving her and she captured my negative splits just lovely.

Mile 1: 11:51
Mile 2: 11:36
Mile 3: 10:50
Mile 4: 10:39
Mile 5: 10:08
Mile 6: 10:10
Mile .38 8:43

Ok, back to the race. The energy was absolutely uplifting. It was so positive and infectious.

More than 3,000 runners lined up to make history at Atlantic Station in Atlanta. (I pulled this awesome photo off of the BGR Facebook page)

Renee, Nicole and I all smiles and ready to run!

We met up with Eric, Ronnie and Lamar . This was their first 5K! Yay!

Nicole and I rocked matching Run Wifey Run shirts. Fun!

I saw so many friends – new and old – at the race including ultrarunner, Kia.

Congratulations, Renata! This was her first race. She was one of several girls who stopped me to say hello and share that they read RWR or follow along on Facebook. I’m so glad you were out there running and that I got a chance to meet you – and everyone who said hello!

BGR Co-founder, Ashley Hicks getting ready to start the race.

I didn’t take many shots during the race, but I caught my friend, Vanessa, in full stride. Vanessa and I grew up together and haven’t seen each other in more than 15 years! (Yes, that was us screaming and hugging acting crazy somewhere around mile 4).

I had to snap this pic of the city toward the end of the race. It was simply a beautiful morning.

Yup, Ernestine Shepherd was at the finish line handing out medals; and looking fabulous as usual.

I bumped into my friend, Yvette. Cheering her on … she’s doing a Ragnar Relay this weekend!

It’s always great to see running ROCKSTAR, Darlene Baltimore. She’s one of the BGR Atlanta Ambassadors and is a legend in here in the A. Her training ethic is amazing and she’s always cheering folks on with a smile.

The race was well organized, clearly marked, the water stations were on point, and the water at the finish line was ice cold. Ahh. There’s nothing worse then having a hot drink at the end of running race. Oh, and the bling awesome.

Even the 5K folks got a real medal. Very cool.

It was a party at the finish line. The “Wobble” was in full effect!

The people rocked, the DJ rocked and most importantly $22,000 was raised and donated to fight hunger.

If you missed my previous posts,  here’s the link to Part 1 of my recap: The Conference; and Part 2: The Honors Dinner.

Kudos to the Black Girls Run! crew and their sponsors AARP and The Coca-Cola Company. I’m already looking forward to next year …

Winks & Smiles,

Disclosure: As a blog ambassador for the BGR Drive to End Hunger my race and conference registration were complimentary. I treated myself to the Honors Dinner. As always, my thoughts and opinions are all my own.