My long hood run.... PIC HEAVY!!!!!!
Peace.
Yesterday….. I finally ran/walked my long route. I knew I wasn’t ready to run nearly 4 miles so I decided to take some pics of my run in the hood… Until I'm back at prime, Sunday is the day I run the long run. It's the only day I have time. When I'm back at my prime and the days are longer that 3.86 miles will become my regular run and I suppose Sundays will be for exploring....
I live in Bankhead…. A notorious section of Atlanta. It’s the epitome of hood. When I run I get propositioned, threatened, and followed by the police. But as a taxpayer, it’s my right to use public facilities and running on the road/sidewalk is one of those rights that I happily take advantage of and encourage y’all to do as well.
I took some pics of the route and I made sure that the pics of actual places were essentially public places; places that you can walk into for free or for payment. That way if someone sees their rest, they cannot cry foul or something like that. Then entire route is 3.86 miles according to my app. Shall we?
This is the basket I keep near my door. I only enter and exit this door when I’m running. Everything else gets the carport. It makes sense for me to have my running stuff here and waiting for me at this location. So here is the basket…
a>
And in this basket we find the stuff that I attach on to my body. It is a mishmash of stuff that over the years works with how I do... My compression garment is sitting on top of the basket. I have fibroids. I can feel them bouncing around when I run, but if I put this garment on, it squeezes them close to my body and I don't have residual soreness later on. Yes... I know... I'm NOT having a hysterectomy. I am fond of my lady parts and menopause is not far away.
pepper Spray in my pocket... for the propositioning men who don't know how to take tak no and a wedding ring for an answer. also the spray is good for dogs and opossums. Yep. One chased me during this route last year, or maybe I just saw it and took off. To this day, that run is a personal best. Take the best part.
These are my headphones. I know they are very 1995, but earbuds cancel all the outside noises. I need to hear if someone is coming up behind me or if there is a fight, an accident, etc. these aren't noise cancelling so I can hear my music and still be aware of what's going on around me. Plus my view on these are if a person sees these old headphones they will assume everything is old school about me and no point in robbing me.
This is my water bottle. It's very useful and it's pink! My favorite color!!! The fact that it is so happy looking means that it cannot be mistaken for a weapon. It has a heavy hook on the side so to clip on to stuff. I don't have a belt for running and don't plan to buy one because they are hella expensive for what you get. I put holes in heavier hoodies and hang if off of there. Its collapsible and doesn't get that heavy. It's really just 2 good drinks.
This is an old pair of glasses that I got in 1999. They are still my back up Rx. I and nearsighted... kinda. I cannot see far away. But I can run without getting sick. I wear these on a chain when I run. Should I need to see something in particular I put these on. You need to be able to identify you assailant do you not?
This one is new. It's an wristlet that has space for keys, money and ID. I keep a copy of my DL in it in case my body is found in a ditch on the side of the road. I was going to get a road ID but they are $20 bucks. This was $4. I'm still feeling it out.
Looks peaceful doesn't it? This is in the heart of the City of Atlanta and not a suburb. That's how Atlanta does. It's a major urban city, but it has a LOT of greenspace. you would never see that in Paterson, NJ where I'm from. But in the "A" you get jungle. But the peacefulness comes to an abrupt stop...
This is the corner. 3/4 miles from my house is a liquor store, a truck stop, 2 gas stations and a strip club. SMH... Welcome to Bankhead. There is a difference in how Black folks live vs. white folks. Black folks with money will live next to Black folks without money. It is not unusual to see a bombed out neighborhood with spots of nice homes. It's how we do. So I'm never surprised to see this in a fine neighborhood. Yes I live in Bankhead.. Collier Heights of Bankhead. You thought me gansta like that?
This is me running over I285. this is the area where I have to mean mug folks. I recognize that people in cars may want to turn on to Hollowell or the interstate; but as long as i have the walk signal, I'm walking and screw you. And it's usually females who have this problem. You see another female walking down the street and you think it's ok to just mow her down??? Get over yourselves. I run back under 285 when I get to Collier.
So I'm on Holowell for a short hop, maybe about 2 city short blocks and I turn down Bolton Rd....
This is where it gets dicey... There are some nice older homes but there are a lot of vacant building with severe overgrown trees and plants. Perfect for vagrants and odd animals. This is usually where I get propositioned, because apparently this is where hoes stroll. Took me a minute to figure it out. A car will either slow down next to you or stop in front of you. If you keep it moving and don't say anything, they drive off. I've seen cars pull over and women get in and/or out. I'm not judging. But this is where it's important to run in clothes that look like your running rather than something else. And if the police pulls you over, it helps to be very sweaty and breathing hard.
.jpg)
There is a natural running stream. GA is very wet. There are streams everywhere. A lot of them are man made. This one doesn't look like artificial. There is a strip for power lines that runs from Bolton to Collier. If they let that open, I'm certain I could cut through and shorten this run significantly, but I wouldn't want to get electrocuted or killed by low lying animals that I KNOW live up in there.
.jpg)
Now I take my loop to Fairburn Rd. This is my 1st water break. It's the halfway point. Not a lot of pic here because down this corridor is mostly all houses. The houses are cute too, so not a lot of pictures. A lot of these homes have a nice amount of land to them. I like that. In the next house I buy, I want to have land for chickens, hopefully goats and a large garden but be relatively close to civilization.
Close to the next corner which is Collier Rd, there is a school and a church. I often run at that school's track. From my house to the track is a relatively flat run. I like flat runs...
You can see the other side of the electrical run. After this I get back to Harwell and run home. I have posted pics of Harwell before. There is a church and a school... Very picturesque if you like broken bottles and leave all over the place.
My opinions on how Atlanta does the hood is not good. The city takes care of it's whiter neighborhoods way better than mine. I'm not the only runner in Bankhead. and you know how them old Black folks like to walk with them big sticks. But white neighborhoods get all the attention. Leaves get picked up, and trees are pruned. My leaves get picked up about twice a year in my neck of the jungle; once in the fall and then once in the summer. I suppose I could run in the white neighborhoods, but then I'd have to drive over to one and explain, multiple times to the cops what I'm doing there. And white folks are not friendly to strange Black people. I might get killed if someone wants to stand their ground. It's not right. but it's what we have in this wilderness called America.
Do I feel weird about telling you where I run? Not really. I run with a smidge more than pepper spray. I want to encourage you to run in your own neighborhoods. Doesn't matter wear you live, you can get up and move around and make your body better. You don't have any excuses. Running is one of the cheapest, easiest and quickest things you can do with and for your body.
Peace!
Yesterday….. I finally ran/walked my long route. I knew I wasn’t ready to run nearly 4 miles so I decided to take some pics of my run in the hood… Until I'm back at prime, Sunday is the day I run the long run. It's the only day I have time. When I'm back at my prime and the days are longer that 3.86 miles will become my regular run and I suppose Sundays will be for exploring....
I live in Bankhead…. A notorious section of Atlanta. It’s the epitome of hood. When I run I get propositioned, threatened, and followed by the police. But as a taxpayer, it’s my right to use public facilities and running on the road/sidewalk is one of those rights that I happily take advantage of and encourage y’all to do as well.
I took some pics of the route and I made sure that the pics of actual places were essentially public places; places that you can walk into for free or for payment. That way if someone sees their rest, they cannot cry foul or something like that. Then entire route is 3.86 miles according to my app. Shall we?
This is the basket I keep near my door. I only enter and exit this door when I’m running. Everything else gets the carport. It makes sense for me to have my running stuff here and waiting for me at this location. So here is the basket…
a>And in this basket we find the stuff that I attach on to my body. It is a mishmash of stuff that over the years works with how I do... My compression garment is sitting on top of the basket. I have fibroids. I can feel them bouncing around when I run, but if I put this garment on, it squeezes them close to my body and I don't have residual soreness later on. Yes... I know... I'm NOT having a hysterectomy. I am fond of my lady parts and menopause is not far away.
pepper Spray in my pocket... for the propositioning men who don't know how to take tak no and a wedding ring for an answer. also the spray is good for dogs and opossums. Yep. One chased me during this route last year, or maybe I just saw it and took off. To this day, that run is a personal best. Take the best part.
These are my headphones. I know they are very 1995, but earbuds cancel all the outside noises. I need to hear if someone is coming up behind me or if there is a fight, an accident, etc. these aren't noise cancelling so I can hear my music and still be aware of what's going on around me. Plus my view on these are if a person sees these old headphones they will assume everything is old school about me and no point in robbing me.
This is my water bottle. It's very useful and it's pink! My favorite color!!! The fact that it is so happy looking means that it cannot be mistaken for a weapon. It has a heavy hook on the side so to clip on to stuff. I don't have a belt for running and don't plan to buy one because they are hella expensive for what you get. I put holes in heavier hoodies and hang if off of there. Its collapsible and doesn't get that heavy. It's really just 2 good drinks.
This is an old pair of glasses that I got in 1999. They are still my back up Rx. I and nearsighted... kinda. I cannot see far away. But I can run without getting sick. I wear these on a chain when I run. Should I need to see something in particular I put these on. You need to be able to identify you assailant do you not?
This one is new. It's an wristlet that has space for keys, money and ID. I keep a copy of my DL in it in case my body is found in a ditch on the side of the road. I was going to get a road ID but they are $20 bucks. This was $4. I'm still feeling it out.
Looks peaceful doesn't it? This is in the heart of the City of Atlanta and not a suburb. That's how Atlanta does. It's a major urban city, but it has a LOT of greenspace. you would never see that in Paterson, NJ where I'm from. But in the "A" you get jungle. But the peacefulness comes to an abrupt stop...
This is the corner. 3/4 miles from my house is a liquor store, a truck stop, 2 gas stations and a strip club. SMH... Welcome to Bankhead. There is a difference in how Black folks live vs. white folks. Black folks with money will live next to Black folks without money. It is not unusual to see a bombed out neighborhood with spots of nice homes. It's how we do. So I'm never surprised to see this in a fine neighborhood. Yes I live in Bankhead.. Collier Heights of Bankhead. You thought me gansta like that?
This is me running over I285. this is the area where I have to mean mug folks. I recognize that people in cars may want to turn on to Hollowell or the interstate; but as long as i have the walk signal, I'm walking and screw you. And it's usually females who have this problem. You see another female walking down the street and you think it's ok to just mow her down??? Get over yourselves. I run back under 285 when I get to Collier.
So I'm on Holowell for a short hop, maybe about 2 city short blocks and I turn down Bolton Rd....
This is where it gets dicey... There are some nice older homes but there are a lot of vacant building with severe overgrown trees and plants. Perfect for vagrants and odd animals. This is usually where I get propositioned, because apparently this is where hoes stroll. Took me a minute to figure it out. A car will either slow down next to you or stop in front of you. If you keep it moving and don't say anything, they drive off. I've seen cars pull over and women get in and/or out. I'm not judging. But this is where it's important to run in clothes that look like your running rather than something else. And if the police pulls you over, it helps to be very sweaty and breathing hard.
.jpg)
There is a natural running stream. GA is very wet. There are streams everywhere. A lot of them are man made. This one doesn't look like artificial. There is a strip for power lines that runs from Bolton to Collier. If they let that open, I'm certain I could cut through and shorten this run significantly, but I wouldn't want to get electrocuted or killed by low lying animals that I KNOW live up in there.
.jpg)
Now I take my loop to Fairburn Rd. This is my 1st water break. It's the halfway point. Not a lot of pic here because down this corridor is mostly all houses. The houses are cute too, so not a lot of pictures. A lot of these homes have a nice amount of land to them. I like that. In the next house I buy, I want to have land for chickens, hopefully goats and a large garden but be relatively close to civilization.
Close to the next corner which is Collier Rd, there is a school and a church. I often run at that school's track. From my house to the track is a relatively flat run. I like flat runs...
You can see the other side of the electrical run. After this I get back to Harwell and run home. I have posted pics of Harwell before. There is a church and a school... Very picturesque if you like broken bottles and leave all over the place.
My opinions on how Atlanta does the hood is not good. The city takes care of it's whiter neighborhoods way better than mine. I'm not the only runner in Bankhead. and you know how them old Black folks like to walk with them big sticks. But white neighborhoods get all the attention. Leaves get picked up, and trees are pruned. My leaves get picked up about twice a year in my neck of the jungle; once in the fall and then once in the summer. I suppose I could run in the white neighborhoods, but then I'd have to drive over to one and explain, multiple times to the cops what I'm doing there. And white folks are not friendly to strange Black people. I might get killed if someone wants to stand their ground. It's not right. but it's what we have in this wilderness called America.
Do I feel weird about telling you where I run? Not really. I run with a smidge more than pepper spray. I want to encourage you to run in your own neighborhoods. Doesn't matter wear you live, you can get up and move around and make your body better. You don't have any excuses. Running is one of the cheapest, easiest and quickest things you can do with and for your body.
Peace!
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