Unless you’re just itching to see the inside of an emergency room, strolling down the middle of Piedmont Avenue on a Sunday afternoon isn’t likely to appear on your “Things to Do This Weekend” list. But if the organizers of Atlanta Streets Alive  have their way about it, you’ll make it a habit.

May 23 Atlanta will join several other cities that occasionally pedestrianize parts of major streets for a few hours, converting them into a combination street festival and temporary bike route.

Atlanta Streets Alive, which is a project of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition , is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and aims to “provide a model of how cities can provide healthy, environmental friendly outdoor activities for their residents,” according to the event’s “About” page. It’s a first-of-its-kind event here, where even intown neighborhoods are notoriously car-centric.

According to ASA’s current map (click it to enlarge the microscopic print), the route will include Piedmont between Edgewood and North Avenue, North Avenue between Piedmont and Glen Iris/Randolph, Glen Iris/Randolph between North Avenue and Edgewood, one lane of Edgwood Avenue between Randolph and Peachtree and Auburn Avenue between Peachtree and Piedmont.

You might be about fest-ed out by now, and the Jazz Festival is still to come the following weekend, but for pure novelty, this sounds like one worth working into your schedule.

i am training right now for the 2009 marine corps marathon with the georgia chapter of team in training (which by the way is an incredible org and if you are thinking of trying an endurance event i highly recommend them.) i’ve trained for and run four marathons now, but this is my first time training for an early fall event. and what i have learned is that means i am training right through the heart of atlanta’s summer.

and it’s humid. damn humid.

actually i have been quite unprepared for how difficult it is to run long mileage in this humidity. the runs are draining, i sweat like crazy and no matter how much water i drink i can’t seem to get through the run without sweating out everything.

so how about it atlanta runners….those of you with lots of experience running through this humidity. do you have any advice for me? what tricks do you use to get through these dog days of august.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

******WARNING SHAMELESS PLUG FOLLOWS*******

(that means stop reading if you are going to be offended by a shameless plug. don’t click the link if you don’t want to read it.)

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