![]() Run
Comments: A few months ago, I asked my brother if he'd like to run a half with hubbie and I. He said he was game to do it -no problem! The race fee was my birthday present to him...as well as our trip out to Austin to visit. Along the way though, he never found any time to train, so he went into the race not having run in about 6 months. Being a very fit & tall (long legs) guy, I figured that even if he walked fast, he'd probably be pretty close to keeping up with slow hubby and I...so this race was just a fun way to get a workout in while we were in Austin. After the first quarter-mile, bro was so pumped up by all the runners, fireworks and hoopla that he wanted to push ahead and really 'go for it!' Thankfully, we talked him into "staying with us" by promising him that if he still felt great at the halfway point, we wouldn't be mad if he took off on us. Somewhere around mile 3, the effort started taking a toll on bro and he said aloud he wanted to stop at a gas station on the course and by some vaseline! In the next few minutes, we passed an aid station that offered lube and he took his first potty break. It was shaping up to be a looong day. We were still having fun at the halfway point, but there was no more talk from bro about pushing ahead. We had looped back to where our car was parked and instead there was joking about calling it a day. We stopped at the car and he stowed his jacket and I got the lucky job of hanging onto the car keys. I talked him into just taking the fob and not the whole key ring (I know, I know....) The fob hung perfectly off my race belt! This is the point in the race where we started passing people. We didn't really run any faster, but held the same steady pace...while the people around us slowed it down. I pointed out to bro, how the folks around us started off too fast and are now paying the price...but see? wee still feel good! I started pointing out people up ahead that we were going to smoke...its SO FUN to speak another language and have private chat among a crowd! So far, the hills had been long but not terribly steep...and we had run over most of them for most of the way. This all changed around mile 8 and Enfield street up to the capitol was a BITCH. We might as well have been climbing stairs and I struggled to keep walking up to the top of this hill. After that point, the crowds really picked up . . . and bro was really eager to see new mile markers. By now his heel was bothering him....as well as the chafing he wouldn't discuss. Bro had stopped to use the bathroom about 6 times...and he stopped again just before mile 13. Argh. The finish chute was great fun and we all crossed the line together with arms raised! What would you do differently?: Perfect mind control....so I could have made bro train even a little bit! All in all, we had a good time . . . and I'm not unhappy with the time either...especially considering all the breaks and THOSE HILLS. ![]() Post race
Warm down: Pictures, food, napping, moaning about bro living on the third floor. Event comments: Texans are awesome! Last updated: 2007-12-26 12:00 AM
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United States
The Austin Marathon Foundation, Inc.
51F / 11C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 5718/5986
Age Group = Filly 140+ 0-39
Age Group Rank = 36/38
Whoops! Thought the race started at 6 . . . wondered what we were doing wrong when we didn't see lines of cars trying to get downtown! Most of my pre-race time was spent waiting in line at Starbucks.
Drinking my skinny vanilla latte.