I started the first 3 miles running with Charles at a nice 9:30 pace. He left me at the first hill. That was fine because I really struggled up the hill. The rest of the run was awesome. After I got through the Hills, I felt great and started to open-up my stride while keeping as fast a cadence as I could. This was probably the best I have felt running to date. Big surprise was my girls at the finish line. I didn't expect them to make it today!

More hill training?

Walk around, eat and drink, then a nice stretch.


weight and hills.


That the Motive Bison Stampede Half Marathon course is a monster is a given. But when the overall winners of the race—Nicodemus Malakwen of Kenya and Jackie Rzepecki of Michigan—declare it the hardest race they’ve ever run, you know Motive is one tough mother.

But that’s the challenge of Motive: getting up and over the endless series of ups and downs that punctuate the course from mile 4 ½ practically all the way to the finish at Motive HQ in northwest Austin.

Making the race on Sunday morning more palatable for the nearly 2000 runners was the first hint of winter. Last year, it was overcast but extremely humid and warm. On Sunday, it was clear, dry and refreshingly cool (42 degrees at the start). The wind was problematical--blowing from the north at 10-15 mph which stood the runners up at various points on the 13.1-mile course.

This is a hard course but it's alot of fun with the Motive employee water stop competition and the challeging hills lined with spectators.