Introduction

A couple years after getting into long distance running, I decided to try to run a half-marathon or marathon in each state. After crossing off my fifth state, I recounted the race to my sister. As I described the hills, puddles, cows, lightning, thunder, and cornfields, she suggested that I begin a blog about my experiences and races. While it’s hard to imagine the many different races running together, I could see how it might happen. So, I looked back in my mind (and with the help of my t-shirt drawer) am going to document my runs through all 50 states. End of 2015 update: 16 states done!

2/16/2014

Austin Half Marathon (TX), February 16th, 2014


What better way to get away from one of North Carolina’s coldest winters than a quick trip to Texas for a race?  Over the past few years I’ve been lucky to make some great friends, several of whom are on board with traveling to a race (and some who are on board with traveling to and running the race).  I couldn’t have picked a better group to travel with to Austin.  When I look back on the trip I remember the race, but the highlights of the trip go beyond the 13.1 miles. 

As this is a running based blog, I will start with the race itself.  First and foremost, if you are like me, you think of flat farmland and ranches when you think of Texas, right?  It’s full of wide-open space with no hills and a sky that goes on forever.  Apparently Austin is not in that part of Texas and I soon learned Texas has a “hill country.”  Needless to say, my training on flat ground was not entirely appropriate for the hills we faced on the course, but you live and you learn.  Despite the hills, the race organizers did a great job designing a course that wound through and gave a tour of the city.  We started at the Capitol building, which is huge and a prime example of how everything is bigger in Texas (I run the 0.4 miles around the NC Capitol regularly, it’s nothing compared to the mile around the Texas one).  The course headed south and across the river.  We wound (up and down and up and down) through a variety of neighborhoods (commercial, residential, and everything in between) before crossing back over the river, skirting the University of Texas campus and finishing back at the Capitol.  Like many of the races I’ve run, I enjoyed getting a tour of the town and seeing sights I might not otherwise see.  All in all, despite the hills and heat, I would do it again.

Along with running, we did get to do a few other things in Austin. Here are my top 7:
1) Run the trails along the Colorado River (and if your legs feel like mine the day after the race, stop to soak your feet in the cold water for a bit).
2) Give yourself a tour of the UT campus, I enjoyed the turtle pond.
3) Rainey St-It’s a residential area being converted into more of a business district, great bars/restaurants (including The Blackheart, a quiet whiskey bar with a great spot to people watch)
4) Hopdoddy’s-Delicious burgers (this coming from the almost vegetarian…my black bean burger was awesome)
5) Bike Share-They have the “B-Cycle” bike share system. We used it for a day and were able to get everywhere we needed without going over the 30 minute (I think) limit.
6) Wright Bros. Brew and Brew-Great coffee/beer spot in East Austin.
7) Handlebar-A fun (mustache themed) bar complete with a grown up sized seesaw, bouncy animals (those giant ones on springs), and giant Jenga.

I’m happy to say that the trip was enjoyed by runners and non-runners as well and that I’m looking forward to the next one.

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