There's lots going on, but occupying a good chunk of my time is my training. I'm running the Austin (Half) Marathon on February 14th!
My friend from San Francisco, "S", is coming to run the half marathon with me! I'm looking forward to showing off Austin and having some one to join me in the challenge. (She ran a half marathon in the Bay Area today, by the way, and is doing another one next week with me. No sweat. Amazing.)
Which brings me to one of my favorite things about Austin -- the hike & bike trails.
There are quite a few in Austin, but my favorite is the one that circles Town Lake (aka Lady Bird Lake) and borders Zilker Park and downtown. It's beautiful, free, and always full of friendly joggers, families, strollers, and bicycles. (Honestly, with the pedestrian volume, there isn't much room for the bikes, and I wouldn't recommend it as a bike path.)
You can drive to one of several parking lots situated just off the trail (near MoPac, Austin HS, S. Lamar St., S. 1st St.), but from my house, there are endless mileage possibilities. Two, four, ten miles, all a stone's throw from my front door. Glorious.
I came across a list of "runner's commandments," today, and several got a nod and a laugh from this newbie runner. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Don’t be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner, not even other whiners.
This aligns pretty nicely with my competitive cycling rules, too. Hamstrings sore? Feeling tired? Six miles too far? Path too crowded? Quit yer whinin'.
2. Walking out the door is often the toughest part of a run.
AMEN.
9. Don’t compare yourself to other runners.
By far, one of my biggest challenges. When I see runners who are faster, sleeker, or wearing cooler gear than I am, I tend to get jealous. When I see runners who are slower or wearing cotton (scoff), I get judgy. That's GOTTA stop. I run for ME, not anyone else.
10. All runners are equal, some are just faster than others.
As if I didn't think otherwise! Oh, yeah... see above.
11. Keep in mind that the later in the day it gets, the more likely it is that you won’t run.
All I can do is burst out laughing when I read this. Who has been on the treadmill at the gym at 11pm at night? Guilty.
16. A bad day of running still beats a good day at work.
Well, I don't know about that. A good day at work can be pretty damn amazing. But so can any run after a bad day at work.
19. Don’t always run alone.
Working on it. I swear. Anyone know of a good (slowish) running group in town?
24. Races aren’t just for those who can run fast.
Case in point.
52. Running is simple. Don’t make it complicated.
Indeed, one of my favorite things about this sport.
Wish me luck next week. 13.1 miles feels like an awfully long run...
