Austin!

Just got back from Austin, TX. While there, I visited my friend Tom and also ran in my 22nd marathon/state. The Livestrong Austin marathon will definitely go down as one of my favorites. So as not to bury the lead, I PR'd with a 3:03 finish!

The race went about as flawlessly as I could have hoped. The weather was a perfect 45 degrees at the start. I think the temperature only rose 3 to 5 degrees before I finished, so that was very ideal. I was never cold and never hot which almost never happens during a race. The course was actually pretty difficult. Austin is actually quite hilly. We went back and forth across the river valley a few times. My friend Tom explained that there are 3 major hilltops in Austin. Essentially the Capital, the University of Texas and another, smaller university were all built atop these hills. So since the finish was at the Capital (which came right after the University of Texas), it made for some interesting ups and downs.

The city is beautiful and the race was very well organized (except for there only being 1 safety pin in my packet). I went out with the game plan of sticking to 7:00 miles. This basically worked for me all day. Thanks to generous spectators towards the end, fruit helped power me past mile 22. I out-sprinted everyone at the finish and felt very happy with how I did.

What's next... hmm. Well, I have a half marathon in VA in a couple of weeks and a VERY busy duathlon/triathlon season that starts (gulp) next month. I am doing the IOC100 which features a 2 mile swim and 80 mile bike (a perfect setup for Spain in July). I will be ready and in my best shape for July (if i can stay healthy, focused, and on task). I expect some bumps in the road because training is as much about reacting as it is being proactive. More soon!