Running the Streets

• Photos: See my picky-pics!

I did my first half yesterday! At the AT&T Austin Marathon in, well, Austin. My time wasn’t what I was aiming for (a 10 minute mile — I ended up with 2 hours and 49 min., about a 12-minute mile), but I had such a good time that I almost didn’t care.

Brian went down with me on Saturday, and it was an absolute soaking deluge when we got there. We picked up my packet at the Events Center, where there was also an expo going on. Packet pick-ups for shorter races in the past have been uninteresting trips to Run On or Luke’s. So I wasn’t used to an entire expo hall filled with Lara Bar samples, a Guitar Hero game center and every running comodity imaginable for sale. And of course we couldn’t leave without each getting a pair of sunglasses and me getting an extra pair of running socks and some Body Glide.

We toyed with the idea of getting custard shakes at Sandy’s on Barton Springs, one of our fattening Austin traditions. But it was still early in the day, so we turned into Chuy’s and pigged out there instead. Afterward we trekked around downtown a bit to get our bearings for potential parking places and early coffee the next morning. After my first trip to the the downtown Whole Foods (it was the first Whole Foods, right?) for energy the next morning — mixed roasted nuts from the nut bar, a tub of fresh-cut strawberries and blueberries and a bottle of chocolate-flavored Metro Mint water — we called it an early night.

4:30 a.m. comes eaaarly! But it got us downtown and parked in a free, close spot by 5:30. We hovered with other early birds in the dark cold underneath portable heaters, with a beautifully-lit capitol building up the street. Liz, who was in town for her second Austin run, showed up, and later we three went to the gabillion-person start line, where Brian left us right before gunshot.

I was one of the many rules-breaking rebels with mp3 players, but I rarely used it. There were plenty of sights and sounds to experience along the 13.1 course. I normally don’t run that early in the morning (start was at 7 a.m.) but I went ahead and found it exhilarating, since I didn’t exactly have a say in the matter.

First we bound down (actually, up and down and up and down) SoCo, the slightly faux-cool yet nonetheless adorable area of South Congress Avenue, then by public housing, then through charming neighborhoods … then after that, a blur.

Heard along the way, at mile 3, one random 40-something to another: “You know, I think we might be able to do this.” Dude, you’ve got 10 miles left.

This other guy was dressed in some ultra snug tights with an ultra snug spandex tank … except it looked like he was smuggling a walrus into the race arounf his bellly. WRONG. Later he passed me, which was WAY wronger.

The course entertainment included a band of old dudes playing Texas swing on the porch of some sort of historical home across from an HEB, and lots of female-fronted bands: A dad living vicariously through his teen daughter while he ran the audio for her rock band, a metal band fronted by an older woman in front of a no-name convenience store, a blues singer, and tons more. Lots of others, like a black dude hocking his really-bad-soul DJ business and a band of dudes covering the James Gang (OW! love you guys!). It definitely kept things interesting.

I had to stop TWICE to pee, and I spent a total of 20 minutes standing in lines. We women in the lines kept complaining about how the guys could just whip it out next to a bush and 10 seconds later, be back in the race. For anyone who knows me, you’d believe how much this fact gave me grumpy face syndrome. While the gap between women’s and men’s race times is narrowing, there’s still a gap. Even if women didn’t mind completely dropping our drawers and showing our a*ses to the entire world, the whole process of disrobing and peeing just takes longer. That’s nobody’s fault, but the small number of potties is ridiculous. Women not only have to stand in line with each other just to pee out all the powerade we’re guzzling, but we also have to share the line with guys who are either modest or who have to No. 2. Twenty minutes getting added to my time just to wizz was the most frustrating part of the race, even moreso than my IT band issue adding extra time. Bluh. I complained to Chris about the pee issue, and he said that in the races he’s done, women just run into a woody area and drop ‘em. I think the exact line in his email was, “In Chicago, I probably saw 100 naked women asses … lol!” Ha! He said he’s got some tips for not peeing during races, so I’ll be interested in hearing that trick of the trade. Anyway, I wondered what that one woman was doing when she ran to a business’ parking lot and disappeared behind that dumpster. I’m sure there were more women busting the same move during the race but I just didn’t notice. I guess that was a first-timer’s naievete on my part. Still, anyone who’s worn running tights knows that pulling those things down and pulling them up is a total beating. I can just see myself face-down in the dirt right after getting pitched forward mid-squat from trying to balance with my tights crammed around my knees.

I called mom while standing in line to pee at mile 9. She was encouraging yet bewildered. She’s always been physically active, and the woman is the one who got me into sports starting in fourth grade to begin with. This is all her fault. She even played sports in high school. Still, I suppose things have changed a bit since early 1950s girls’ high school half-court basketball, so I can’t quibble too much with her confusion. Love you mom, but oy.

As I already stated in the post below, around mile 9, the IT band starting kicking my butt. I walked about half the rest of the distance. I was in such pain, that I leaned forward and put my head on a tree trunk to balance myself while stretching my quads, then ran/walked for about two miles with a mess of bark stuck to my forehead.

I was so frustrated. But I kept reminding myself that I was learning a lot during this race in preparation for my next one — like carrying fewer shot blocks/Sharkies on me, finding a way not to pee so dadgum much and getting running tights with pockets or a lite backpack so I can leave the media belt at home. Or, just not running half marathons. That sort of thing.

I managed to run across the finish line around 2:49, then waited a bit for Liz so we could have photos taken of us with our finisher medals. Liz kept saying how proud of me she was, which made me all glowy inside. She’s a Team in Training coach (is that right, Liz? — update, she just mentioned in her blog that she’s a mentor, not a coach) and is blessed with the gift of encouragement, for sure.

Brian and I did another of our fattening Austin traditions, eating on the patio at Shady Grove on Barton Springs. We hit SoCo just to browse around. It was bustling with Austin hippiness, and I have to admit it was pretty awesome. Live music from the most random of folks was everywhere. So charming. It was a beautiful, 70ish degree day.

We topped it off with a butterscotch shake and Oreo shake from Sandy’s across the street from the Events Center before taking me and my broken body back to Waxahachie.

Last but not least, Brian should have received an honorary finisher’s award, because he’s the best (and hottest) male cheerleader ever ; )