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| Really proud of refrigerator magnets? You bet! |
My review is for the 2012 Austin Half Marathon, which I absolutely loved! This was the final race (of 5, a 10K; 10 miler, and 3 half marathons - Decker, 3M and Austin) of the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge.
I'm so grateful that I trained with Austin Fit this year - the runs really prepared me for the hills on this course, which are going to approach legendary status in a few more years. I swear that mile 12 mother fucker gets steeper every time I tell the story!
The organization that Livestrong has added as the new corporate sponsor for years to come cannot be underestimated. Sure, with 18,000 runners you're bound to have some issues that are almost inevitable, like port-o-janes with long lines, finish chute delays while dumb asses stop and gawk, etc. Read about the 2012 Vegas Rock and Roll marathon if you think we have issues.
I can't say enough how much I loved the course - it was SO smart to move the start to the north side of the Capital and give us a much needed warm up before the trek up South Congress. The rolling hill that is South Congress gives several nice flats to catch your breath, and then comes that wonderful rolling drop down South First. I was blown away by the Livestrong Mile along Cesar Chavez, which was covered in yellow chalk messages on the road, and lined with the loudest, most wonderfully supportive volunteers anywhere on the course. They just rejuvenated me so much, and I high fived as many as I could!
When we reached the Mopac crossover, man that seemed to suck the strength right out of me, but I knew the real killer lay ahead. I had purposely NOT driven that course so I would not know what it really looked like. There are a few hills before mile 12 that get your attention, but that bad boy really did impress. I vowed to run the entire hill, and I did. It was amazing how slow I was moving when I got to the top!! But I owned that bitch! For all the fear and complaining I heard about this hill, think about it folks. Would the course be BETTER without it? Hell NO! Easier, sure. But better? NOT! It gives you an unbelievable pride that you conquered it. Whether you run, walk or crawled it, when you got to the top and saw the angels - God love em! - you had to smile! Great crowd support here too!
I also loved that last mile to the finish...it challenged too and there is NO feeling like powering around that corner onto Congress and seeing the finish line!
The medals, so beautiful! One of the coolest ever:
The event t-shirt I will wear proudly! It is a fantastic Nike tech T with the coolest graphics I have seen anywhere.
Honestly, the bands and musicians playing were cool for the most part. and I know most runners appreciated them. Me, I had my iPod shuffle cranking out more energetic stuff to get me up those hills. I made a point to take the ear buds out now and then and interact with my Austin Fit running buds Amy and Eliza (thanks for pacing me girls!), and some other cool peeps on the course. To all the lovely ladies that wore pig-tails, extra kudos to you! Yeah, I find them sexy. Deal with it. :O)
Austin, be proud of these twin jewels, I ran the marathon in 2008 and I enjoyed that too, in a really sick way! But I am hooked on the Half, and I have Feb 17th, 2013 already saved to do this again!
