Austin Half Marathon

In adulthood I have realized a love of running that I never had as a kid. I love that you can do it just about anywhere, there is little to no preparation needed to go out for a run, and you can quickly see improvement in your time, distance and speed. It also just feels good to get out and breath heavily for awhile. 

In the spirit of setting goals, I signed up for the Austin Half Marathon with two of my girlfriends. It was a perfect blend of training in Texas in the winter and pushing myself to run further and harder than ever before. We are also fortunate to have cousins in Austin that were willing to house us, entertain us and help cheer me along during the race. These lovely ladies were the precious little flower girls in our wedding, now they have grown into mature young women who are adored by our children. 

It's no wonder the littles love Brook and Jenna, they are full of smiles and love every time we see them. 

Cousin Jill makes everything fun, even a cranky 2-year-old at a hot outdoor restaurant

The day of the race was a cool, drizzly, Valentines Day morning. My friend Meryl flew in from Indianapolis to run, a sweet treat to see my friend again after she sadly moved away from our neighborhood.

Austin is a wonderful place to visit and to run, it is good to note that it is a much hillier terrain than anything I have experienced in my runs in Argentina or Texas. The last mile left me nothing but fumes to work off of. I have never been so exhausted in all my life.

The littles helped me out by cheering me along and keeping my spirits up, especially this little ray of sunshine with her GO MOMMY sign.

Alex was not a huge fan of the race. This was one of his initial "Alex Hates Everything" moments.

And to top off the day, just when I thought that the hills were the culprit, I learned that I had more than a bib and medal in tow during this race. I was actually carrying the fifth member of our family through the streets of downtown Austin. Baby on Board!!