Keeping Austin Weird: The Electric Run!

Nothing like hanging out in neon with 10,000 of your closest friends! March 30th, 2013 was the first annual Electric Run for Austin. I travelled to the event site with three friends and then met up with several more on site. We got there early enough to set up our lawn chairs in the parking lot so that we could get our neon on. Glasses, necklaces, rings, earrings, flashing swords, whatever we could find to try and stand out in a sea on neon people.

There were groups of friends, families with children, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and even those who had come alone to join in on the fun. There was a fantastic after-party, and the volunteers did a wonderful job of getting us all out of the parking lot at the end and back on the road to home. Another grand time on the run!

Dancing Men at the starting line

 

 

Rock and Roll Dallas Half Marathon 2013

This was my 4th year to do the RNR Dallas half marathon, and again, my sister-in-law joined me for the event. We stay at the posh Omni hotel one block from the starting line, and after the race, my sister-in-law treats me to a birthday massage at her favorite Dallas area spa. My brother always comes along to these races, and he meets us at various points along the route to cheer us on and to take pictures.
Texas weather is fickle, and we were not surprised to learn the night before the race that race day temps would bring us wind chills in the 20s along with wind gusts up to 40 MPH. Fun, fun!
We meet in the hotel lobby race morning at 7 so that we can grab a coffee and then head over to our corrals. There were tons of racers in the hotel lobby with our very same idea!

Dallas Omni hotel lobby race morning

 

Corral 1 start Dallas half marathon 2013

 

We trucked on over to the starting line and tried to stay warm in the crazy wind and cold.

 

 

Hanging out with some Longhorns pre-race!

 

In our corral ready to head out...we started in corral 12 of 21 corrals!

 

The wind was so strong that it knocked over many of the mile marker signs along the race route! At about mile 10, I wanted to join these signs on the ground!

                                                     Evidence of the 25-40 MPH winds!

There were bands along the way as well as people cheering on their friends and loved ones, and the area cheerleaders were there rooting for us, too!

 

 

It is very motivating to see people of all fitness levels out there chasing a dream, a personal best, or another medal for their collection. Guess who I saw once again? You got it! The tall, mohawked runner George with the GREAT legs that I first met in Seattle in 2011 and the again in Savannah 2012. Now here he is in Dallas, Texas 2013!! Howdy, George!

 

We leaned into the wind, braved the cold, and kept putting one foot in front of the another until we crossed the finish line at mile 13.1 I always like to get my medal and my free beer at the finish line!

We did it once again! Woo hoo!!!!

 

Rock and Roll Dallas Half Marathon Medal 2013

 

We left the race venue and headed to lunch at a trendy little Mexican restaurant called RJ's where they make excellent frozen margaritas. Afterwards we headed to the spa and our 80 minute sports massage. Mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!

 

Another great weekend spent on the run with family and friends!