LIVESTRONG MY FRIENDS

RACE UPDATE: On a glorious, perfect day in downtown Austin, two sisters set out to accomplish a 13.1 mile race, on a pretty difficult up anddown course...and STINKIN NAILED IT.

Statistically, both of us finished identically with a race time of 2:19, crossing the finish line seconds apart. We both also finished 5165 out of 10,523 total participants, and 2490 out of 6291 female participants. There were approximately 20,000 total runners (marathon, half, and 5k) from over 20 different countries, and all 50 states!

If you've never participated in a race of this scale, I urge you to please RUN out the door and go sign up for one. The experience is unlike anything you can imagine. I've run the Austin Marathon before, so I was somewhat prepared for the sheer giganticism of the crowd, but it was still so overwhelming (in a good way) to be surrounded by fellow "crazies" all setting out to do what some would consider the impossible. To push their bodies to the limit, to accomplish something. Some of them were doing it for themselves, and some were racing for a a cause, the cure, or their father. All of them were amazing. I can't describe to you how many times I was actually close to tears, reading the backs of t-shirts in front of me, understanding a little of their stories, and why they were out here in this mass spectacle.

The moral of the story is we finished. We accomplished our goal to run, and not stop. Do we feel bruised and battered? Sure do. Do we feel tired and weary? Of course. Will we do it again...? Hell Yeah. :)

Enjoy a few of our pictures from our walkabout downtown Austin the day before the race. Race pictures to follow soon!