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!

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The Zen of Running

I honestly do love running. When I'm not running consistently (we're talking 3-4 times a week) I feel what I would describe as just simple unease. Yes, I'm naturally fidgety. But a non-running Jess is fidgety times a billion. I'm also naturally anal-retentive..about a lot of things. But a non running Jess is Type A to the mizzax. I organize trash receptacles. Touch the doornob three times before turning off the light. Have my pantry alphabetized and color coordinated. It can get REAL bad.

A RUNNING Jess on the other hand, is happier. Healthier. More confident. More organized (in a good way). Easier to handle. Calm (or at least calm-ER). Now I don't know about all of that endorphin induced runner's high hokey pokey that people talk about. I, for one, have yet to experience that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've had good runs...great runs even! The type where you zone out, and before you know it..POOF you ran 7 miles and you feel great! But that happens, hmmm...lets say, once in a blue moon. For the most part, I'm that runner who is trudging along...red in the face...sweating profusely..can't talk (so don't bother trying to ask me a question)...have to have my IPOD or I'll die...just trying to make it through. I AM NOT A PRETTY RUNNER. But it does make me feel prettier..does that make sense?

Anyways, enough of my little rant on running. The bottom line is I am a runner. Not a jogger. Not a walker. Not even a professional speed walker. I run. I will always run. It keeps me sane, and for that you should all thank running.

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Oh I'm running my life away

So the culmination of the last few months of training is going to be the Austin Half Marathon this Sunday.

http://youraustinmarathon.com/

It will be the second half I've run, but the first for my sister Sam! I'm so excited and thrilled that she decided to run this race with me about 4 months ago, and she really has been such a trooper throughout the whole process. She's put up with my Hitler-ish fanatacism about sticking to the (cue huge air quotes) "PLAN". Because as you know, I'm a huge fan of plans, and lists, and sticking to 'em.

She's rolled her eyes plenty of times when I've nagged about not falling behind, about getting out there and running even when she'd much rather be drinking gigantic glasses of chocolate milk, and watching Family Guy in bed. I know at times she probably wanted to strangle me in my sleep, but I hope at the end of the race on Sunday, when she accomplishes something she may have thought she never would, that she'll thank me for all of that. For being her older sister. For caring enough to scold. For trying to encourage her because I know that in the end the feeling she gets will be so worth the sore knees, the bleeding blisters, and all of the free time she gave up.

Maybe she won't want to run anymore after that. Or we'll just stick to smaller races, but I'm so excited to be sharing this event with her, and I really plan on staying by her side the whole race. Picking her up when she's down, encouraging her to not give up. Telling her "just one more mile, keep it up". And ultimately, being there in case she needs me to carry her on my back. Because I'm her sister, and that's my job. And that's what I'll always do. Good thing I have a strong backbone... :)

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Dont worry, bout a thing..

I promise I'm going to update you all with a fantastical new pontification on some obscure topic tomorrow, but for now the beach is on my mind, so I'm sharing a little bit of it with you all. Today I ran 6 miles along the Corpus Christi beach, jammin' to some Bob Marley, and all I can say is..euphoria. An epic run, with great people, and the beautiful backdrop of the Corpus Christi sunrise (pictured above). If you love the beach, and you love jammin', then you'll appreciate this mini post :)

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