Running in Austin

Running in Austin, Texas

Last weekend I took a trip to Austin, Texas for a wedding and like any running addict made sure to pack my shoes and running clothes, as well as check out some local groups and trails ahead of time.  Shortly after landing and picking up my rental car I was pleasantly surprised at the 70 degree daytime temps and full sunlight, a welcome respite from Winter back home in D.C.

 

The Zero Mile Marker.  Meeting point
 for  Al's  Ship of Fools, the Austin
running group I met up with.

Saturday morning I ended up running with the "Al's Ship of Fools" Saturday Long Run group, a bunch of friendly folks like you might find in any city.  I got there early and did a mile to warm-up, met up with the group at the zero mile marker of the Lady Bird Lake Trail, and got started promptly at 7:00am.  We did a 10 mile loop around Lady Bird Lake and then I tacked on another 3 miles for a total of 14.  I hope to return someday for the Austin Marathon, which just took place a few weeks ago.

View of downtown Austin across Lady Bird Lake with the packed dirt trail
in the mid-ground.  RunTex provides the water filled coolers for runners.

Even though it was a nice running atmosphere mixed with friendly people I still missed the seemingly endless tirade of urban trails that I have gotten used to in the D.C./ VA area.  My other attempted run on this trip was not around the Lady Bird Lake trail system and ended up involving a lot of street crossings and zig-zagging through neighborhoods.  I still managed to get in 10ish miles Monday in ever-changing, windy weather.  Speaking of weather, while it was great to experience highs in the 80s during winter I don't think I could deal with any season other than that down here.  Apparently highs in the 110s is the norm all summer.

The State Capital of Texas in downtown Austin.  About a
mile from the Lady Bird Lake trails via Congress Ave.

Non-Running Related Activities

The actual wedding was outside of Austin in Liberty Hill, TX.  The ended up renting out this eclectic house restored by a hippie couple from the city.  Think of a bed & breakfast, but not pretentious and covered with originality.  The first floor of the house was completely open and used as an eating area. The 2nd and 3rd floors were covered with hippie art on all the walls.  Each room had its own theme as well.  The outdoor areas were just as cool, with several firepits and seating areas.  The backyard had a dock with a rock swing to a nearby creek and across the water were some bluffs.  All the low hanging branches outside were adorned with tiny mirrors that made for a great effect when the sun shined through (pictured).

Tiny mirrors in all the tress (in focus), with the rest
 of the backyard and bluffs out of focus.

The annual Zilker Kite Festival was on the Sunday we were there and I was happy to get to check it out.  It has taken place for something like 85 years and counting and its a big "to-do" in town.  Plus, I'm a fan of free activities that include good people watching.  The lax atmosphere was a nice break from the constant presence of security officials, bag checks, and controlled access points that I have gotten used to in D.C.

I was able to check out the Zilker Kite Festival, held the
first Sunday of each March in Zilker Park.

The Cathedral of Junk is an art installation started over 20 years ago in a private backyard.  It began as a collection of junk and hubcaps but continued to grow.  It is now 3 stories high - the owner obtained a building permit to keep it up.  The 2nd floor is accessible by stairs and the 3rd floor by ladder.  It was also featured on Roadside America, an online guide to off the beaten path tourist attractions. The Cathedral has to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated.

The "Cathedral of Junk" -- probably one of the coolest
"off the beaten path" attractions I have seen!