Marathon #52 (Austin) – Not the Race I Planned, But One I’m Grateful For

My races haven’t been turning out the way I expected lately.  The Austin Marathon was one of them, and honestly I know why.  No matter what training approach I try, the real issue has been time and energy.  There simply hasn’t been enough of either, especially as I get older.

I signed up for the 2026 Austin Marathon a year ago, right after finishing the 2025 race.  Registration was discounted and I still had the high from finishing my 50th marathon, so of course I signed up again.

Training

In the months leading up to Austin, I didn’t do nearly as much strength training as I wanted.  I managed a few 4:30 AM workouts, maybe once a week, but that alone wasn’t enough.

The reality is I was just tired from working long hours.  I work for a global company, which often means evening calls with Asia or catching up on work at night after spending most of the day in meetings.  I care about doing my job well, so I show up and get it done, but that sometimes leaves less energy for training.

Marathon Weekend

By race weekend, I was getting excited, especially after picking up my race packet.  I set a goal of finishing around 5 1/2 hrs, which felt realistic based on my training runs and last year’s marathon finishes.

Race morning started beautifully, cool, breezy, and cloudy.  Perfect running weather!  The first half went well and I was right on pace.  Then the sun came out.  It was still breezy and pleasant, but the cramps started creeping in.  And the hills… well, Austin always reminds you they’re there.

I laughed thinking my hilly neighborhood runs should have prepared me, then realized most of my weekend long runs had actually been on the flat River Ranch trail.

Soon my right calf started cramping, and I felt pain running up the outside of my left leg from just above the ankle toward the quad.  Every time I tried to pick up the pace, something tightened again.

Making the Most of It

At that point I decided to slow down, walk when needed, and just enjoy the day.  I started taking photos and treated the race like a tour of Austin by foot seeing parts of the city I normally wouldn’t visit.  Along the way I spotted some Team RadioActive triathlon teammates, a few Trail Sisters, and chatted with other runners who were pushing through their own tough miles.  Eventually I made it to the finish line.  6 hours and 9 minutes of run/jog/walking around Austin under the sun.  Possibly my slowest road marathon finish ever (I’ll have to double check), but still six hours of moving forward.  And honestly, I was just happy to finish.

Lessons

Training matters.  Strength training especially.  That’s something I’m committing to more seriously going forward.

Hydration and electrolytes matter too, even on days that don’t feel that hot.  Temps only climbed into the high 60s or low 70s, but it was enough to make a difference for me.

I thought this was marathon #51, but it is actually #52.  Which means I’m still keeping my little rule alive:  Marathons completed should be >= my age.