Fight to the finish - part 2

7. Redo?

Sister 2: I recorded you crossing the finish line! It’s right…. wait. Huh. Yeah, sorry about that.

I didn’t mind. It always looks like I’m walking, instead of running.


8. Fight to the Finish

I don’t know if there’s still a costume contest, but runners are invited to dress up to capture the Texas Revolution spirit. 

I ran with a wooden sword. I was exhausted when finishing the last part of the run on the riverwalk. When I saw a hotel which I knew was near the finish line, I detached the sword from my belt and charged. I kid you not that helped so much. It gave me a bit of energy I desperately needed.

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9. Falling on Your Sword

So here’s the bad part of running with a wooden sword. It shifts away from your hips and sometimes get caught between your legs, causing you to trip. So note to self about that.


10. My Beloved Cheerleaders

I never actually thought I’d write that phrase, but it’s true. While slowly trudging along the last mile or two, I saw the wonderful women of Black Girls Run at a water station, cheering us on. 

(In case you missed an earlier post, that running group has possibly the best slogan ever: Preserve the Sexy.) The energy was desperately needed, so thank you ladies!


11. Stop? What do mean stop?

Part of the race included crossing a road to reach the University of Incarnate Word. There was a police officer directing traffic. Unlike other road crossings, traffic wasn’t immediately stopped for runners. Traffic was allowed to pass for a minute or two and then runners could cross. 

You want to annoy runners, especially those trying to set a personal record? Stop them. 

While some of us were slightly irked, only one person voiced her annoyance about how it would affect her time. However, shortly after being allowed to cross the road, she was walking and slowing down to take picture of mile markers, so she probably wasn’t as concerned as she thought.


12. Rockin’ Route

I really liked the route. It covered downtown San Antonio, the riverwalk, Brackenridge Park, and Incarnate Word. And most happily, it did NOT include that horrible hill next to the zoo.


13. Blistering Run

So here’s one of the reasons I’m listing highlights in reverse. It hurt so much. 

If I put that first, I’d take away from all the great things about the run. Two weeks ago, I did my usual pre-half-marathon 10-mile run. I got blisters and blamed new socks I had just bought.

It wasn’t the socks. On Mile 3 of the Alamo 13.1, I could feel blisters forming. Mile 3! 

That’s when I realized the problem was with my shoes. I bought them almost a year ago exactly. It was time for a new pair.

It was a beautiful route and it was a good day to run. Unfortunately, I really didn’t get to enjoy it because of the blisters forming on my feet. 


13.1 Oh, pretty

I mentioned some motivators that got me through. I admit another was the medal. It’s beautiful. That seems very superficial, but it worked. I crossed the finish line.

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