On January 18 I ran the inaugural Austin International Half-Marathon. This used be called the 3M Half-Marathon, but a new sponsor took over, though as a San Antonio resident I won’t mention that sponsor’s name. Between 2018 and 2022 I didn’t run a single mile, due to a lingering Achilles issue. I started running again in mid-2024, and probably did too much, too soon; I ran the 3M Half back in 2018, signed up to run it again in 2024, but an injury two weeks prior to the race derailed that attempt. Still, with three half-marathons under my belt in 2025, I felt ready. Those three all were 10 minutes slower than most of my half-marathons through 2018. I figured for this one that I would aim for 1:50 and see what happened. It’s billed as “Downhill to Downtown,” but are a handful of nasty hills the last four miles.
It was 30F at the start line. The skies were clear, and there was a slight breeze from the north-west. Since the race is mostly north to south, that was better than the gusty conditions the day before. The start was chaotic. There are no corrals based on previous finish times. Instead, you line up in sections based on your predicted finish time, and not everyone places themselves in the right group. I placed myself at the edge of the 1:50 group. There were supposed to be pacers for each section. I saw the pacer far off to the left, but in the chaos of the start lost sight of him quickly. The first mile included a slight uphill. I ran through that mile at 8:17, which was on pace for a 1:50 finish. However, despite not trying to push the pace, I ran the next few miles close to 7:45 minutes per mile, which worried me. Would I be able to sustain that pace? If so, for how long? Last time I ran this course I lasted until mile eight, and then limped home. It was still a decent time then, mind you, but the memory lingered.
Over the next few miles, I tried to slow down, as I needed to run smart, knowing the hills were up ahead, when fatigue would already have set in. I missed some water stops due to people blocking the way. As it was quite cold, I never removed my gloves, and so I failed to fuel properly. The left turn up 45th Street signaled the first hill. To my surprise, this was an easy hill, but the next four were tougher, even though they were short ones. The last two miles was simply a case of hanging on, and I finished in 1:45:14, far better than expected. This was over nine (!) minutes faster than my half marathon just one month ago. Conditions in Austin were almost perfect, crisp and nearly free of any humidity, unlike the December San Antonio half. In that event I also aimed for 1:50 and ran with a pacer through the first eight miles. However, temps then were higher, the humidity caused me to wilt, and I lost sight of the pacer. There also was a long, long gradual hill after mile 8 that sapped all my energy and I never fully recovered.
If I run the Austin International Half again, I need to fuel better, especially near the end, but overall it was a great race. If you want to run a fast half-marathon, this is the one for you.
In February I’m set to run another half, also in Austin, but this one has killer hills and I plan to ease off and simply enjoy the event. After that one, back to pounding the rock. The half-marathon is my favorite distance, but even after more than a dozen of them I’m still figuring out pacing and fueling.
While in Austin I hit up some bookstores. I came away with 16 books. Most of these were trade paperback mysteries by authors or publishers that I collect, with the goal of reading them all someday. I also found a 1980 edition of the “best of” SF paperback from DAW Books in great condition. As a bonus, I picked up three hardcover books, all a surprise.
The Unorthodox Dr. Draper and Other Stories, by William Browning Spencer (Subterranean Press, 2017). Seeing this book gave me a thrill. I’ve read a couple of Spencer’s books, but it’s been a long time since the last one. This is a collection of dark short stories, in a signed and numbered limited edition. I still lack one of his collections, but his books are quite hard to find. Maybe this book will be the last one published in his lifetime. I paid $25, which is a lot less than prices I’ve seen online.
The Mexican Tree Duck, James Crumley (Picador, 1994). This appears to be the UK first edition, originally published by Mysterious Press in 1993. It’s signed by Crumley, and Half Price Books had marked it down from $30 to $10. I actually had to ask someone to confirm the price, as it surprised the heck out of me to see it listed for such a low price. I’ve seen similar books listed online for close to $200. Crumley’s a hard-boiled writer, in the tradition of Dashiel Hammet and Raymond Chandler. I look forward to reading this one.
The Borrowed Man, Gene Wolfe (Tor, 2015). I’ve tried to read Wolfe’s fiction a couple of times, without much luck. I’m hoping this is an exception. I think I have the sequel as a trade paperback, and I have vague recollection of owning this book years ago, but giving up on it and giving it away.
I passed up a couple of other signed/limited books that I saw, as I wasn’t ready to pay what HPB was asking. I also was quite disappointed in the “rare and collectible” section at the North Lamar Half Price Books store. The selection was anemic, and they listed a trade paper back GRRM book for $750. Sure, it was signed, but it looks ratty. I heard other people comment the same about it as I was scanning the books. I walked away from that store with a few trade paperbacks out of the mystery section, and that was it.
