I was in Austin recently to cheer my brother run his full first marathon

- 30,000 participants (across 5K, half and full marathon)
- 100000 fans
- 1050 feet of elevation
- 4000 volunteers
- 22 aid stations
- 11 cheer stations
- $64 million in economic impact
- 1st place men's full marathon: 2 hrs and 13 min - which is a course record
The expo before the race was a lot of fun - got to see some cool new products
Race day started bright and early.- actually it was early but not so bright.
Before the race, my brother had mapped out where we could see him: the start, mile 6, mile 19 and the end
I had made a couple of signs. "The Devil Wears Strava" (which got some recognition!), "26.you" and an inside joke with my brother related to LeBron
The atmosphere was so much fun. Cheering on strangers, seeing other people cheering and just so many good vibes
The finish line was full of energy and love
I had such an amazing time just being on the sidelines.
And I had such a great time interviewing my brother about his experience

- Injuries are the worst because you need to stop and let the body recover
- Amount of time that training takes - just have to arrange your life around it.
- There are chapters to the race -
-- First 13 miles is full of supporters
-- Miles 14 to 18 was a tough stretch - it got hotter and the crowds thinned out
- The Austin race is notorious for being hilly; miles 12, 18 and 26 featured brutal inclines.
- The finish line was a mix of exhaustion and elation
He said that he loves running because "You put in the work and you get better"

Let me know what you think of the episode. Are you a runner?

Got any tips for aspiring runners?

Email me: [email protected]