Judy Shipway is humble. She doesn't like to talk about herself, but I managed to coax some great stories from this 67-year-old San Antonio native. She now resides in Austin and is a retired Travis County prosecutor.

She has had an on-and-off relationship with running but has settled into the trail scene. She is a force to be reckoned with in terms of placing in her age division (and it's a growingly crowded field.)

She is a great listener, as I tend to talk too much -- ha ha. But she gracefully shared many stories that I am sure you will enjoy. (I am still figuring out how to do my intro and outtro with the video episodes, so bear with me.)

Paz n Hundo (aka Orlando Montalvo) discuss their best ideas for gifts for the runner in your life. This is our first video episode, so there are visual aids in addition to our expressions. Hope you enjoy this one. We loved recording this.

It really is something to behold when you are a witness to a person's first trail race, much less their first 10K, marathon or 50K. But on Friday, I was fortunate to watch a number of folks tackle those benchmarks with grit and character. I was dispensing advice, cheer and sustenance as they passed through our aid station every 3.5 miles or so. It was uplifting to watch them finish.

On a separate note, I was very heartened to learn that this very podcast is so useful to people. I mean, it's not for the front-of-the-packers. There are plenty of shows about them. This is for regular folks -- especially newbies and master's runners. It means a lot when I get random, positive feedback. Thank you!

I finished my first marathon on Saturday. According to my watch, it was 28.56 miles, so it was more of a 50K than a marathon, but who's counting?

It went well, despite my not-so-great training. Running at sea level is a wholly different experience and one that I prefer almost anytime.

It helped that we had an amazing support crew in Vivian and Rebecca. Vivian drove us, cooked for us, anticipated what we needed, while Rebecca flitted about, filling bottles, delivering food and drink and just being amazing. Maria finished her first (and possibly only) 50-miler with a smile on her face. I introduced my crew to Orly and Kathy (Hundo and Babe), who also finished the 50-miler.

The weather was wicked humid and unseasonably warm, which beat us down on the second loop. But, it was uplifting to see friends along the way during the out and backs, that it was hard to contemplate quitting (which I never did).

I am planning to tackle this one again next year because the loops aren't too long or awful and it's just an all-ou good time.

Photo: Vivian, Maria, me and Rebecca

I apologize about last week's episode. Well, not for the content, but for the horrendous crackling of my mic cable. It has been replaced and I can almost guarantee you, this will sound 100% better.

I recapped my race at Wild Hare since I doubt anyone could listen to the entire previous episode.

In addition, this weekend I will take on my first marathon and I am horribly undertrained. On the good side, I have company in that my friend, Maria, is going to be on the struggle bus, too. She's going to do fine, I am sure. Me, if I can keep from dropping after the first loop, I should be good.

Send good vibes my way for Saturday. 

I've more or less given up on being super-competitive at races because I seem to get slower each year. BUT, I've taken to trying to beat myself, which is getting harder, too. I still love doing races and aim to do my best, but some days are better than others.

On Saturday, I set out to do the 25K at my favorite race of the year: Wild Hare. I like it because of the friendly, laid-back vibe and that the course, while challenging, isn't on the level of some of the more incredibly technical trails. Last year, the race was self-supported and I struggled with dehydration and my worst finishing time on that course.

This year, I was determined to do better.

A lot of this depends on whether it's a training run, a self-supported race or a race with a bit of distance between aid stations. We share our favorite things and talk a little about packs. But the truth is: it's not the pack, but what you put in them.

I volunteered this past weekend at the Trivium race, hosted by Tejas Trails. It is their only road race, but it is challenging with lots of hills.

I introduced my friend, Jessica, to the volunteer life, and she was a big hit with the crew. She also said she wants to do more of this.

At times, we wore costumes, rang cowbells, cut up fruits and put out snacks. In short, we had a great time encouraging others to reach their goal.

Using hiking poles/sticks can be advantageous on technical, hilly trails. But, you have to weigh the pros and cons -- especially if your poles are like mine -- and don't collapse to fit into a pack.

If you were a part of the Caactus Rose trail race, you had to quickly pivot from Plan A to Plan B. Runners had to adjust to a different course, cancel lodging and plans and make new ones. Behind the scenes, the setup had to be torn down at the original venue and set up again at the new one -- less than 48 hours before race time. I got a firsthand look at the course situation, as the race was canceled by the park manager on Wednesday morning. We grumbled but stoically set out to tear down and then set back up.

I had to shift my plan for pacing my friend, Seresa, when her Friday night pacer missed catching her as she looped through. We devised a plan and then had to change it again when our runner called her own race.

Being able to gracefully pivot under stress is a skill that can be applied to life, regardless if it involves running.