Tag Archive for: downhill to downtown

Get to Know Austin via the 3M Half Marathon Course – Part I

Explore Miles 1-6 of the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin better

You can’t run a few miles in Austin without passing a delicious restaurant or unique location. This is evident along Miles 1-6 of the 3M Half Marathon course. We highlight some of our favorite on-course spots, including Oskar Blues Brewery, our Official Beer sponsor! Whether you’re an Austinite or in town for the 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour, get to know Austin with our list of seven on-course locations. Enjoy! Pro tip: stay tuned for Miles 7-13.

North by Northwest sign greets runners during the 2019 3M Half Marathon. Check out the various locations in this blog post along the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin.

North by Northwest sign greets runners during the 2019 3M Half Marathon. Credit – Ed Sparks

NXNW Restaurant and Brewery (near the start line)

North by Northwest (10010 N. Capital of Texas Hwy.) has been a north Austin staple since it opened in 1999. NXNW is known for its generous helpings of food and their restaurant’s homey feel. We strongly recommend anything on their brunch menu, especially their Waffle and Spicy Chicken Stack! Pro tip: park near the start line on race day, take the shuttle at the finish line back to your car, and visit them for brunch (they open at 10:00 a.m.).

The Domain (Mile 1.5)

This sprawling, upscale outdoor mall (11410 Century Oaks Terrace) is home to some of North Austin’s finest dining, shopping, and nightlife. It offers everything downtown offers, but with more parking! However, our favorite place at The Domain is the HOPE Outdoor Gallery public mural installations in Rock Rose District. This art represents and replaces the world-renowned downtown community paint park (11th and Baylor St.) that is now closed.

Band performs live at Oskar Blues Brewery. Check out the various locations in this blog post along the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin.

Band performs live at Oskar Blues Brewery.

Oskar Blues Brewery (near Mile 2.5)

Oskar Blues (10420 Metric Blvd Ste. 150) has been the 3M Half Marathon’s Official Beer since they moved to Austin in 2016. Their 50,000 square foot facility brews their entire line-up and regularly hosts live music. OBATX is a great place to relax and unwind pre- and post-race! Pro tip: show them your 3M Half Marathon bib and your first beer is on the house!

Austin Opera (Mile 3)

Check out the Austin Opera (3009 Industrial Terrace) calendar and plan your next night out on the town! The Opera was founded in 1986 and has provided cultural nourishment to the Central Texas community ever since. Check out their upcoming events and support their youth initiatives.

Picture of eggs benedict from the District Kitchen brunch menu. Check out the various locations in this blog post along the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin.

Grab brunch and refuel after 3M Half Marathon. Credit – District Kitchen Facebook page.

Camp Gladiator HQ (Mile 3.5)

Camp Gladiator Trainers will support and encourage you on race day at several cheer stations along the course. Keep an eye out for them, especially at CG HQ (9185 Research Blvd.). If you workout at one of their 3500+ locations across the country, visit HQ when you’re in town and show them some love.

District Kitchen (Mile 5.5)

District Kitchen (7858 Shoal Creek Blvd.) partners with local farms and businesses to create what they call New American Cuisine. Their seasonal menu pairs perfectly with their extensive wine and cocktail list. Refuel after you complete the 3M Half Marathon, District Kitchen’s brunch menu has something for everyone!

Spread of Filipino food from Be More Pacific. Check out the various locations in this blog post along the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin.

Spread of Filipino food from Be More Pacific. Credit – Be More Pacific Facebook page.

Be More Pacific Filipino Kitchen and Bar (Mile 5.5)

What started as a food truck serving Filipino cuisine in 2011 grew to the brick and mortar that exists today (7858 Shoal Creek Blvd.) Be More Pacific serves everything from homemade Filipino specialties to bar food. Their wide-ranging brunch menu is only available on Sundays. That’s right, another amazing post-3M Half Marathon brunch option!

Miles 1-6 of the 3M Half Marathon course features flavorful options and a place to enjoy a relaxing night out. Add these hot spots to your must-visit list and get to know Austin even more. Don’t worry, we still have to visit Miles 7-13! Did your favorite on-course spot make our list? If not, let us know what it is on Facebook or Twitter.

Austin Hill Workout Locations – High Five Events’ Staff Favorites

High Five Events’ staff dish out their favorite Austin hill workout locations

Hill repeats – the workout runners love to hate. Every training plan should have at least one hill workout per week. Runners reap many benefits from increased lower body strength to expanded lung capacity. If you’re new to Austin or in town for visiting, make sure you put one of these Austin hill workout locations on your list. Some of the staff at High Five Events give the lowdown on their favorite Austin hill workout locations. Need some motivation to get you going? These six tips will help!

Runner ascends Hill of Life, one of the High Five Events' staff's favorite Austin hill workout locations.

Runners completing repeats on the Hill of Life.

Meg

Hill of Life repeats on the Greenbelt. These help me get ready for technical trail runs. If I’m in the early stages of prepping for a road race they give me great lower body workout whether I am running or hiking up the hill. What’s better than a stair stepper or box step-ups?! Nature’s stairs and box steps! Plus, it makes you appreciate the smoothness of the road. 

Laura

Wilke Drive repeats. It is not fun. It is HARD, but you’ll get a great workout out of it.

Emily

Hill sprints west on North Hills Drive in front of Murchison Middle School off of Far West Boulevard. I live near there so I get a few warm-up miles before the pain game begins. 

Stacy (two locations!)

Grove Drive out of Roy Guerrero Park is a closed road/bike path with a 450m hill. It ends at the end of Montopolis Drive near Ed Bluestein. Park and warm up at Guerrero, then do repeats. If you like to suffer with no one around to see, this is a good place to run. Plus it’s shaded the whole way!

Loop in East Riverside neighborhood – Begin at Old East Riverside Drive and Summit Street, run to Sunnyvale Street and take a left, loop around Lupine Lane, right on Upland Drive, left on Old East Riverside Drive, and back to Summit Street. You get three good hills in just under one mile (.9). It’s in my neighborhood so it’s close, mostly shaded, and safer because of low traffic. And I can run it at night if I need to!

Wilke Drive is one of the High Five Events' staff's favorite Austin hill workout locations.

Laura and Jack both approve of Wilke repeats.

Jack

Wilkie Drive repeats. As many as you can handle while still giving a decent effort. Run hard up Wilke, then come down easy and in control. Do this regularly and watch the repetitions you can complete increase over time!

Joey

My favorite hill workout is a brick that I can do from my house. Starting at the bottom of Coronado Hills I ride a 1.3-mile loop 5x and then run to the top at Berkman Drive and back once. That’s just under a mile. I’ll repeat that circuit five or six times when I’m training for a sprint or Olympic distance race. Aside from being close to home, there isn’t much traffic which is a serious bonus. 

RAW Running poses after completing Stratford Drive hill repeats, one of the High Five Events' staff's favorite Austin hill workout locations.

RAW Running poses after completing Stratford Drive hill repeats.

William

Stratford Drive repeats with RAW Running. This workout is shorter (~400m), but the climb will is why you run this. Start outside the Rowing Dock. It begins relatively flat, then sharply increases, featuring a couple of climbs. There are a couple of turns and a flat part before the second climb. Really focus on grinding up the hill, shorten your stride, slightly lean forward, and pump those arms!

You know the benefits of hill workouts and that you should add them to your training plan. You’ll see the benefits with just one hill workout a week! Do you have a favorite Austin hill workout location that we didn’t mention? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

Under Armour Returns as 2020 3M Half Marathon Presenting Sponsor

Partnership marks the third year of Under Armour supporting participants in their quest to PR

Runners cross the 2019 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour finish line.

Runners cross the 2019 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour finish line.

High Five Events is thrilled to announce the return of Under Armour, Inc. as presenting sponsor of the 3M Half Marathon. The third-year partnership will highlight Under Armour’s continued support of the running community and push runners to chase their personal edge on one of the country’s fastest half marathon courses. The 26th annual 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour will take place on January 19, 2020.

“At Under Armour, there’s nothing we support more than helping athletes achieve their personal best. Our brand’s mission is to make athletes better and engineer the gear that helps them do just that,” said Josh Rattet, General Manager of Under Armour Run. “For this reason, we’re especially proud to support the 3M Half Marathon and runners from all over the world who will be chasing their PR this January.”

Supporting runners chasing their PR

Under Armour will outfit participants and event volunteers with their HeatGear® running shirts. Additionally, Under Armour will outfit the 3M Half Marathon pace team with race kits. They’ll also provide Under Armour HOVR high-performance running footwear. Under Armour’s support will be felt by runners on race day in their quest to set a personal best.

“Under Armour’s running footwear, apparel, and technology give runners the resources needed to chase their personal best, which is exactly what participants of 3M Half Marathon have done for 25 years,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “We’re excited to work with them for a third year because it continues to provide both of our brands the opportunity to help runners create memories that will last a lifetime.”

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country. The beloved half marathon will celebrate its 26th year running on January 19, 2020. Runners will enjoy a point-to-point course with mostly downhill running that showcases some of Austin’s finest locations. Starting in north Austin and finishing near the Texas State Capitol, runners will appreciate a 300+’ net elevation drop. Registration is currently open.

Stay Safe on Your Training Runs with these 7 Tips

7 tips that’ll help you stay safe during your runs

Running outside has tons of benefits no matter what type of run you’re completing! You can hit up the trails, take in the sights of a new city, breathe fresh air, say hey to folks you know, and so much more! But with those benefits comes some potential harm. There are many ways to ensure you finish your run just as healthy and safe as when you began. Whether you’re running one mile at your local track or 20 miles on your favorite trail, these 7 tips will help keep you stay safe.

Run with a friend

Two runners stay safe by running together and carrying their phone.

Stay safe on your next run when you run with a friend and carry your phone.

The best way to stay safe is to run with a friend. You’re more likely to be visible to vehicles and less likely to be the victim of a crime, think strength in numbers. Should something happen to one of you, the other will be quicker to get help and assist until help arrives. Plus, everyone knows it’s better to train for and run 3M Half Marathon with friends!

Listen to your surroundings

Whether you’re running the roads or the trails, pay attention to your surroundings! Music can help us power through our run, but it can also prevent us from hearing what’s going on around us. If you run with earbuds, keep one out. You can also ditch the earbuds and play your music out loud. If you love new running technology, check out AfterShokz Titanium headphones. They use bone conduction technology with their open-ear design, allowing you to enjoy your tunes and hear what’s going on around you.

Run against traffic

It’s important for you to see drivers and for drivers to see you. Running against traffic allows you to see what’s coming your way. Avoid running against traffic on blind corners, drivers won’t have enough time to react if they don’t see you until the last second. 

Look both ways when crossing the street

This tip goes all the way back to elementary school. When running, you should pay attention to everything. Don’t assume vehicles will stop, chances are they don’t see you. Also, just because you pushed the button to cross the street doesn’t mean it’s immediately safe to cross the street. Pay attention to all signals, when it’s your turn, still look both ways! Even though you think you know the light sequence, it could’ve changed. Don’t assume anything!

Wear reflective clothing

Reflective clothing will help with visibility, which is vital when running outside. You want to be seen by vehicles so they can plan accordingly. Light-weight lights can also be placed on your arms, shoes, ankles, or hat. We recommend SPIbelt’s SPIbeams LED Arm Band. Reflective clothing and lights will also help you be seen by cyclists and other runners.

Carry your phone

Your phone can do more than just play music or track your GPS. It’s the most beneficial tool you can have in the event of an emergency. Make sure your phone is fully charged before you take off on your run. If you’re ever in an accident or come upon one, having your phone available can make a massive difference.

Tell someone your plan

Before you take off, tell someone your planned route, mileage, and when they can expect you back. This person can be a loved one, co-worker, or roommate. This gives them an idea of when to expect you back and where to check should you not come back on time. Turn on the setting that allows someone to know your location, most smartphones have this. Pro tip: vary your route. Switching up your route is not only great for your training, it reduces the chances of someone harming you on your run.

By utilizing one or all 7 of these tips, you increase the chances that you stay safe on your next run. Chances are you already use some of these. Step it up and make sure you’re using them all the time! Is there a tip you use that we didn’t mention? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.