2020 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon Archives

One Marathoner’s Remarkable Story of Overcoming Adversity

June 8, 2020/in Blog post /by Austin Marathon

Eileen learned more about herself after overcoming adversity leading up to the Austin Marathon

There were several times during Eileen Alvarez’s journey to the 2020 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon start line where she could’ve thrown in the towel. Her best friend could no longer train with her. Eileen had surgery on both of her feet. She thought about dropping to the Austin Half Marathon. Her orders sent her on an Army training exercise three weeks before race day. But like most runners, she added “overcoming adversity” to her training plan. Read about her experiences and see why crossing the 2020 Austin Marathon finish line is a moment she’ll never forget!

Eileen’s journey to the Austin Marathon finish line

Image of Eileen Alvarez and her friend after the 2020 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon. Her story of finishing the Austin Marathon includes overcoming adversity before she got to the start line.

Eileen and Bernabe at the Austin Marathon finish line!

I’ve participated in the Austin Marathon three times. I’m a two-time Austin Half Marathon finisher (2013 and 2019). Earlier this year I crossed the Austin Marathon finish line for the first time. I’ll never forget the journey and experience.

I’m an active duty service member stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, and an alumna of The University of Texas. In 2019, my best friend Elizabeth Bernabe asked me if I would help her train for the Austin Half Marathon. She was following a “couch to half” training program. I immediately took on the challenge as I myself was training for the Bataan Memorial Death March. The Austin Marathon Expo was filled with excitement as I completed my last-minute registration. Together we conquered the Austin Half Marathon. I was certain Bernabe would be one-and-done. The very next day she asked me if I wanted to do the 2020 Austin Marathon. Without hesitation, I said, “Of course!”

Overcoming adversity added to training plan

Not even a week after the Austin Half I was told I was having a bilateral bunionectomy. They would operate on my left foot up first in April. I started my recovery on crutches, learning how to walk again. After a few quick runs they scheduled surgery in August for my right foot. After that, I was crutching around Austin with no ability to run. My best friend who was going to train with me found out she was pregnant. I was ecstatic for her, but she could no longer train.

Eventually, my doctor released me from my horrible post-surgery boot. He told me to start walking first… “Sir, with all due respect, I have to train for the Austin Marathon!” So I started training. I beat myself up a lot. Four-mile runs were killing me and I was really rethinking this journey. My bestie helped any way she could. Mainly by saying she’d cancel dinner plans if I didn’t get my mileage in as planned! There was a lot of walking during my training. I had to relearn things I took for granted. Some days I felt like dropping to the Austin Half Marathon. On January 28th I was informed I was going to a field exercise. The Austin Marathon was three weeks away. I had great leadership that let me break away daily to continue my taper.

Eileen’s unforgettable Austin Marathon experience

Sunday, February 16th, was an amazing day for me. I felt every person genuinely cheering me on. I know the work and grit was worth it all. The ice baths, extra oatmeal. I was so nervous at the start. Nervous I wouldn’t finish. Nervous I didn’t have the heart. After all, no one would know if I failed except for me. With every mile I felt the drive and passion, I felt stronger and faster. Crossing the finish line was one of the proudest moments of my life. I had the heart and discipline to keep on when I could’ve taken the easy way out. At any point, I could’ve used the “well my feet are still recovering” card. But I didn’t. I trusted myself, my previous experiences, and my training.

Thank you to the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon and the City of Austin. Thank you for giving me a chance to prove myself and celebrate in the best way possible. I CAN’T WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR and the Austin Marathon’s 30th anniversary!

2020 Austin Gives Miles Raises More than $700,000 for Nonprofits

May 11, 2020/in Press Release /by Austin Marathon

Since 2014, Austin Gives Miles presented by The Moody Foundation has raised $3.8 million

Austin Gives Miles, the Official Charity Program of the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour, raised $702,500 for the 29th annual Austin Marathon. Twenty-five Central Texas nonprofits participated in the 2020 Austin Gives Miles presented by The Moody Foundation. Charities recruited 804 participants, elevated their organization’s profile, and maximized the exposure generated by Austin’s premier running event. The Moody Foundation matched each organization’s fundraising efforts, up to $10,000.

“Continuing our partnership with the Austin Marathon allows The Moody Foundation to contribute to numerous local charities and positively affect the Central Texas communities they serve,” said Ross Moody, trustee of the Moody Foundation and chairman and CEO of National Western Life Group. “We worked with the Austin Marathon to elevate our partnership with the goal of furthering our impact and we’re excited to grow our future footprint through the sport of running.”

Central Texans benefit from the growth of the partnership

For the fifth year in a row, Austin Gives Miles was the beneficiary of a grant from The Moody Foundation. The grant matched donations for each organization, up to $10,000. The 2020 grant totaled $250,000, bringing their five-year contribution to $1.2 million. Since 2014, Austin Gives Miles has raised $3.8 million. The money raised significantly impacts Central Texas and the communities the charities serve.

“Austin Gives Miles presented by The Moody Foundation continues to have a significant impact on Central Texas charities through the Austin Marathon and 2020 was no different,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Our ability and desire to support the community we live in is constantly growing and evolving and we’re already working with The Moody Foundation for 2021.”

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 30th year running in the capital of Texas on February 14, 2021. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 35+ countries around the world. The start and finish locations are just a few blocks apart. They are within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants. The finish line is in front of the picturesque Texas State Capitol. The Austin Marathon is the perfect running weekend destination. Participants can register for the Austin Marathon, Austin Half Marathon, or Austin Marathon 5K beginning June 1st.

Austin Marathon Turns into World’s Longest Fashion Runway

March 12, 2020/in Blog post /by Austin Marathon

Why Marathoners Need Proper Nutrition When Running 26.2 Miles

February 9, 2020/in Blog post /by Austin Marathon

Proper nutrition can effectively power marathoners to the finish line

You train for months. Your goal is the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon or Austin Half Marathon finish line. All of your hard work leads up to Sunday, February 16th. GU Energy Labs, the Official Energy Gel and Chew of the Austin Marathon, is here to help you perform your best! Their products are scientifically proven to give you the energy you need. They’ll have two on-course Energy Zones near Mile 9 and Mile 20. GU will provide the following ROCTANE Energy Gels, Vanilla Orange (35 mg of caffeine), Chocolate Coconut (35 mg of caffeine), Blueberry Pomegranate (35 mg of caffeine) and Pineapple (no caffeine) on course. GU Blueberry Pomegranate Energy Chews (no caffeine) will also be available. Check out their advice on proper nutrition, listen to the “Eating is Training” episode of the Pinnacle Podcast, and prepare to perform your best!

Proper nutrition advice from the experts at GU Energy Labs

Through training, we grow stronger, get faster, and learn how to endure more. By eating the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right times, we build our muscles, mend our bodies, and optimize our training efforts. While athletes train hard to prepare for races like the Austin Marathon and Austin Half Marathon, they also need proper fuel to make sure they feel good and their performance doesn’t suffer on race day.

When you’re out running for miles on end, your muscles consume their glycogen stores after only an hour and a half. Your body needs fuel in the form of calories to keep going to avoid the dreaded bonk. When you run, blood is diverted away from your digestive tract to power your muscles, so you need something that is easily digestible and can be converted to energy quickly. Sports nutrition products like energy gels, chews, and drink mixes provide fast-acting energy so you can fuel quickly without stomach issues, allowing you to keep pushing hard. Along with sufficient hydration and electrolytes, the type of food you eat is crucial. In long races like the Austin Marathon, proper race fuel can be the difference maker between getting to the finish line feeling good or struggling through the last five miles.

The fuel your body needs

Fueling is not just for race day. The fuel you eat during training sessions is equally important. At GU we like to say “Eating is Training”. It’s a mantra for optimizing athlete’s everyday diet. It means tailoring your nutrition intake to meet the demands of your training cycle with planned and purposeful fueling. Eating is training, is a holistic approach to nutrition with a focus on performance and recovery.

Check out GU’s Pinnacle Podcast episode for more on the “Eating is Training” philosophy.

GU Essentials – The Foundation of a Good Plan

Energy Gels – 100 calories, delicious → Great for training.
ROCTANE Energy Gels – 100 calories, MORE amino acids, MORE sodium → Reach for these when it’s time to get serious.
- What’s the difference? Learn when to reach for a ROCTANE Energy Gel.
Energy Chews — 90 calories per serving, portable & delicious → Mix it up with the GU you can chew.

Race Day Nutrition 101 — The Basics

You’ve invested energy, money, and a whole lot of time to get to the start line. Set yourself up for success with a fueling and hydration plan. There are three basic aspects to creating a proper nutrition plan, energy, hydration, and recovery. Yes, everyone is different and responds differently to what they eat and drink. Here are a few rules of thumb we recommend following to keep you performing and feeling good on race day.

Rule of Thumb #1

Consume 100-200 calories per hour while running. That’s the magic range that will work for most people. While it’s possible to train your body to absorb more than 300 calories per hour, if you haven’t practiced before race day, we recommend staying within this range. Start consuming in your first hour of running since you are bound to go into a calorie deficit in a race like the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon.

Rule of Thumb #2

Hydrate along the way by drinking between 16-30 oz of fluids every hour. Staying hydrated is one of the easiest ways to make sure your body is performing at its potential. When you’re dehydrated, your power output goes down. Don’t waste your run and keep the fluids flowing!

Rule of Thumb #3

You need electrolytes to absorb fluids — 300-700 mg of sodium per hour. Plain water does not absorb as efficiently as water with electrolytes, so make sure you’re getting enough salt to help you hold that hydration. We supplement sodium in all GU energy products to make hydrating easier for you. Just sip some water after a gel, chew, or Stroopwafel to nail your hydration plan.

Rule of Thumb #4

Recover faster by consuming a complete protein within 30 minutes of uploading your race to Strava. By including recovery in your training routine, you can bounce back faster and get stronger making you ready for your next run.

Rule of Thumb #5

Protect your muscles and stay sharp with 3,000 mg of amino acids per hour. Branched Chain Amino acids (or BCAAs) are the building blocks of proteins, and can start repairing your muscles while running. GU helps protect your muscles from damage by including BCAA’s in all GU energy products. BCAA’s are a GU HQ favorite because they help fight muscle soreness, and we believe any time is a good time for BCAA’s; pre-run, mid-run and post-run!

Big thanks to the experts at GU Energy Labs for providing so much helpful information. You’ve done the training. Planning is complete. All the information you need is now yours. The last part is to reach your goal at the finish line! Don’t forget, GU will have two on-course Energy Zones near Mile 9 and Mile 20 to give you the boost you need.

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