While in Texas on holiday, I’ve been running along the Colorado River.  This is not the same Colorado River that originates on top of La Poudre Pass in the Colorado Rockies but an alternate, shorter version that springs up south of Lubbock and empties into the Gulf near Bay City.  The river is part of numerous lakes in the hill country west of Austin and serves as a surprisingly serene setting for runners around Lady Bird Johnson Lake in the middle of downtown Austin.  Brittany and I are pictured here near Austin High School with Zilker Park across the other side.  There were several thousand other runners on the trail this Saturday morning – independent of any events being held.

The next day we arrived at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort near Bastrop.  These woods are termed “lost pines” because they are considered part of the Piney Woods of East Texas and Louisiana – over 100 miles to the northeast.  They were separated during the last glacial period – at least 12,500 years ago.  This hotel sits about 30 miles southeast of Austin and 30 yards south of the Colorado River.

I ran some trails this morning along the river and through the woods with other family members visiting as part of a contingent celebrating my father-in-law’s 80th birthday.  We ran at 6:30am to beat the heat, but there’s no out-running the Texas humidity.  I was fully drenched after the run.  I’ll make up those lost liquids later today poolside in the form of frozen ritas and Heineken Lites.