Killer Run in San Marcos

Start out from my house headed SW on Cheatham past the River Pub; cross the San Marcos River and turn into Rio Vista Park, left through the children’s playground and across CM Allen over the train tracks past the donut shop, left again on MLK—

past Dunbar Park as MLK winds SW some more and then right on S. Johnson, past my old house; dogleg past San Antonio and across Hopkins and Belvin; swing left then right on Quarry up to Prospect; pass Wonder World; cross Bishop and turn right into Prospect Park—

Zigzag down the new gravel pathways in the shade under the trees until the gravel ends, but keep following the path through the tall grass until the path swings right along Purgatory Creek (which is dry), keep going till the path sort of fizzles out, then turn around and head back the same way–

Run back NE on Prospect. Follow it to the right and then NE again when it becomes Burleson; keep going till it crosses Moore (RR12) and turn left on Mary, right on Lindsey, left on Academy uphill to the Texas State Rec Center, past the center to the outdoor track / rugby field–

Run four laps at the track, stopping to hit the drinking fountain a few times; run down Sessom and right on Comanche and cut through the Texas State campus past the LBJ center and the library; going through the center of campus past the quad, run up the steps and do a few Rocky Balboa jumps at the LBJ statue (unless someone’s around watching)–

Down the hill to briefly follow Sessom SE till it hits University / Aquarena; cross, turn left and take bridge over river, around Strahan Coliseum and right on what used to be Bobcat Drive but is now Charles Austin; left on Jowers into City Park, follow along left and then take the path by the river–

To the end of the park, cross the train tracks and run on the newly built walkway alongside the bridge, wait till the traffic clears and cross Hopkins, SE on Riverside, cross train tracks and again pass the River Pub, turn left on Cheatham, home.

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It’s about 10-1/2 to 11 miles and would make an excellent half-marathon course, except you’d want to start and end at the track and add a mile or two in the neighborhoods north of campus. And maybe a jump in the river on especially hot days.

Had a tough time with it today — maybe it was the three beers I downed last night at the Tap Room where I had to go to watch the Wings in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals; maybe it was the celebratory McDonald’s French Fries I scarfed afterwards; maybe it was the heat. Thanks to Dusty Springfield, the Pretenders, XTC, and Those Unknown for filtering through the Ipod and lifting me up over the last few miles.