Comet's Carry-On
Lessons From Mom
By Julia "Comet" Weatherby

It was starting to get a little tougher finding a good topic for my travel and running column as I hadn't been traveling much at all the last two months. No out of town races, and not much of being out of town to experience running somewhere new. I did meet some Ironman triathletes on a weekend flight home, but that wasn't quite column material. Being an experienced traveler, marathoner and all of 28 years old, the last person I expected to learn something about traveling and training from was my own mother!

Recently, Mom drove down from Oregon to visit me and help a friend move her own mom from Texas to Oregon. If you recall from my last column, this is the same mom who walked her first marathon last October in Portland. She got into town just after lunch on Friday, and decided she would do an 11K walk while I went back to work. She opened up a big spiral book and told me to go to the Homestead Suites on South 1st. I gave her a sports bottle with water to keep her hydrated and dropped her off.

A few hours later, I picked her up, and she told me about how she saw the Governor's Mansion, walked through the Capitol and followed some tours, and saw the LBJ Library. She probably saw more of Austin in one afternoon than I did my first month in Austin!

How was she able to do all this without asking anyone for directions? She didn't need an Internet connection, either! Sometimes the best I can do for a getting a running route in a strange town is do an online map look-up of where I am and find a nearby neighborhood or park to run through, and even then I'm not sure where I'm going or what I'll see along the way.

Mom participates in Volkssport walks and is a member of a local Volkssport walking club at home. Her big spiral book is called Starting Point, published by the American Volkssport Association (AVA) and contains listings of over 1400 self-guided walking and biking trails throughout the US. Once you get to the starting point of one of these trails, you can sign a log and take a map and directions of the route. Most of the walks are free and open to anyone. The trails are also rated on difficulty, so you can decide which would be appropriate if you are going with your family and a stroller or wagon.

Mom did that 11K walk on Friday. Then Saturday morning, I had a long bike ride, so Mom went back to the starting point hotel and chose another 11K walk, which took her along the Town Lake Trail. On Sunday morning, she dressed up in a bunny outfit and she walked (hopped?) the Capitol 10,000. We finished the weekend off with the Choose Austin First's .2K that evening. Add that all up and my Mom did 20 miles of walking and sight-seeing!

The lesson to be learned from Mom is that this is an excellent way to view a new place while you're out traveling. Many of these walking trails are designed by local clubs for their scenic beauty, historical significance and points of interest. Most seem to be a distance of around 10K. You don't have to buy the book (which is only $15!), as you can find these trails listed on the AVA website at http://ava.org. The website lists "Year Round Events" which are usually open daily as well as "Seasonal Events" which may only be open part of the year. If you have a bike or have the opportunity to rent one, you'll find some bike trails listed, too. Usually the cycling routes are around 25K in length.

...and who says you can't run it? The AVA welcomes you to go at your own pace, whether it's a leisurely stroll or a speedy training run.

If you'd like to try out local trail before heading out of town, there are three options in Austin, and one each in Georgetown, Pflugerville and Round Rock. In addition to the AVA website, you'll find listings of Texas area clubs and events at http://walktexas.org

Go out and make all our moms proud by walking or running one of these fun and interesting routes. Better yet, have your mom walk it with you!

Julia Weatherby is one of five lucky daughters of a fabulous marathon walking Mom. She enjoys traveling, running, writing, and having an active mom who shares her athletic experiences with the rest of us.

This article originally appeared in Running Austin, a bi-monthly publication of the Austin Runners Club.