Keep Austin
Training.
A love letter to a city that is genuinely beautiful to run through and genuinely trying to kill you with heat. Both things are true at once.
Where I train
The honest guide. No sponsored opinions. Just miles logged.
Barton Springs Pool
2201 Barton Springs Rd
swim
Natural spring-fed pool, stays 68°F year-round. This is where I learned open water doesn't have to be terrifying. Three laps is ~900 yards. The water is so clear you can see the bottom, which is either reassuring or makes you realize how many people are swimming above you.
Tips
- →Open 5am–10pm most days
- →Free before 8am
- →The cold shock is part of the training
- →Turtles live here. They do not move for you.
Lady Bird Lake Loop
Congress Ave Bridge area
run
The 10-mile loop around Lady Bird Lake is Austin's running living room. On any given morning you'll see 400 people running, 50 dogs being walked, 20 cyclists who definitely should not be on the running path, and at least one person doing something inexplicable.
Tips
- →Full loop is ~10 miles, shorter options available
- →South shore path is paved, north has gravel sections
- →Avoid 7–9am on weekends unless you like an obstacle course
- →Bats emerge from Congress Bridge at dusk. Witness anytime you want to believe humans can engineer things that also benefit nature
Veloway
Slaughter Creek Metropolitan Park
bike
A 3.1-mile paved loop exclusively for bikes, inline skates, and nothing else. It's heaven. No cars, no stop lights, no pedestrians. Just you, Blues Clues, and the same stretch of asphalt six times in a row while you try to feel fast. It is not a long loop. It is a very good loop.
Tips
- →3.1 mile loop — plan your intervals accordingly
- →Cars and pedestrians not allowed (bliss)
- →Goes counterclockwise
- →Gets crowded on weekend mornings but still better than roads
Lake Travis
Various access points — Mansfield Dam area
swim
Big water. Actual open water. This is where I go when I need to practice not seeing the bottom and not panicking about it. Lake Travis is enormous and the water can get choppy. Much more honest preparation for a race than a pool. Slightly terrifying. Highly recommended.
Tips
- →Mansfield Dam Park has good access
- →Check water levels — drought years are real
- →Bring a wetsuit if under 74°F
- →Sight buoys or landmarks obsessively — the lake goes everywhere
Barton Creek Greenbelt
Multiple entry points — Barton Springs Rd or Loop 360
run
Trail running through the limestone canyons of West Austin. Technically demanding, shaded (a miracle in Texas summer), and has swimming holes for post-run dips. My long runs here are chaotic and humbling. The terrain does not care about your pace.
Tips
- →Trail is rocky — watch your ankles
- →Some sections require creek crossings (wet feet)
- →Swimming holes at Twin Falls are earned by getting there
- →Leash your dog or risk chaos
McKinney Falls State Park
5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy
run
State park just southeast of Austin. Trails through cedar and limestone, waterfalls (when it rains), and substantially fewer people than the greenbelt. I come here for long runs when I need to feel like I'm not in a city. The deer will stare at you.
Tips
- →$6 day use fee, worth it
- →Onion Creek Trail is 2.8 miles of good dirt
- →Exposed in summer — go early or suffer
- →Camping available if you want to make a weekend of it
Austin Heat Calendar
A month-by-month guide to your suffering level.
Full heat panic breakdown →Jan
🧤
2/10
Feb
😊
2/10
Mar
🌸
3/10
Apr
👌
4/10
May
😅
6/10
Jun
🥵
8/10
Jul
☠️
10/10
Aug
🫠
11/10
Sep
🙏
9/10
Oct
😌
6/10
Nov
🎉
3/10
Dec
🧣
3/10
🥵 Jun: 8/10
100°F arriving. 5am training becomes mandatory, not aspirational.
☠️ Jul: 10/10
Survival mode. The heat index exceeds your will to live.
🫠 Aug: 11/10
Exceeds the scale. August in Austin is a personal failing of the sun.
You know you train in Austin when...
A field guide to the Austin endurance athlete.
Where to fuel
Austin restaurants and spots that have supported this training, knowingly or not.
HEB
Grocery
THE grocery store. Pre-race pasta, gels in bulk, the best store-brand coffee. HEB is a way of life.
Full love letter →Franklin Barbecue
Post-long-run
You waited in line for 2 hours after a 16-miler. It was correct. The brisket is a legitimate recovery food if you tell yourself it is.
Juan in a Million
Pre-long-run fuel
The Don Juan taco. One is enough. One is barely enough. You will eat two.
Epoch Coffee
Pre-workout
24-hour coffee shop. If you're training at 4am, someone has to be open. Epoch understands.
Central Market
Recovery nutrition
For when you want to feel like your nutrition is sophisticated and not just 'I ate a whole pizza on the couch'.
Torchy's Tacos
Carb loading
Every carb. All the carbs. The Trailer Park taco specifically. I don't make the rules.
🌡️ Truly concerned about the heat?
There's a whole page about this. It's not reassuring.