Just trying to get the ball rolling by blogging again in the new year…

I started the new year with a coffee house 10K at Halcyon, though I didn’t run. The Cap10K Sunrise Tour meets most Saturdays to run a 10k and drink coffee afterward, leading up to the Capitol 10k on April 6. The 10k routes, available on RunGo any time, take runners through various neighborhoods of the city. The tradition started during the pandemic, when coffee shops needed the business, but now you’re lucky if you can wait in line long enough to get a cuppa after everyone finishes the run.

There are two sunrise tour traditions I love watching. One of the ambassadors always takes a selfie after he takes the group photo, with all of us grinning like goofballs behind him. Another group likes to wait until everyone has started, then pose with their feet surrounding the “starting line” decal on the ground. I think they also do this at the finish.

As I said, I didn’t run this week, but I’m glad I went to check it out. There was no post-run yoga this Saturday, but we did get free travel-size bottles of Yellow Bird, which is apparently going to be a staple at all the runs. New this year is the wooden token, pictured, which runners can exchange for a free coffee after the run (formerly this system required a runner’s bib to be reused every week). I’m also considering ordering a shirt this year; the new one is yellow.

Made a trip to Round Rock and of course got some donuts; it was the first time I had to navigate influencers, plural, to get to the donuts. Also visited Rock Rock’s new library.

The next day, before seeing A Complete Unknown at Alamo Drafthouse on Slaughter Lane, I swung by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for the last night of Luminations. I’m glad I went, as sort of a scouting report for when I go with someone else, so I can know what to avoid if I want to enjoy the experience with another human being. This time around, I booked the second earliest timed ticket, got there early enough to park within walking distance (no shuttle across MoPac for me), and made a quick outer-then-inner loop around the wildflower center while drinking a $10 hot chocolate (I tipped well).

The tower is closed off during Luminations; I verified, with three 10-year-olds double-checking my work. We were all disappointed.

Next Week: Black Star Co-op, possible snow, Hank the Chron Dog, Longhorn football at the Cotton Bowl, DOC at AFS, and the Legislature?