The Galveston Marathon - Wind, Cold, and Two Loops by the Gulf
A Marathon Was Cheaper Than Therapy — A Double-Loop Day in Galveston
Galveston Marathon — February 1, Texas
My 124th Marathon
Some marathons are planned months in advance.
This one happened because my running buddy Daniel signed up for Surf City — and I couldn’t get in because it sold out.
So Galveston it was.
✈️ The Trip to Galveston
We flew Southwest early Saturday morning — butt-crack-of-dawn early — out of Albuquerque. Starbucks acquired. Matcha tea latte, chai tea latte. Check, check. Bags checked. Direct flight to Houston (always a win), especially flying out of New Mexico.
After landing, we grabbed our luggage and a Dollar rental car that I booked through Travel Deals on Travelers Freak (I’ll write that story separately there).
Then we drove south to Galveston for packet pickup.
Palm trees were expected.
What we got instead was 40 degrees and wind.
So much for beach weather.
I texted Daniel — it was 70 degrees in Huntington Beach.
Missed that deal.
📦 Packet Pickup (Not an Expo — a Running Store)
Packet pickup was inside a running store.
Cold outside. Wind ripping.
Inside: gels, gummy bears, and discounts for runners who forgot to pack fuel.
Low-key. No hype. Just runners.
Not an “expo.”
Note to self: next time, pack a jacket.
🍕 Pre-Race Decisions Were… Questionable (Again)
We tried to check into our hotel early.
Mistake.
The photos online did not match reality.
Beachfront La Quinta. Rough shape. Broken English at the desk. $30 early check-in fee. $45 “courtesy” parking for three days in an empty lot. Multiple people at the front desk were arguing with employees about the place.
“Welcome to Galveston.”
We bailed.
Checked into a really nice Hilton down the street. Worth every penny to escape the La Quinta “Taj Mahal” at the other end of the block.
Pizza happened again.
Starbucks acquired again.
I knew better.
Pro tip (still ignored):
Pasta > Pizza the night before a marathon.
⏰ Race Morning Strategy (or Lack Thereof)
Up at 6:00 AM.
The race started at 7:30 AM, and our hotel was on the same road as the start at Stewart Beach. Instructions said: “Drive to the beach. Park on the sand.”
What could go wrong?
Everything.
Traffic was totally unexpected and a nightmare.
We pulled out of the Hilton with 30 minutes to go and sat in a four-mile traffic jam heading to the start.
Seriously.
We were late — which has never happened to me in 124 marathons.
After bailing onto side streets and trying to outsmart a beach town, we parked about half a mile away and ran to the start line.
Crossed the start line 11 minutes after the race began.
Not ideal — but not a huge race, so no real damage done.
🏃 Half vs. Full — Very Different Experiences
Becky ran the Half Marathon.
I ran the Full.
The plan:
• Run together for the first half
• Drop Becky
• I head out for the second loop
• No stress
I dropped Becky around mile 10 as I went on a scavenger hunt for a restroom. I never caught her again, so she finished the last three miles solo.
As I crossed the finish line to start my second loop, Becky handed me her breakfast burrito.
Absolute score.
At that point, I was glad I lost her — and took her burrito.
🏃 The Half vs. The Full
Half Marathon:
As usual — the smarter race.
• Flatter
• Less mental grind
• Better overall experience
Becky ran 2:16:29 — easy pace, no pressure.
Marathon:
Different animal.
• Flat but mentally tough
• Double loop
• Tired legs
• Wind exposure
• Minimal crowd support
And this matters:
👉 Water, pickle juice, and Gatorade only.
No gels. No snacks. No fuel.
Bring your own.
If this is your first marathon — plan accordingly.
🌯 Becky’s Burrito (Fuel Is Fuel)
When you run marathons, fuel matters.
You’re burning a ridiculous number of calories over hours, whether you’re fast or not.
That breakfast burrito carried me through the first six miles of the second loop.
I’d already burned one gel, forgot my salt tablets, and completely forgot about the other two gels stuffed in my pocket.
The sun came out.
The cold eased up.
The burrito did its job.
⏱️ How It Played Out
It was 37 degrees at the start and maybe 47 when I finished. Once you’re running, it feels about ten degrees warmer anyway.
Comfortable run in shorts, a tee shirt, and cheap Dollar General gloves I ditched around mile 7.
The course itself was great — I’d absolutely recommend it — just get there early unless you want the full Galveston traffic experience.
Daniel called me twice during his race in California.
“What mile are you on?”
“Mile 16.”
“Oh good — I’m on 13. I’m gonna catch you.”
No you’re not.
Another call at my mile 25 — he was at mile 23.
He didn’t catch me. That felt like a win.
Finish times:
• Me: 4:46:35
• Daniel: ~30 minutes faster in California
• Becky: Showered, chai latte down, hanging at Starbucks
Classic.
🏅 Medal Cool. Shirt… Not So Much.
I’ll give the race this: the medal was cool.
Sea turtle on it. Solid design. I posted a photo because it deserved one.
The race shirt?
Let’s just say it looked like something I would’ve given my kid in elementary school for “Trip to the Zoo Day” — if I had one.
That shirt will either:
• hang in my closet for nostalgia
• or become my next race-day throwaway
One of those two.
👟 Why Running Is Always About People
We met a guy who was a total Runner Freak.
He ran his first marathon in 2020, swore he’d never do another, then caught the bug in 2023. This would’ve been his 54th marathon — but he backed down to the Half because he had a kidney stone and surgery scheduled the following week.
Doctor told him not to run a marathon.
So he ran the Half.
We also met a former football player who took up Half Marathons to get in shape. He’s planning his first full next month up the road in Seabrook.
Running brings together first-timers, veterans, half marathoners, full marathoners, and people chasing versions of themselves they used to be.
🧠 Lessons (That I’ll Probably Forget Again)
• Eat better the night before
• Eat something before the race
• Know your aid stations
• Wind and cold matter more than elevation
• The Half is the smarter play here
Those Sauconys?
They’re getting tossed over the telephone line for a while.
🏝️ Why This Story Lives on RunnerFreak
This isn’t about medals or placements.
It’s about the moments you remember — and laugh about later.
On RunnerFreak, stories like this don’t vanish into feeds or disappear when race sites change.
You decide when they come down.
They live where race weekends, mistakes, wind, and burritos belong.
If you’ve got a running story, it belongs here.
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