Chuy's To Chuy's Walk 2014

      Why would anyone want to walk from the Chuy's Mexican food restaurant in Selma, TX to the Chuy's restaurant in Austin, TX at Barton Springs?  Why not.  My friend Thomas Orf started this event about 4 years ago and has asked me numerous times to take part.  I never have.  In May, I saw him finish his walk from Austin to Selma with 3 other friends and then ride their bicycles home.  They looked really gassed.  As we were having a cold beer and sharing a meal at the Chuy's, I said, "Man this looks cool.  I'm going to do this as well." 
      That's how it all started. I went home and created a Facebook event and invited friends to take part on July 26th.  Pretty simple.  As the week came upon us, Jorge asked if we were really still going to do this, "Yes bro!"   Vincent Antunez from Trail Toes sponsored us and also took part. 
     The rules are simple.  Walk to Chuy's.  No running, no hotels.  The spirit of the event is for all participants to start and finish together.  We had a great time.  It took us 23 hours.   We left about 1430 on Saturday and finished at 1330 on Sunday.  No sleeping.  All went well for me except for my shoes were kinda dead after Hardrock. 

Here are my reflections from the Walk:

-Don't do it, WiFi on will kill battery in GoPro, my singing isn't as good as I thought, Hardrock kills Hokas, if you get an offer to ride the party bus you should take it, its really hot in Texas in July, jalapeños and 100k don't mix, I've got great friends, and Austin looks a lot closer on the map.

And Jorge's:

- John's jokes don't get better as time progress
- trim your damn nails before walking 100k (and calluses)
- San Marcos looks better from a car (at 70mph) but they do apparently thrown killer parties
- they need a gas station between San Marcos and Kyle damn it!
- never understimate a guy with short legs, even after 50 miles and having done a 100 miler 2 weeks prior
- For all the Hoka OneOne love I always hear, pretty clear that I should stick with Pearl Izumi/Running
- John and Vincent kick ass
- never say never

 And Vincent's: 

-I now realize you don't need bling to make an event an event
-Doing any distance over 26.2 may in fact make you an ultra marathoner if it can be verified by others
-Saturday night drivers have a tendency to drive toward the light rather than away from it.
-John can only remember the some of the words to a lot of very old and very country, western songs but he knows all the lines to tombstone, young guns, and good will hunting
-No matter how dead an animal is it still stinks
-There is now at least one 7-11 gas station attend that at least knows the name Mises, and because of that I didn't get my much needed ten minute nap
-I can now say I know how it feels to walk a mile in John Sharps shoes
-Jorge has a great stride and makes it look effortless and no matter how hard I tried I could never keep up
-My wife is incredibly forgiving and accommodating and Isabella is cute as hell when placed in front of a camera
-My boy Phillip is a great soul who is in the process of becoming a better man, but even he thinks it is crazy to leave the house at 1000 pm to bring his father another pair of shoes, because the ones he was wearing hurt his feet (help you understand some of the statements above)
-Finally, 62 miles is a long way to walk for Salsa and beer, because that was about all I could tolerate after we started eating.
I do also want to thank Bill who called for a table at Chuy's so we didn't have to wait too long and also helped in other ways, you are a good man my friend

Vincent cried a bit :) about not getting any bling, so made him a finisher certificate:

Then I made a YouTube video: 

      Next year we'll go with the main group with Thomas leading.  Maybe try and get about 20 of us to participate.  That will be fun.  You don't need an official organized event to challenge yourself.  Create your own adventure.  Thanks Thomas.