I’ve mentioned before how much I love seeing all the handmade encouragement signs along race routes. It’s really nice that absolute strangers come out to cheer everyone on in their run. Okay, maybe not everyone is a complete stranger to the sign holder, but 99.9% of runners likely are.

The 2012 LIVESTRONG Austin Half-Marathon had its own blend of creative sign makers. There were several “Run, Complete Stranger, Run” and “You’re all Kenyans in our eyes.” I laughed at all the Ryan Gosling memes like “Hey, Girl. I love how sweaty you are,” or “Hey, Girl: Keep running. I’ll be waiting for you ahead.” There’s always the cutie kids holding “This parade stinks,” or “You paid money for this, or “We can’t all be heroes; someone has to stand on the side and hold the sign!”

After physically and mentally pushing up a hill just a half mile or less from the finish line, you think your quadriceps might actually burst right out of your skin. It’s always nice to use what seems like your last oxygen reserves on a laugh as you read, “I love your stamina. Call me!”

Always a good sign.