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Report and LOTS of photos: Too Hot To Handle 5K and 15K (Read 37 times)

scottydawg


Barking Mad To Run

    INTRO

    I am Scott aka Scottydog, runner since 1983, cancer survivor, retired Air Force, employee of University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), friend of dogs, fun-runner, and all-around goofball.  In 2003 I had spinal arthritis flare up and ever since then I’ve done the run/walk method since it hurts my back too much now to run continuously with no walk breaks.  I’m on what I call my “2F Plan” which stands for Fun and Finish.  At events that I now do for fun I carry my camera, chase “Great Legs” to help motivate my slow old man self to keep moving forward, and take pictures before, during, and after the race. Sometimes I even get a nice post-race sweaty hug from one of the Great Legs ladies.   I then do a pictorial race report of my events.  I also carry dog biscuits with me to treat any dogs I may meet at a run, hence my nickname “Scottydog.” Here is yet another of my Race Reports With Photos, and my thanks to all the people I interacted with for their graciousness and good humor in letting me take photos of them.

     

    The Details

    • My 43rd race of 2014, held on July 13, 2014 and my 2nd of the weekend after doing a 5K on July 12.
    • Held at Boerne Lake City Park in Boerne (pronounced 'burny') TX
    • Put on by iRun Texas, a very good local running specialty store.  There was a 5K and a 15K.  I did the 5K.
    • Weather:  76 degrees at 7:30 a.m. start time; 93% humidity, dew-point of 76.
    • I ended up with a chip time of 35:02, finishing 3rd in my age group (60-64)

     

    BEFORE THE START

     

    Race location is about a 40 minute drive from my house in San Antonio.  I got a bit of a late start so arrived with about 35 minutes to go to start time and quickly got some pre-start photos before things got going.

     

    Boerne Lake is a pretty little area with kayaking, boating, swimming, picnicking by the water.  Pets are welcome so some doggies were loving the water on this warm day

     

     

     

     

     

     

    My speedy friend, Gene, with wife Loyce.

     

     

    You meet lots of beautiful people at our local events.  The folks wearing the blue tank top with "Texas Too Hot to handle' on the front are wearing the tank top tech shirts participants got in their goody bags.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    These fine folks here.....

     

    ...were available to give participants pre-start and post-race massages...

     

     

     

     

     

    My VERY speedy friend Eric and his lovely lady, also speedy. By the time I get done with a race, these two have already had time to shower and change clothes.

     

    The guy on the left ended up being first overall for the 5K in 17-something...

     

    Getting ready to start right after the National Anthem was sung

     

     

     

    ON THE COURSE

     

    And away we go!  15K and 5K folks started all together.  Courses for both were out-and-back.  5K folks had a couple of good-sized hills to go up and down, the 15K folks had a LOT more hills to negotiate.  Very rural country road that we all ran on and a semi-tough course with the hills.

     

    I'm still heading to the 5K turn-around and here comes the leader, heading toward the finish already.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The chicken got to the turn-around point before me too!  The chicken is always at this event, with a challenge to runners to 'beat the chicken!"  This is one speedy chicken, though!  After the race I told him next year maybe a guy in a KFC shirt could be chasing him to make him go even faster.

     

    I've now made the turn-around myself and am on the right side of the road heading back.

     

     

    The hill to the half-way turn-round for the 5K.  Folks on the right are going up to it, folks on the left are coming down from it.  At the  5K turn-around point, the 15K folks had to keep going up the hill, which continued up, up, and up, a bit more of a ways for them. I was SO glad I didn't do the 15K.    Kudos to the folks that did, they had several more hills on their way..and then had to do them again coming back from THEIR turn-around point.

     

     

    The downhill we had going to the turn-around point is now an uphill on the way back...

     

     

     

    Almost ..(pant pant pant!)...to....the...top!

     

    After that, flat to the finish, with a very slight down incline as we turned back into the park.   I just kept going steady, inexorably moving my feet to the finish.  With about  300 or so yards to go, some guy passed me, and I told him "Looking good, you go buddy!"   Since I know this course, having done it in the past, I also suggested he move right because that way he'd have 'inside curve' all the way to the finish, and he did.  Then he slowed down and I passed him.  Then he sped up, passed me, then slowed down again.  For pete's sake, make up your mind, go for it, or don't.   I decided heck with it, I'm just gonna get this puppy done!  So I shifted gear - from Snail to Turtle  - went on past the guy and kept him behind me after that.  Finished with a chip time of 35:03.  Results sheet said I was 3rd in my age group but since this race was based on chip-time and some folks got a bit of a late start for whatever reason, I fully expected to be knocked down a notch or two by one of the late-started in my age group with a quicker chip time.  But nope, didn't happen, I kept the 3rd place finish.  So, apparently, there were a lot of slow folks in my AG behind me....or there were only 3 or 4 IN my age group, lol.  What the heck, I'll take it.  So I got 3rd at my 5K on July 12, and 3rd in my AG on July 13th and now have two more medals to donate to the cancer children - which is what I do with any medals I may get - at the Children's Hospital of San Antonio.   Nice!

     

     

    AFTER MY FINISH

     

    There was beer from Shiner, but due to city ordinance, could not be served in the park until 10 a.m.  So I went over for a while to the food pavilion - bagels, breakfast tacos, fruit, etc...

     

    Two of our lovely Taco Ladies

     

    One of the lovely ladies from iRun Texas, the organizer of this event

     

     

    ...then wandered around getting some "after-party' photos

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Right after you cross the finish line, you are handed an iced down water bottle wrapped in a nice cold iced down small towel...which I wore on my head post-race, it was VERY refreshing!

     

     

     

    One of my favorite ladies on the local race circuit, and very inspiring.  She personifies "Never Give Up!" and does races of various distances and also some local triathlons and duathlons.  Like the Energizer Bunny, she just keeps going and going and going...

     

    Sucking in my gut for this photo...with my jelly-belly gut, it was painful... 

     

    Guy here, with his lovely lady, is also a Big C survivor.  Had a very nice chat with them.  Super nice people.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    My speedy friend, Bernadette, who placed 1st in her age group for the 5K

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    This lovely lady I chased  at my 5K on July 12 and then I chased her again at my 5K on July 13.  She finished both events way before me quite handily.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     photo 100_zpsa941dc2a.jpg

     

    This lovely lady is a fellow cancer survivor too...

     photo 099_zps15c50de3.jpg

     

     

     photo 098_zpsbd5dc245.jpg

     

     

    A few of the medal winners

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Yay, serving time!  Now have my medal AND my beer! 

     

    Me and the Shiner Bock beer lady.  Since she is already beautiful if you drink a lot of beer, she still looks the same at closin' time..

     

     

    EPILOG

     

    A tough course, but one of my favorite events of the year.  Great people, great race shirts each year, great post-race goodies.  Additionally, there were lots of things raffled off too, but I didn't win any, darn the luck.  I came darn close...but since I didn't have a sharpie pen, I couldn't get my bib number changed in time to win after the number was called  .    Also, lots of the runners and their families bring out shade tents, chairs, food, drinks, etc., and set up at the picnic areas for post-race parties and stay at the lake for a while.  As I walked around doing my photo-thing, I must've gotten about 10 different invites to stay a while after everything was done and come have some food and drink at these parties.  As said, very friendly people at this event.  I might just take them up on it next year, bring Gail, and make a day of it, do some swimming in the lake, etc.  Sweet.

     

    Kudos to all our sponsors, volunteers, police officers. etc. for being out there for us and making this all happen.  Mucho thanks to owner Mitch of iRun Texas and his staff for putting on this really great event every year.  They are really great people. This event is definitely a keeper on my race calendar each year.

    "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt

    JerryInIL


    Return To Racing

      Congrats on #43 and congrats to Bernadette.  Recruit her for B&B.

          

      LRB


        That is a novel idea to give out singlets instead of shirts.

         

        That must have been a hellacious run for the chicken wearing that stupid beak and head!

        Brilliant


          What a great event!  How funny that they have to wait until 10AM for the beer.  It's hard to keep up with all those blue laws in Texas...when I moved there in 1984, Target was not even open on Sundays!

          B-Plus


            Those doggies had the right idea - skip the run and head straight for the lake 

            redrum


            Caretaker/Overlook Hotel

              Smart Scotty, chasing that Beer Salt lady!  

               Randy

              Docket_Rocket


                Great RR, Scotty!

                Damaris

                 

                As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.

                Fundraising Page


                SheCan

                  Congratulations on race 43 of the year!   My goodness it looked warm for a race.  I think I woulda considered jumping right into that lake afterwards.

                  Cherie

                  "We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. "  ---- Shasta Nelson

                  Zelanie


                    Scotty, you are just running too fast if you are getting done before there's any beer served!  Congrats on the AG win, and thanks for sharing the race and the chicken!