INTRO

I am Scott aka Scottydog aka Scotty Dogg, runner since 1983, cancer survivor – caught very early, so I actually had a fairly easy time of it - , retired Air Force, employee of University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), friend of dogs, fun-runner, and all-around punster and 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.  My only goals for a race these days are finish everything I start, have fun along the way, and finish standing up with no ambulance waiting for me.  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 – unless it’s a mean dog; then the biscuit goes in one direction and I go in another.  Hence my nickname “Scottydog.” Here is yet another of my Race Reports with Photos.  I am not exactly a good photographer but hey, at least all the photos are free so my ‘subjects’ can save and share their photos if they so desire. Mucho thanks to all the people I interacted with at this event for their graciousness, patience, and good humor in letting me take photos of them.    And a big thanks to runningahead.com for allowing me a “home” for my many many MANY race reports and photos.  Great site, free training log; calendars; running routes, maps, and conversation forums for runners and much more!

My 25^th race of 2016 was the San Antonio Roadrunners (SARR) Fiesta Missions 5K on April 17.  There was also a 10K and after the finish of both of these, there was a kids run.   This event was part of the many events held during the 10-day “one big party” Fiesta San Antonio held every April.  SARR events done over the year help raise scholarships for students.  Course setup, event timing, and results were done by the excellent race management company Athlete Guild.   Race venue was Wheatley Heights Stadium, host spot for many types of events over the year.  Still nursing a sore adductor, but much better than it has been.  I managed to finish this 5K in 36:02 chip time, - 5^th in my age group of 60-64 – and only about 3 minutes or so off my 5K time when I’m 100 percent, so I was happy with this, my leg healing is making progress.  My wife, Gail, walked the 5K and finished in 47 minutes.  The weather was a little ‘iffy’ – our local area is under a severe storm watch until Tuesday – and it was 74 degrees at start time, a dew-point of 71 and humidity at 94%, gaack! Mother Nature was kind to us, though, and held the storms off for the entire event.  Did not start raining until after Gail and I got home.

On to the photos!  I do tend to take a LOT of photos at the events I do.  So if you’d rather just see photos only without my commentary you can check out the slideshow of this event at this link:    http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2016%20Race%20Reports/2016%20Race%2025%20Fiesta%20Missions%205K%20and%2010K

BEFORE THE START

A pretty short drive to the stadium from where Gail and I live, so we got there with just under an hour to go until the 8 a.m. start time and I wandered around doing my usual pre-start photo thing.

Me and the beautiful one in the family, my wife Gail.  She has a lot of patience too...31 years married to me, she probably needs a lot of patience,  lol.

My two very favorite ladies, Gail and Bernadette.  Bernadatte and I have been doing a lot of the same races now, year after year,  for almost  20 years.

Gail and our friend, Marian

Athlete Guild folks setting up the start/finish line

The big Red Bull vehicle at the race

Guy on the right was our MC and did his usual great job.

The 'official photographer", Tom Lake on the right.  Believe me, his photos are MUCH better in quality than mine, lol.

Participants, etc., pre-start.  People wearing the "3000" number bibs did the 10K.

Gotcha and made you laugh! 

There you go...

My friend, Bob, can always charm the ladies

Several of my fellow veterans of Team RWB were there

On the track getting ready to start the 5K.  The 10k folks started about 10 minutes before we 5K folks.

ON THE COURSE

Once around the stadium track, then out a side gate, through part of the parking lot and onto a nearby Greenway trail where we went to a turn-around point and came back the way we had gone out, finishing by going back around the track.  Pretty nice course, well-paved mix of concrete and asphalt trails, mostly flat – the only ‘up’ on the course was a pretty short incline - lots of shade trees, fauna, etc., along the way.  Because we did have some rain during the very early a.m. on Sunday, and some this past week too, part of the trail was quite muddy where a nearby creek had risen over it, and this created a bit of a slowdown for everyone as that part of the course was negotiated.   At the times I was at that point, I did not, thankfully, see anyone slip, fall, or get hurt and I hope that’s the way it was for everyone participating.

This doggie and I were in close proximity of each other for most of the course.  I'd given him a treat before we started, so maybe he wanted to keep an eye on me, lol.

I've made the turn-around and am now heading back toward the stadium.  These photos are just a little ways down from the turn-around point

Looking behind me at the turn-around point near that overpass

Looking ahead of me again; you can see all the mud on the trail; the big muddy spot was right underneath that road bridge that goes over the trail, so everyone had to negotiate it twice, once coming out, once going back.

About a little over a half mile or so to go....and my 4-legged friend is still near me.

It was not my camera skills....these ladies were a blur as they speedily passed me! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

AFTER THE FINISH

I actually behaved myself post-race and, like both my doc – who is a runner too – and my PT had told me to do, did my the post-race stretches they had given me.  I’ve been doing this for the last couple of races I’ve done and have noticed it really has helped keep me from ‘stiffening up” and has helped the leg progress.   After that, it was time for a revitalizing beverage…

Oh yeah….

And then onto getting some post-finish photos.

This guy speedily won the 10K.  He passed me when I was at about the 2-mile mark of the 5K.

This guy is very speedy...he ran in flip flops and still beat me... 

Mine and Gail's friend, Chris...and some lawyer guy that keeps following her around...

Male Masters Overall 5K winner with his plaque and 1st place sombrero.  Very speedy guy!  As I was finishing up on the trail, he was passing me the other way doing his cool-down run.

My pal, Bernadette, and this lovely young lady with her, both got first in their age groups

My friend Michelle also got first in her age group

Back of the shirt...very nice, David!

After I got home, I found I had some shoe cleaning to do...and got my new socks all dirty too.  Guess that part of the trail was a bit muddier than I thought.

EPILOGUE

Very well organized event with a great race venue that included actual indoor toilet facilities – nice at times not to have to do the portapotty thing – lots of post-race goodies – beer, sodas, red bull, water, sausage wraps – Sombreros for the first place age group winners, nice Fiesta Medal to all participants, very colorful tech-tee race shirts, music playing, just lots of stuff going on.  Super event, well worth being on your race calendar.

Mucho thanks to all the volunteers, law enforcement, vendors, sponsors, etc. who made this one happen for we participants.  Kudos to SARR and Athlete Guild for doing their usual great job at events.

Was that the Salera creek trail again?  Looks like a nice course, despite the mud.

How many Fiesta races are you doing this year?