INTRO

I am Scott aka Scottydog aka Scotty Dogg, 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.

SHORT VERSION REPORT

This was my 31st race of 2015.   145 finishers...48 males and 97 females.  So twice as many ladies as guys...which was okay be me...chasing all those Great Legs out there kept me steadily moving forward.    If I remember correctly, this race benefited the New Braunfels Parks Foundation.  Held on June 20, 2015 in New Braunfels, starting and finishing at Cypress Bend Park.  Called "Dos Rivers" because we ran from Cypress Bend Park which is beside the Comal River,  to Prince Sohms Park, beside the Guadalupe River (if I remember my geography correctly) and then back to Cypress Bend Park.  The Dash N Splash is because there was an option to do just the 'dash" - the running part of the race only - or the 'dash n splash' in which, when you got to Prince Sohms Park, you did a little diversion and took a tube right through a water chute and after that continued running again.   There was a table set aside at the chute area where you could leave your shoes and socks, gear, etc, and then get it all back together on you after you exited the water from the tube ride. I did not choose to do the chute ride as being in moving water tends to kick up my vertigo; but I think I actually did 5K distance because I took a short diversion from doing just the 'Dash' to run down to the chute area with some of the dash-n-splash folks and take some photos of some of them there; then I ran back up the stairs to the road again and continued along the regular race route. Ended up with a time of 33:30, which was good enough for 2nd in my AG (60 - 69).

LONG VERSION REPORT WITH PHOTOS

Before the Race

New Braunfels is only about a 30 minute drive from San Antonio.  However, with all the crazy rain-storm weather we've been having around here, I got up early and left about 6:20 to get to the site for the 8 a.m. start time.  It was raining when I left San Antonio - coming down pretty good too where I was, near the airport - but when I got to the New Braunfels city limits it was dry as a bone, go figure.  Crazy weather.  Still warm though - 76 degrees at start time, 76 degree dewpoint, and humidity of 97%, gaack.  Can you say sweat sweat sweat!

The river near the start area park  was quite high with all the rain

Yeah, more like 'float away zone" for right now...

Good folks from AthleteGuild doing their thing for timing, results, etc.

Me and David, our race MC.  Dark skies behind us and stayed that way, but we did not get rained on for the race.

Nice pavilion for all the activities

And some of the folks there, pre-start

One of the park officers out there for us.  Had a nice chat with this retired Army guy.  Thanks for your service!

Right after we started this is the short hill we went up to exit the park

On the Course

Going out we had an uphill to get out of the park;  then down a flat road; then left onto our second uphill; a bit flat after that until we made another left turn and climbed a short uphill.  This took us to a downhill...from which we could see yet another uphill ahead of us.  Then we went  down a bit of an incline - can't really call that part a hill, and into Prince Solms park, where the "Dash" people did a loop around, while the "Splash" participants diverted to go do the tube ride. Coming back it was, of course reversed, so at least more downhills on the way back...except when we got to the park, we had to do second little out-and-back to make up for the flooded part of the course in the park...and of course there was an UPHILL incline right before we got back on the main park road and headed to the finish.   Yeah, whoever laid this course out either loves hills or hates runners getting any PRs.     The route also went past a cemetery going out and coming back; which, at my age, I superstitiously tried not to look at.    The roads were fairly wide, which was nice, gave everyone lots of room.  Park officers and police officers at all the intersections keeping us nice and safe.   There wasn't that much traffic on our route anyway, until we go to the road where Prince Sohms Park is, that is a fairly busy little road as it is on the way to Schlitterbahn, a very large water park in New Braunfels, and I think one of the largest in the world.  The drivers I saw on the road when I got to that point seemed pretty patient about it all though.

"Dash" participants heading across the walkway to do the tube chute ride.   The chute was a tunnel right near where that red marked area is on the right

So much water in the river from all the recent rain, the toobers came shooting out of it....

Back on the running course for me....

Two of the "Splash" participants running again after their dip

After the Finish

A little bit of a cool-down walk, got some water and got some goodies from these guys.  Had a bacon-egg myself,  it was really good.

More goodies

Then got some photos of the "Happy Finishers", supporters, et al.

4 of these 6 lovely ladies got award medals

I managed to snag one myself

EPILOG

Small event - maybe there were some no-shows because of the weather - but a very fun one.  Really nice post-race goodies - although a post-race beer might've been nice too...is there a permit for that for a race in the park?   and a challenging but interesting and good course - and fun watching those participants doing the splash part tubing  down the chutes, even though I probably put 2 or 3 extra minutes on my finish time, but it was worth it.  As usual, AthleteGuild did their normal great job of course set-up, timing, and results.  Our MC, David - who MCs a lot of local area events - did his usual great job too and kept everything moving along. Mucho thanks to all the sponsors, law enforcement and park officers, volunteers, etc., all the folks who were out there for us both before and during the race to make it all happen.  This is the first time I've ever done this race and it won't be the last, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Definitely worth putting onto your "To Do"  race calendar list!

First I thought, who wants to run all wet?  But then I read the part about the weather conditions.  EVERYBODY ran all wet!

Fun race!

Very cool event! Thanks, Scotty!

Cool event. Was the tubing in a very shallow section of the river? With all the rain, tubing seems aittle dicey.

TUBING!  Now there's something I could probably not get injured doing

Ha! My abs were really sore from the not-so-lazy river at Atlantis. I also pulled something in my leg sticking it out to try to catch a railing to get out.

 

It was not very shallow...about waist-deep where the folks were coming out of the chute..and the water was moving pretty fast too, with all the rain we've had.  Thankfully no tube turnovers, no injuries, etc.

yikes!  That sounds scary with all the rain. And all the Weather channel warnings about floods.