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!

On March 19, 2016 I did my 20^th race of 2016, Donovan’s Run 5K, the oldest St. Patrick’s Day event in San Antonio and the original St. Patrick’s Day 5K of San Antonio. Sponsored by my good friends at Run Wild Sports local running specialty store, owned by two of my favorite runners on earth, co-owners Catherine and her doggie Emma. Around 200 or so folks participated in this one. The weather was crazy! We were in the 80s on Thursday, a cold front with rain blew in on Friday and on race day, the rain was gone, but the temp was on the low 50s, with a 20 – 30 mph wind blowing in the early a.m., making it feel like it was the the 40’s. For pete’s sake Mother Nature! Event was held at Ladybird Johnson Park – quite close to where I live, about 3 miles from my doorstep – a park of paved trails and off-road trails. For this one I ended up finishing in 32:07 and was 5^th in my 60-64 men’s age group.  The 4 guys ahead of me all finished under30 minutes, jeez! There are some very speedy local runners in my age group, lol. I guess my strategy will just have to be try and outlive them all.

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 “pithy comments” you can check out the slideshow of this event at this link:

BEFORE THE START

Being so close to the park, I slept in a bit and got to the venue with about 40 minutes to go to the 8:30 a.m. start time.

Our MC

Race Day volunteers

Catherine and Emma of Run Wild Sports

Our bagpipers for the event

This band played on for us, before and after the event

Guinness onsite and setting up for after the race

Some of the participants, their supporters, etc

Me and my friend and UTSA co-worker, Courtney

Sweet Molly and her human

Ron and Abbie.  They are very speedy and got an AG group award.  I saw them heading back to the finish and called out "Go Abbie!" My friend next to me said "His name is Ron."   I said "I only remember the dog's name."

Ceci of iaapweb, taking photos, and Bart Childers of Scallywompus, who has a great local night-time race coming up on April 8, Carnival of Venice, followed by a GREAT after-party.  If you are a runner in San Antonio that night, great event to go to!

ON THE COURSE

We did one lap around a small traffic circle, then it was down a short hill to the trails. At the bottom of the hill, 3-inch standing water was waiting for us, going across part of the paved trail so this created a small delay as everyone had to use the ‘stepping-stones’ on the sides of the trail to get dryly past the water; which just about everyone did, not fun running in squishy wet shoes right off the bat. After that it was pretty dry paved trails all the way to the turn-around and back, with a few downed wet leaves and small brushy stuff from the Friday night storm. Then, of course, we had to negotiate the water hazard once again before we could go up the hill we’d come out on, and then back around the small traffic circle to the finish.

Made the turn-round and am heading back now

I finished just slightly ahead of my friend Adrian, coming into the finish here

Got a few photos of others finishing

My friend Sally coming up the hill and into the finish

AFTER THE FINISH

Oh, Guinness, you sweetheart!

Happy Finishers, etc..

Molly and friends

Brak Pak and friends

It's hard to get a dog to pose, lol...some people too... 

My friend Courtney won a bottle of wine to chase down her cup of Guinness 

EPILOGUE

Really great event, with timing, results, course set-up, etc, put on by iaapweb.com, a great local running company with great people – not that I’m biased or anything, just because I have a ‘running crush’ on all the iaap.web ladies – and nice post-race goodies with some kind of pasta dish, Guinness, some various fruits, etc., and Guinness…and more Guinness. There were also awards for the greenest person there; person with the best kilt, etc. Done this one several times in the past and will definitely do it again in the future.

MUCHO thanks to primary sponsor Run Wild Sports and all the other sponsors; all the volunteers, law enforcement, EMTs, course set-up and race timing/results folks, etc! All the folks who do all the work to make this one happen for us participants.

lol at the guy in the leprechaun costume.

Looks like a lot of fun.  You always manage to get pictures of people smiling during the run itself!

Oh, Guinness, you sweetheart!

lol - You earned it. It looks good too!

Jealous!  Someday I will get a chance to run a St. Patrick's day race with Guinness at the finish.

Was it the light, or was there green beer too? Looks like another fun event, although people looked cold in the pre-race pictures.

Yes, there was green beer too!