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

This was my 70th race of 2014.  When I signed up I initially thought this was my 68th race of 2014, but when I checked my log I found I had inadvertently left 2 races near the beginning of the year out of my race count...my darn Old-Dog memory!   This one was held in San Marcos, Texas, about 45 miles from San Antonio.   9 a.m. start.  I left San Antonio around 7:30 a.m. and it was nice and SUNNY and near 60 degrees. However, as soon as I got into San Marcos area, the sun disappeared, it was cloudy and windy.  The temp was not bad, around 56 degrees, but the wind made it feel a bit chillier. I dunno about traveling North up the I-35 in winter towards San Marcos and Austin, it's like you cross a certain 'line" on the way up from the South Texas pleasant weather and suddenly you're in a parallel weather universe in Central Texas, jeez.    Even so, the weather was a LOT better for this event this year than last year when I did it and the temp was in the low 30s, with a wind chill making it feel like 18, BRRR!  This year's weather was much more cooperative!

Nice turnout for the 5K, a bit over 600 runners and walkers.   There was also a Kids 1K run.    I ended up with a 5K time of 32:36, good enough toda for 3rd place for my age group (60-64).  Had to wait around a bit to get my trophy as the award hand-outs began first with the youngest age groups.  I really think Race Directors need to start the awards with we OLD people first...we don't have as long to be around as the younger folks. 

BEFORE THE START

Arrived with about 45 minutes to go to start time and began doing my thing, taking random pre-start photos.

Our welcoming sign...

Sights and Sounds of Christmas is an annual holiday event held in San Marcos...entertainment, rides, food , displays, etc.

Main stage

Some of the food types offered...and yes, those twinkies are fried too!

Chik-Fil-A Cow, Christmas Style....Eat Mor Chikin...and Mery Christmas!

Your host for this report, with the Cow

Speedy Cash Kangaroo...if you put your loan request into his mouth there..money will come out of it, just like an ATM...if our loan is approved immediately, of course.  If not, your answer will come by "Pouch" mail... 

The lady on the right, here with friends, kindly let me store my goodie bag near her table so I did not have to walk it all the way back to where I parked before the race start

Folks in the red "Jingle Bell Run" shirts are wearing the nice tech-tees that participants got in their goody bags

ELFis is in the building!

Getting ready to Start....

And right before we started, a flyover from some vintage WWII aircraft

ON THE COURSE

Nice course that takes us through part of historic San Marcos and a residential area with some really nice houses.  The course had us go up a hill almost immediately after the start - how RUDE - but then was pretty flat and near the end a downhill towards the finish, with a turn at the bottom and then flat to the finish line.  All in all, pretty nice course.

Passing by this building, which I think is the historic San Marcos courthouse, if I remember correctly.

One of the many great volunteers out there for us

"Incognito" Santa taking a break from the Christmas Rush to cheer us on... 

I don't know who lives here in this house we passed on the route, but...zowie!

Close-up of my friend Kathy coming at me...honest, she looks a lot better than my poor camera skills portray

AFTER THE FINISH

I caught up to this young man as we headed to the finish and told him "C'mon, let's go for it!" And we did, nearly step-for-step.  I think I just barely edged him out at the finish lost a pin off my bib, I ran so hard into the finish..  .

I passed this young lady (on the right) on the way to the finish as she was taking a walk break.  I told her "I am an old man, I know you can beat me in."  And she darn well did too, running again, passing me by, and leaving me in the dust!   Good for her.  Good for me too...chasing her kept me motivated to keep moving forward!

Volunteers, supporters, and "Happy Finishers".  I call them "Happy Finishers" because more people to be smiling AFTER they are done than before or during. 

That lady in the middle is okay, she was jokingly calling "Oxygen, oxygen.."

My 'close-up" friend, Kathy from the course (right) looking mucho better here than in my poor-camera-skills on-course photo

I think this guy is one of Santa's young sons, getting some incognito early-days holiday training...beard not quite white yet. 

A photo of the "official" photographer

3rd place for me and a little Santa trophy

Kathy placed in her age group too...

A close-up of the race shirt and of the trophy age-group winners got...

EPILOG

Very nice event!  Well organized, nice race shirts, good course, lots of good people and race comradery, which really makes the race.  There were also lots of door prizes too, including  three 40" flat LED TVs to be won - I saw one lady win one of these, don't know who got the other two, but it was not me, darn the luck.  Goody bags also included an entry ticket to the Sights and Sounds of Christmas festivities, very nice.  And Mother Nature cooperated for us this year with the weather, thank goodness.     Mucho thanks to all the law enforcement folks out there keeping us safe on the roads, to all the volunteers out there for us, and all the sponsors, everyone who makes this happen every year.  This is always a fun event and continues to be on my race calendar each year.

That looks like a very nice race and a fun event.  Was the Sounds of Christmas open when you finished or was that starting later?  I like seeing all the costumes.  Congratulations on the AG placement.

3rd place AG! Way to go Scotty!

Congrats on the AG placing.  You sure seem to attract a lot of the ladies for pictures 

Everyone loves an ugly mutt....we ugly mutts are beautiful in our own way... 

Man, outfits for a Christmas themed 5K in Texas sure are different than the ones I saw in Connecticut yesterday.  'Round here, they dress like they're actually at the North Pole, which isn't too far from reality.  I do like those event shirts though.  Very cool and I like the red.  And that Santa trophy is awesome.

So how much was one token?

My goodness, in your happy finisher pics you have a picture of a girl wearing a Rocky River Ranch shirt.  I used to go camping there with my Girl Scout troop back in the day!  I haven't thought about that place in years.  Congratulations on the AG award and the fun race!