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.

SHORT VERSION REPORT

This was Race #8 for me for 2014. Every February the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo -http://www.sarodeo.com/  - comes to town for a little over 2 weeks with lots of vendor booths, carnival,  rodeo events, concerts from various musicians, etc, all held at the AT&T Center and its grounds, home of the NBA San Antonio Spurs.  This 4-mile race and 1.6 mile walk is included in the activities, and the goody bag includes a ticket for free entrance to the grounds and a long-sleeved t-shirt.   There were about 650 participants in the run and over half of them (about 450) were women entrants.   I did my usual run/walk/take photos thing and finished with gun time of 45:06 and chip time of 44:38.

LONG VERSION WITH PHOTOS

For some reason, every time the rodeo comes to town it brings cold weather for us - cold for we South Texans anyway, probably "springlike" weather for people in places like Minnesota, Chicago, etc. - and this year was no exception.  Start time of  8 a.m. and the temp when I got to the start area was 36 degrees with a 'feels like' temp of 34, probably because of a bit of a brisk wind blowing. We had gray skies to start but by the time we finished the sun was out and it was getting warmer (we ended up today in San Antonio with a high in the upper 60s, nice).   So not bad weather for a run.  I had a hat on for the wind, pre-start, but ditched that before I started and  I felt quite comfortable for the whole distance.  I saw lots of other folks"shedding' clothes too before the start.  Very conveniently, since this race was point-to-point, local racing company Roger Soler Sports provided a truck in which you could put your clothes and then when you finished the 4 miles the truck was waiting near the finish so you could put back on your dry clothes and not get chilled.

Before The Start

When I arrived at the start area, there was a 'warmup' dance going on and this lady was up on the stage leading everyone, dressed in a sleeveless shirt.  BRRR!

Some of our great 'race day' registration volunteers out there for we participants

Two of my running friends, and a couple of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, Bill and Chris

More participants, supporters, etc, pre-start.  The folks wearing the long-sleeved yellow shirts that read "Stock Show Stampede" are wearing this year's shirt that we participants got our goody bags.

Uh oh...sorry...bad camera skills on my part for this one...bad dog!  bad dog!

This lady carried the flag for the whole 4 miles as she ran...and beat me and lots of others to the finish!  Speedy!

One of my co-workers (right) at the university where we both work, and her 'sister" 

This guy sang the National Anthem while the rider held the flag, proudly waving in the wind.  Pretty emotional for a lot of us, especially lots of us who served in the Armed Forces, especially those of us who bled for what that flag stands for... and the national anthem is much more than a song.   I admit my eyes were a bit wet..and it wasn't from the wind.

On The Course

The course started in a satellite parking lot about on Gembler Road, about 1.5 miles from the AT&T Center.  We did a loop through the gravel/dirt parking lot, then turned right out of the parking lot, headed to the Baumberger Ranch (or maybe it's "Bamberger", I can never remember the correct spelling), where we did a loop through there, then back on Gembler Road and off to the AT&T Center and grounds.  Once on the grounds we traversed some of the parking lots, and then through some of the access roads to the buildings on the grounds, and then finished just down from the front of the AT&T arena/stadium.

Heading to Mile 1

Looping through Baumberger Ranch area.  Part of the trail we went on was kind of narrow, so we had to be a bit careful as we made our way around a small lake on the property. My walk break in the part was on the other side of the lake after I got back onto the ranch's paved road.

The lake I just came around.  You can see a bit of color on the other side, a few runners still coming around the lake

Other participants around me on my side of the lake

As we got back to Gembler Road, we hit the Mile 2 mark, so halfway there.  My next stop was about the 2.5 mile mark.

My friend Sally (right) with her friend, one of the traffic control officers out there who did a great job for we participants.

On the AT&T Center grounds now and heading for the finish.  Already passed the Mile 3 marker, less than a mile to go now.

I did most of the last mile in proximity of this young lady, wearing bib 442

I caught up to Lovely Lady 442, chatted with her a bit, then headed to the finish, and got a photo of her crossing the line shortly after me

After The Race

Lady 442 graciously let me have a photo with her

As did this lovely lady...

She and her Happy Finisher friends

I also encountered the lovely Flag Lady post-race

And then it was off to here....

Oh yeah....beer...Foster's means beer in Australia..in San Antonio beer means post-race goody!

I think I may have been a bit light-headed after the race cuz on my way to the beer I saw a magic mushroom...

...and other carnival stuff....

And then there was this clown....or perhaps two clowns....

Then off to this tent where the MC was announcing door prize winners, award winners, etc..

And where we could get sausage wraps from these great volunteers...

And if you wanted, "biscuits and gravy"...

I stuck with my sausage wrap and beer and wandered around the tent chewing and taking photos of "Happy Finishers."  Not the best light in here - especially with my SUCH good camera skills - but these came out fairly well.  Well, at least you can see who everyone is, anyway.

These folks aren't really purple, okay, so don't go calling the "X-Files" folks.    They were standing under/near one of the neon light advertising signs in the tent.

More "Happy Finishers" et al....

This guy in the middle was one of the age-group winners, wearing his horseshoe award.

There was a shuttle to take participants back to the parking area but the line was pretty long so I walked the 1.5 miles back to the parking area.  I cut through some of the rodeo grounds and while doing that I encountered these guys...

They were telling me a story about how they got to the rodeo, but I think it was a lot of bull....

EPILOG

In spite of the typically cold weather we seem to get every year for this event, one of my favorite events of the year.   It is one big 'party-run" with a good course, lots of great folks participating, super volunteers, organizers, and police officers who put this all together for us and keep us safe on the course, and great post-race goodies.  Kudos and mucho thanks to the owners of the ranch on the course for letting us onto the grounds year after year.  If you are a runner and are ever in The Alamo City during rodeo time, definitely do this one, you will not regret it.

Nice race report.  It looks like a fun event and a very popular one.

That looked like so much fun! That horse-shoe award is cool... Lots of great pics of chilly Texans there, Scotty. Well done and congratulations on your race! I have a stupid question: in some of the pictures, it looked like the trees had no leaves. Do you have a fall like we do up North? Do leaves change colors and all? If I sound ignorant, it's because I am. I was in Texas in July and it was 108F the whole time I was there. Never would have imagined that you could get snow on occasions and chilly days...

What a nice celebration!  It does look pretty chilly for the start, but true to Texas form, everyone was indeed dressed warm.   Congratulations on Race#8 of the year!  And I'm jealous that you got a pic with Ronald.