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 and Short Version Report

• This was my 67th race of 2014.  Held in Wenatchee, Washington on Thanksgiving Day 2014
•  Put on by Run Wenatchee, a local running company.  Have interacted with these folks before and they are great people.
•  Weather:  42 degrees at  9 a.m. start time, cloudy, a bit of a wind.
•  The RD told me there were over 1,000 registrants for  this year.  There was a 5K and a 12K and a kid's run about 15 minutes before the start of the 5K and 12K.  Most people did the 5K.
•  I ended up with a 36:49 chip time.  Usually do about 34 to 35 for a 5K but stopped a bit more to get a few more course photos for this one. 

Before the Start

My wife grew up in Wenatchee, and I grew up in the Washington DC area.  We now live in San Antonio, where I retired after a 24-year career in the Air Force.  We came to Wenatchee to celebrate the 90th birthday of my father-in-law and Thanksgiving with all my wife's side of the family that gathered here.  When we left San Antonio it was a nice 72 degrees and sunny.  We landed in Seattle, it was 42 degrees and raining and windy.  Took the 25-minute 'puddle jumper' flight to Wenatchee and it was 33 degrees there when we landed. Still, from what my in-laws told me, we were lucky, the weather had actually warmed, it had been in the teens the week before.

And really lucky for the Turkey Trot - the weather warmed into the low 40s, and later on the sun even came out and the high for the day reached into the 50s, sweet.  I did this race a few years back and when I came then it turned sunny and in the upper 40s.  When I got to the race site someone who remembered me from last time jokingly told me I need to come EVERY year because I seem to bring warmer weather with me.  He told me last year for this event it had been 22 degrees and raining.

I had already picked my packet up the night before and got a photo of these nice ladies who were helping with packet pick-up.

Got to the start/finish area with about 45 minutes to go to start time and wandered around getting photos of some of the great volunteers out there for us and some of the participants and their friends/family who had come out to support them.

Goodies all lined up for the participants post-race.  There was also pre-race coffee available, water, etc.

ON THE COURSE

I saw Steve of Run Wenatchee on the course and jokingly told him "You love hills, don't you?"  This course was a bit hilly for sure. We started on the paved path of a local park - Rotary Park - and then the first street we went on was uphill to begin with....then we had a downhill; made a turn onto another street and climbed again; made a turn and it was flat for a bit; then another hill...then down a hill...then up another hill on the way to the turn-around point....and then we had to do those hills in reverse on the way back.  I am SO glad I do hill training regularly once a week, it sure came in handy.  It really was a well laid-out course, though, with plenty of room for everyone to move around and not impede each other.  At least, where I was at any given time on the course I did not see anyone getting impeded, frustrated or upset from 'the pack''; everyone seemed to be in good spirits, lots of encouraging of each other going on, bantering back and forth, everyone I was around seemed in good spirits.

The hill/incline near the start

On the street, heading toward Mile 1 marker

Heading toward the turn-around point

I've made the turn-around point now and am heading back toward the finish..and to climb up this hill I just came down a bit ago...

The ladies above took my photo on the course, and let me have one with one of them

AFTER THE FINISH

After I got my breath back from all the hills  I wandered around getting some "Happy Finisher" photos, which is what I call them since it seems to me that more people are smiling after they're done than before they start or when they are on the course.   And, of course, some volunteers and family/friends in some of the photos too.  Supporters are important, they help get we runners out there.  Heck, if the love-of-my-life wife didn't kick me out of the house sometimes, telling me to go run so she can do some house stuff with me out of the way, I would probably be a lot lazier!

Steve (left) of Run Wenatchee and Joel, our MC, both of whom did a great job with this event.

EPILOG

This is the 2nd time I have done this event and, like the first time, it was great!  While I much prefer to run in 70 instead of any temperature below 50 - I am SO a warm weather runner, lol -  still it makes a nice change on occasion. This event was well organized, the course was challenging - in a good way "of course" (no pun intended) - and what really made this event so nice was the people there. Very friendly, outgoing, all very welcoming to me.  Gotta love runners, no matter where you go, when you're a runner and meet other runners, it's like instant bonding.  And Wenatchee has some of the friendliest people I've ever met.   Love coming here and probably will again in the future - but hopefully in warmer weather in the future.   MUCHO thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors, law enforcement folks, etc., who helped make this event happen.  Definitely would recommend this one to all my fellow runners.

Oh, and I usually run on Tues-Wed-Thurs-Sat-Sun.  So wouldn't you know it, after the Turkey Trot was over, the temp started dropping the next night and so for my run on Saturday morning, it is supposed to be something like 22 degrees at 8 a.m., with a 'feels like" temp of 19...dang!  I sure hope this warm-weather lovin' Texas runner doesn't turn into a popsicle! 

Even on the road you run a 5k! Nice one.

Cool pics!  Nice to see a Scotty report full of happy runners, regardless of climate/locale.

Looks like a fun time! Even when traveling, you always seem to get the races with the awesome goodies!

I'm surprised you do not run in a parka. lol