Beginners and Beyond

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Report and Photos: Love Your Heart 5K (Read 32 times)

scottydawg


Barking Mad To Run

    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  my 6th race of 2014.  Love Your Heart 5K -http://www.loveyourheart.net/  - was held in New Braunfels, Texas, about a 30 minute drive for me from San Antonio.  This was an untimed 'fun run' 5K supporting heart health education.  For a fun run, it got quite a nice turn-out, maybe 300 or so people, maybe a bit more, especially nice as there were 3 other local area races on this day.  Weather was in the upper 30s/low 40s, but very sunny which was nice.  AthleteGuild did the course set up and did have a finish time clock so everyone could see their finish time going across the line, even if it was a fun run. I ended up with a finish time of 33:11.

     

    LONG VERSION REPORT WITH PHOTOS

     

    Pre-Start

     

    I got there about 40 minutes before start time, got my packet - which included a very nice long-sleeved quality t-shirt - and then wandered around taking some photo.  The event was held at Landa Park, a very popular local park, which has a mad-made lake.  Because of the chilly weather, mist was coming off of the lake.

     

    The park has several running areas and bridges like this going across the nearby waters

     

    Start line/finish line being set up, with 'heart' balloons

     

    Participants, supporters, etc.  The green shirts folks are wearing are the race shirts we got in our goody bags.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Our 'chefs' who prepared our post-race goodies while we were out running

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    On The Course

     

    The course wound through the park then alongside the Landa Park Golf Course from where we took a turn into the residential area across from the golf course, and then back to the golf course once more, and back to the finish the way we came out.  The course was really flat except for one 'dip' we had to negotiate, making for a downhill and then slight uphill incline on the way out and a slight downhill decline and uphill on the way back.   I took 2 photo/walk breaks during the 5K, a little past the half-mile point, a little before the 2-mile point, and then a brief stop at the bottom of the hill on the way to the finish to get a photo, and then one from the top of the hill.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    2nd photo stop, near Mile 2..

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Heading up the hill going back to the finish

     

    Looking back down the hill

     

     

    After The Finish

     

    After that last photo, I trucked on into the finish where the Spurs Coyote - the mascot of the NBA San Antonio Spurs - was cheering everyone in at the finish line.  I crossed the finish line and then got a photo with Coyote.

     

    After that, I walked back along the course looking for my running buddy, George to cheer him in.  He is way faster than me, normally, and usually it's the other way around, he's waiting to cheer me in.  But today he was nursing a sore knee so I finished ahead of him for a change.  He came along and I cheered him on in and then it was back to the finish line where,  as folks crossed over the line volunteers were handing out  to finishers bottled water and some of the goodies the  cooks had prepared for us - sausage wraps.  I took water and a sausage wrap - really good sausage too! - and wandered around munching and getting post-race photos of  "Happy Finishers' et al...

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    EPILOG

     

    A very nice event at a very nice location.  Good cause, lots of friendly folks there, nice post-race goodies, and some pretty decent weather for January, which is usually one of the two coldest months of the year for us (February being the other).  Really enjoyed doing this one!

     

    After I was done, I went home to rest up a bit, because I followed my morning race with another race today at 4 PM - the Reagan High School Band 5K (report and photos:  http://www.runningahead.com/groups/BF_and_Beyond/forum/8e6e8ab79dde42759d657a94329cb7d6/resume#focus )

    "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt

    PADRunner


      Congrats on another one Scotty. Nice race and pics as usual.

        Those long sleeve t-shirts are pretty good looking.  Really like the color.   Was that really Coyote or perhaps "Pops" the head coach of the Spurs moonlighting in mid-season?    Dang, goodies off a grill after a 5K - incentive to run a lot of 5Ks.

        Good job Scottie!

        “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” - T.S. Eliot

        GinnyinPA


          Nice RR, Scotty.  New Braunfels seems to have a lot of races for a small town.  Looks like a nice one to run.


          SheCan

            He looks so much friendlier than the coyotes around here!

             

            Brrrrrr@ the lake picture with the mist coming off.  Very pretty park though, I'm really surprised at how many, many trees are around there.  Congratulations on race 6 (and 7!)

            Cherie

            "We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. "  ---- Shasta Nelson

            Pinktastic


              Another great race, Scotty!   I think that I've decided that the races around your area should pay you to run in them so that they can use your write-ups as future advertisement and they could promote you as part of their festivities - "Come out and run with the one and only ScottyDog!   Get your picture taken with him and win the chance to be included in his Great Legs calendar!"    I think you'd be a selling point for the races!   :-)

               

              Thanks for sharing the fun with us!   And, as always, love the pics!

              But The Smile That I Sent Out Returned With You.

              LRB


                That looks like a nice event for a good cause!

                LRB


                  I'm really surprised at how many, many trees are around there. 

                   

                  That was my thought my first time in Texas last year, there was as much green there as there is here!  I was expecting to see barren land with tumbleweeds rolling through.  lol

                  happylily


                    Although it looked a bit chilly, the light made everything glow and your pictures turned out beautiful, Scotty! What a beautiful park! Congratulations on your first race of the day!

                    PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013

                            Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013

                    18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010

                      Nice little hill there, too Smile

                      Zelanie


                        Looks like a great turnout for a fun run!  Beautiful lake photo, too!