Barking Mad To Run
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.”
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; conversation forums for runners; and much more
I don’t have great camera skills and take photos with a camera that is like me - old fashioned, lol - so sorry if a photo appears a bit blurry, etc. However, they are free to save, share, etc.
Here is yet another of my photo reports. Full commentary report below.
Photos Slideshow is here:
https://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2019%2520Race%2520Reports/2109%2520Race%2520Number%252055%2520Cleft%2520Strong%25205K?sort=2
BEFORE MY START
My 55th race of 2019, was held on October 12t at Los Patios, a local San Antonio area restaurant that borders on the off-road paved trails of Lady Bird Johnson Park. Start time of 8:30 a.m. This event supports Cleft Strong, an organization that helps children and infants born with cleft palates. Los Patios is only about 7 miles from where I live, so it did not take me long to get there, find some parking, and then get a few pre-start photos. There were about 150 or so participants for this event. There was also a kids’ run and a Disney-themed costume contest for both adults and kids.
Welcome to the event
Kids Run start line
At the event with friends
Friend Deborah
Various
ON THE COURSE
A “cold front had blown into San Antonio from Canada, dropping our temps from the 90s down into the 50s – so thank you Canada. It was very pleasant, with very low humidity and a start temp of 59 - 60 degrees. We started in the parking lot in front of Los Patios, made a right turn onto off-road paved trails and then proceeded below an underpass that goes under local Highway 410. We then went to a turn-round point and then came back the way we had come out, finishing back at the Los Patios parking area. I was feeling pretty good and so pushed myself a bit after the turn-round point, running nonstop for the last 1.2 miles. I ended up with a chip-time of 35:01 and was very happy about this; my first below 12-minute miles since I got my pacemaker inserted. Still not quite where I want to be, but I am making progress. I got 1st in my age group of 60 – 69 males. Of course, it did help that there were only two in my age group.
My camera us not great at catching things in motion, but managed to get a blurry image of this deer crossing in front of us on the course.
Dog friendly event. Git along lil doggie!
A bit blurry image of my Longhorn friend on the course
Mr. Incredible was going so fast I blame him for the blur..
After My Finish
Nice post-race event. Goodies included a variety of breakfast tacos, bottled water, various fruits and other stuff, and a local brewery – if I remember correctly, it was Weathered Souls, a perfect brewery for Halloween month - was even on site with a nice ‘blonde’ locally brewed beer. It’s pretty good too. Between munching on a taco and getting some water and beer in me, I wandered around taking some various photos. Lots of vendors at this one, and also one of the local animal shelters was there to promote dog adoptions. There was also a nice ceremony before the awards were given in which one of the cleft palate kids ‘read’ a poem he had written about his experience and his mother read it aloud also. Pretty moving and you really get a ‘personal’ look about what this event is all about and who some of the kids are that are being helped.
Done! Hydrated and now it's time to enjoy a beer
This lady won the adult female costume contest
Our MC, who did a great job
Our Race Director, who also did a great job
Various happy finishers, volunteers, etc
Me and Deborah with our age group award medals
Age Groups medal design
EPILOGUE
I’ve done this race a couple of times in the past. Well organized, with a nice opening ceremony – in which a kid’s choir did the National Anthem acapella and did a heck of a job – a really good course, lots and lots of vendors giving away free stuff, and very nice post-race food goodies. Nice quality race shirts and pretty nice-looking age-group award medals too. The overall winners got nice trophies. I will definitely be doing this one again in the future and would recommend it to others.
Thanks to all the folks who made this event happen for we participants: Wilson County Road Runners; volunteers; all the sponsors; the medical and law enforcement folks out there for us; the Floresville residents and the drivers who were very patient with us on the course; and anyone else I may not have mentioned.
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
Go figure
Good looking socks you had there! Congrats on the AG award...that's always fun! Also, post race breakfast tacos would make this race a no-brainer for me!
Trying to find some more hay to restock the barn
I'm so glad you are getting back to your normal running again. Does it feel much different, running with the pacemaker?
Actually, better. I probably should have done it earlier. I put the doc off for almost 2 years before I got the thing.