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
Here is yet another of my photo reports. Full report below.
Link to photos only: http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2017%20Race%20Reports/2017%20Race%20No%2031%20Girls%20On%20The%20Run%205K
A couple of the photos came out a bit blurry, sorry about that, I am definitely no professional photographer, lol, but at least the photos are free.
BEFORE MY START
My 31st race of 2017 was the Girls On The Run(GOTR) 5K held at Comanche Park in San Antonio. GOTR (www.gotrsanantonio.org) “inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.” They have an annual 5K which, this year, had about 800 registered, so quite a nice turn-out. Race start time was 9:30 am, which allowed me to sleep in a bit, but that was probably a mistake, lol, as parking was crazy by the time I got there. Found my spot and, since I had pre-registered and already picked up my race packet, all I had to do was get my timing chip and then I had a bit of time to wander around and get some pre-start photos.
Me and friend Mitch, co-owner of iRun Texas running store in San Antonio. Plug for my friend: Go buy shoes at his store, his staff will take good care of you.
Our music and sound man
MC giving us instructions, etc
My friend Trinnie with her team
This guy did a beautiful job of singing the National Anthem, unaccompanied by music. Impressive voice.
Others
Getting ready to start.....in the crowd....
And we are off....
ON THE COURSE
The course was an out-and-back on paved park trails, a mix of cement and asphalt trails. Comanche Park is great because lots of their trail areas are shaded, which was helpful on this warm May day, with temps near 70 by 9:30 a.m., but thankfully the humidity was not yet too high, so that helped, but you could still feel it a bit, especially on the way back, as the last ¼ mile to the finish pretty much had no shade. Even so, I felt pretty comfortable running out there, and it was a nicely designed course. I found out that I had finished 2nd in my 60 – 65 age group, sweet, with a chip time of 34:49. Of course there were only three IN my age group, lol, so that helped.
Of course, with 800 participants – and mostly young ones – the trail got a bit crowded, and it was kind of difficult moving around people in some places and lots of times I had to come up a bit short as people passed in front of me, around me, stopped suddenly, etc. After I finished and was sitting for a while, sipping my cold drink, I heard a guy behind me saying the very same thing, he had been "impeded a couple of times, etc. Me not being a very shy person, lol, I turned around and asked him if he had done this one before and he said no, first time, he had a niece who was doing this one. So I told him, well, you have to expect that at this event. I’ve done this event several times in the past and so you just have to take everything in stride (no pun intended) and go in realizing this is a run for the young ladies, it is THEIR accomplishment in the GOTR program, THEIR 5K, not ours, and so with this event if you are an experienced runner who chooses to do this one, well, you just kick back, have some fun, enjoy the scenery, encourage and support the GOTR young ladies on, and keep your sense of humor about it all, and don’t let anything on the course upset you. You just finish when you finish. The guy laughed and said 'point taken..I need to come in with a new attitude next year." After that we had a nice conversation about this-and-that and he turned out to be a pretty nice guy. Funny how things work out sometimes.
Over this bridge
and across and past this stream...
My friends Jose and Minie greeted me at the turn-around point
Heading back to the finish
Finished near my friend, Ronnie, here...nice iced towels handed out at the finish, sweet..
Ronnie needed a little nap after her finish, so I held her up..
AFTER MY FINISH
Got a few photos and then went for the goodies. Wasn’t all that hungry for the bagels, fruit, etc. and there were also post-race burritos, but I went right for that H-E-B Quench drink (similar to Gatorade) on ice, and that sure hit the spot after a bit of a warm run. Then I wandered around chatting with various people and getting some post-race photos.
Some of the post-race goodies
Happy finishers, supporters, et al...
This little girl cracked me up. She told me "I crossed the mat thingy..so where's my medal?" lol.
My friend told me this little darling is currently fighting cancer. So I went to my car and got one of my shirts - a clean one - and gave it to her. I told her it was a bit big for her, but I knew she would grow into it after she beat her cancer. She is such a sweetie and I wish her all the best.
Yay, medal winners
My speedy friends Kristen and Erik. Kristin was first overall female
The three ladies who do all the hard work to get this one to happen every year.
People from Street2Feet running program. They have an annual race too, a really great one.
EPILOGUE
Kudos to Race Director Sally Seeker for getting a great event organized and having it grow so much this year. Of course that is both good and bad. Good because it is a popular event; bad because if it keeps growing, the park venues will be out and the race will have to be “taken to the streets”, which means more costs for the race for paid road closures, etc. Maybe Sally has a friend who can talk to one of our local rich guys – like Bill G. at Haven for Hope – who might sponsor the road closures. It could work, right? Well, whatever happens, this is a very fun event and always enjoy seeing the enthusiasm of these young runners just starting out. Definitely a keeper on the race calendar.
Mucho thanks to all the people who did all the hard work to make this one happen for we participants…the RD, all volunteers, sponsors, vendors, park police who I saw out there keeping an eye on things to help us be safe, et al. Thank you so much, we runners and walkers could not enjoy these events without what all of you do for us.
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt