Beginners and Beyond

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Running in Washington State: Mattawa 5K (Read 5 times)

scottydawg


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.”

     

    Here is yet another of my Race Reports with Photos.  I am not exactly a good photographer but hey, at least all the photos are free so my ‘subjects’ can save and share their photos if they so desire. Mucho thanks to all the people I interacted with at this event for their graciousness, patience, and good humor in letting me take photos of them.

     

    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!

     

    BEFORE THE START

     

    This was my 36th race of 2016.  My wife and I went to Wenatchee, Washington for her 40th high school reunion. While there I found this 5K to do on July 31 in Mattawa, Washington, about an hour's drive from Wenatchee, where my wife grew up.  Mattawa is a scenic and friendly little town and this event was an inaugural one for the town, put on in association with their "City Days" festival, if I remember correctly.   A pretty small event with maybe about 30 or so participants and awards only to first place male and female.  I ended up finishing in 34:14 and actually running most of the last 1.5 miles non-stop, which I have not done since before I had my leg adductor tear back in March, so this was quite a mental lift for me to know I am finally, slowly and surely, getting back to my pre-injury abilities.

     

    Here I am after safely arriving in Mattawa.  I did manage to find the place even though I am directionally challenged at times, lol.

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    The "unofficial photographer (me) with the official photographer

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    Some of the volunteers and participants before the start

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    ON THE COURSE

     

    Pretty flat course, considering all the hills I drove to get to Mattawa, lol.  I was pretty much expecting a hilly course after that drive from Wenatchee.  But the course turned out to be pretty much flat, with just a small gradual incline climb after the halfway turn-around point.  We started and finished on paved roads, with a gravel/dirt terrain in the middle of the course.

     

    Off the paved road and onto the gravel part, with an orchard on our right.  When we first headed this way, I thought we might go up that big hill in front of us...

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    Looking back the way I'd just come

     

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    Ahead again....

     

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    We did NOT go up the big hill (Whew, thank goodness) - we turned down this road and continued going by the orchard to the turn-around point guy holding the sign

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    Heading toward the finish

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    yeah, when you are slow and in a small event, it can be lonely at times, lol

     

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    I actually did manage to catch up and pass a few people.  Then it was back onto the paved road and there was "Old Glory" waving in the breeze to greet me, which I thought was nice for a grizzled old-fart vet like me, lol.

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    AFTER THE FINISH

     

    Well, I managed not to finish last, lol.  34:14 finish time.  Got some water, did a small cool-down walk and then got some photos of some of the folks there after the finish.

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    Even away from home I manage to find a photo opportunity with some pretty ladies, lol.  Yeah, this is how we old men make ourselves look good - stand with pretty ladies! 

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    Epilogue

     

    If I'm ever up there again at this time of year, I definitely would do this one again.  It's not a big, fancy, event with a lot of 'hoopla" and medals and door prizes and so forth, like lots of races are, and goodies afterwards consisted of water and gatorade, and I get it - small town, probably a small budget, do what you can with what you have - and I have no heartburn with that at all. This was a fun event and I met some of the friendliest people ever, who welcomed me with open arms and allowed this complete stranger to them to take photos for my race report.  The course was very nice and quite unique to the race courses I usually do in San Antonio.  Nice to do something different once in a while!   Definitely would recommend this one to my fellow runners and walkers.  Mucho thanks to all the volunteers and Mattawa people that got this one organized for we participants, and thanks to the local law enforcement there for watching out for us on the one road turn we had to do.   Thank you, Mattawa, for taking care of this visitor!

     

    BONUS PHOTOS: THE DRIVE HOME

     

    These were the road views I had driving out to and back from Mattawa.  I did not have time to take photos going out, but I made a leisurely drive on the way back to Wenatchee and took these.  A very pretty drive, with the Columbia River nearby.

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    This is a dam I was heading towards

     

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