Beginners and Beyond

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Race #81 of 2017: Scallywompus 15 miler, 10 miler, and 5K (Read 2 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.”

     

    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.   

     

    Slide show of photos only: 

    http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2017%20Race%20Reports/2017%20Race%20No%2081%20Scallywompus%205K%2010%20Miles%2015%20Miles?sort=2 

     

    BEFORE MY START

    The Scallywomps Series of races starts in August and are races of different events that gradually build up distance in anticipation of participating in the San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon/Half Marathon in December.  For those that don't do longer distances but want to participate, there is usually a 5K distance at the events.  Scallywompus events support Marrow Match bone marrow nonprofit organization. Scallwompus also has other events throughout the year, and great after-race parties.  The motto of Scallywompus is "Come for the Race. Stay for the Party."

     

    This was my 81st race of 2017, held on Nov 19th on the Leon Creek Greenway Trails near The University of Texas at San Antonio.  There was a 15-miler, a 10-miler and a 5K.  I did the 5K.  The 5K folks were the last to go, at 8:45 a.m.  The 15-milers went first, pretty early and then the 10-milers went next, about 15 minutes or so before the 5K folks.

     

    I arrived on site with about an hour to go to the 5K.  The 15-mile participants had already begun. I wandered around for a while taking photos of the participants, supporters, volunteers, etc., that were still there.  For we South Texans, the weather was a bit chilly - in the 40s in the early morning - yes, that is COLD for we South Texans, lol, considering on my race the day before, the start time had ben 68 degrees, so we had a 20-something drop in temp in one day - so lots of people wearing long-sleeved shirts, jackets, etc.  I just wore a long-sleeved base layer and took that off right before the 5K started and ran in my short-sleeved shirt and was fine - as long as I was moving, lol.  Was glad to have that dry base layer to put back on after I finished.  Some people were quite fine with the chilliness, a few were not even wearing shirts.  We did have a bright sunshiny day for the event, so at least we did not have a cold rain to go with the chill.

     

    After I arrived on site, I got "stoned"....

     

     

    And my closeup...thank you Mr. Demille (and if you know that reference, you must be as old as me, lol)

     

     

    Team RWB (Red White Blue - a veteran's group) - Veteran Dog

     

     

    Various participants, volunteers, vendors, etc. and me with a few of them

     

     

     

     

     

     

    My 4-legged friend with human.  Azula is always happy to see me, lol, she knows I carry treats.

     

     

    Where's the biscuit, where's the biscuit?

     

     

    Another 4-legged friend happy to see me...Duke with human pal...Duke is VERY speedy...he and his human did the 10 miler today and placed

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    10 milers getting ready to go and getting some instructions

     

     

     

    My friend Nick was the bike pacer for the 10 milers

     

    Somebody has warm legs...

     

     

     

    Our "Saturday Night Fever in Black" MC, Jason

     

     

    iaapweb guys for the timing and results

     

    Marrow Match volunteers.  I did not know until today you had to be 44 and below in age to donate bone marrow

     

     

    Alamo Beer guys ready for the finishers, volunteers, etc.  I did see a few of the volunteers walking around already with their beers, lol, before the start.  Of course, those volunteers had to be there REALLY early, so they'd been working hours before I got on site.

     

     

     

    Race Director Bart....don't have a cow, man...oh, wait..wrong Bart...

     

     

     

     

    The speedy lady on the right was overall 5K first woman.

     

     

    The lady on the left was a volunteer for this event, so she did the 5K on her own early and then volunteered at the event for the rest of us.  Nice. And thank you!

     

    A deer friend of mine..

     

     

    ON THE COURSE

    The 5K course was an out-and-back along asphalt and concrete surfaces, starting at a local apartment complex and then onto the Leon Creek Greenway trail, part of the 'greenway system' of trails the city of San Antonio has been steadily building.  A lot of the different trail systems connect with each other so you can ride, walk, bike, or hike, a long ways on some of these.  The 5K course took us out to a turn-around point at a nearby Drury Inn which was alongside the frontage road of Interstate 10, where we turned around and went back the way we had come, finishing up back at the apartment complex.   I ended up 1st in my age group of 60 - 69, with a time of 32 minutes and change.  The nice thing about Scallywompus events is that Race Director Bart often goes 4 to 6 people deep for awards, depending on the turnout for the event.  So even a slow old guy like me has a shot at getting a medal, lol.  Scallywompus also has a "Competitive Walker" division, which is a nice touch for the walkers,  they get their own separate age-group medals.

     

     

     

    As I was going out to the turn-round point, some of the people coming back toward me were the 10-miler folks doing part of their course.

     

     

    At my pace, sometimes it was lonely, lol.

     

     

     

     

     

    Heading back to the finish now.  That lady in white shirt ahead of me was doing a pretty good pace so my goal became to keep her in sight.

     

     

    My competitive walker friend, Karen.  She was happy with her results, she had negative splits for the 5K.  Way to go!

     

    After that, ran nonstop to the finish.  I did catch up to White Shirt Lady and passed her with about 1/4 mile to go. I was feeling pretty good out there for my 2nd race of the weekend.

     

    AFTER MY FINISH

    Right to my first stop and my favorite vendors - The Alamo Beer folks.   Alamo Beer is my favorite locally brewed beer, love their 'Golden."

     

     

    Besides beer, there were lots of other goodies, as you can see...pizza; sausage on stick in 2 'flavors', regular or jalapeno; and even a Vodka concoction drink...

     

     

     

     

     

    And, of course, lots of happy - and sometimes tired, especially if you did the 15 miler or the 10 miler - finishers, along with vendors, supporters, participants, volunteers, etc.

     

    Duke and Bill finished the 10 Miler shortly after I finished the 5K..they are very speedy.

     

     

    Bribing Duke with sausage to try and get him to look at the camera, lol

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Standing with lovely ladies...I look great!  

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    These were the Age Group awards...the brown jugs were for overall winners

     

    Our "Vanna White" of the awards, setting up and handing out...

     

    My friend Julie placed

     

    My friend Max and his "Charlie's Angels" lady friends, lol, along with "Bosley".. 

     

     

    With two AWESOME friends, Dan and Dee...they are amazing and inspirational

     

     

     

    Azula post-race...still looking for biscuits, lol.

     

    OK, no biscuit...I've lost interest then...

     

    My amazing friend, Carolyn, who has overcome a lot...she did the 10-miler.

     

     

    EPILOGUE

    Love the Scallywompus Events and do quite a few of them doing the year.  There are even a couple of night-time ones too.  Bart and his staff and volunteers throw a heck of an event, they have become some of the most popular local race events around. Nice courses - sometimes challenging, lol, like the events in Helotes TX where it is VERY hilly - and always great stuff after.  Nice tech tees, nice finisher medals and very unique age group awards and overall winner awards. Definitely will continue to do these.  If you are a runner or walker coming to San Antonio to visit, look for a Scallywompus event and then sign up.  You will not regret it.

     

    MUCHO Thanks to all the people that made this one happen for us:  Scallywompus, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, law enforcement that was there for us, the residents of the apartment complex that let us invade their space for a few hours, and the many more I may not have mentioned here.  Without all of you, there no race for we participants, so thank you very much!

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