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 report below.     

Link to photos only:

https://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2019%20Race%20Reports/2019%20Race%20Number%2034%20Luke%20Holler%205K

BEFORE MY START

My 34^th race of 2019 was the Luke Holler 5K on June 1, held at Bulverde City Park in Bulverde, Texas.  Being a veteran myself I try to do several veteran-related events over the year. I was never in actual combat, but of my 24 years in the Air Force, 18 of them were overseas, including assisting with the 1975 evacuation of refugees from Saigon, and being in Somalia during the time of the “Black Hawk Down” battle.  I remember during my career thinking jokingly to myself at times “Jeez, I am an Air Force guy with absolutely no combat training at all; I fired the M-16 ONCE in basic training when I was 18 and still can’t hit a barn door even if I was standing right next to it; why do I keep ending up in places where people are shooting at me?”  lol.  Well, one thing I learned, you just have to try and keep your sense of humor whenever you can and poke fun at yourself, it helps. I tell you what, though, I have a VERY soft spot in my heart for the combat Marines and Army folks, especially the Marine detachment, the 10^th Mountain Quick Reaction Force and a handful of Army Rangers who I interacted with in Somalia; these are the people who ‘crash-coursed’ me on some things and especially helped get my noncombatant-trained Air Force butt back home safely; they will always have my greatest respect and appreciation.

This annual 5K run/walk is done in honor or Luke Holler, Marine from San Antonio’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion who was KIA in 11/2/06 by a roadside bomb in western Iraq’s Al-Anbar province while soldiers were extracting his unit from a reconnaissance mission.  This event is done annually to remember the sacrifices made for freedom and to remember, respect, and honor Luke’s personal sacrifice. Proceeds benefit the Recon and Sniper Foundation, providing veterans with the resources and supporting infrastructure they need to make a meaningful transition back to civilian life.

Race start time of 8 a.m., with packet pickup on race day, starting at 7 a.m. I arrived onsite with about an hour to go to start time, got my packet and race bib and then got a few photos before the race started.

All services represented

Race backdrop

Me in front of backdrop

With friend Minerva

Our Grill-Master, cooking it up for post-race

Semper Fi!  As you can see, this is a dog-friendly event.  Marine "Devil Dogs" and the 4-legged kind...  

Athlete Guild guy in a quiet moment before the event starts

Various volunteers, participants, etc.

Me and my speedy friend Bernadette

Two very speedy runners

Marine Color Guard for the event.  sorry, blurred this one  a bit

Getting ready to start..

ON THE COURSE

Usual Texas weather for the start of June – warm and humid, with a temp in the mid-70’s already and humidity at about 80-something percent.  Yeah, you could feel it a bit…but hey, you live in Texas, you just deal with it and get it done.

Out-and-back course from the city park.  Started inside the park, made a turn onto a local road, then a turn onto another road which took us to our turn-round point, and then back the way we’d come.  I noticed the turn-round point was just a tad longer out, making this 3.2 miles instead of 3.1, and as I was making the turn-round, I jokingly thought those Recon Batallion folks at the event were really making us work for this one, lol. It was all good, though; nicely thought out mostly flat course – hey, they could have taken us in the other direction and we would have had some major hills – with a couple of small inclines.

The course is open to traffic but where I was I never saw anyone having any problems with the few vehicles I did see on the road, and the drivers were pretty patient and polite about it all.  I did stop to take a couple  more photos than I usually do and I ended up with a chip-time finish of 35:20, for 4^th in my age group.

The guy who got 3^rd in my age group finished 27 seconds ahead of me, so kudos to him.  I guess stopping on the way back for those last couple of photos cost me there; but I don’t care, I really don’t think about getting an award, I mainly just run for my personal enjoyment and if I get a medal that’s just a bonus; it’s all good.  The overall winner finished in a speedy 21:40, wow, doing a 6-something per mile average on this humid day.

Also, a touching moment when some of the members of Luke’s original battalion group – a couple of them Wounded Warriors themselves, if I remember hearing the announcer correctly – came into the finish to rousing cheers from all of us.  I run out at JBSA Fort Sam Houston quite a bit and over time see quite a few of the Wounded Warriors out there doing their thing, running, walking, exercising in the gym, etc., and they never cease to amaze and inspire me. You talk about Never Give Up…these ladies and gentlemen live it every day.

Just a bit past the 1/2 mile mark

People on the left are already heading to the finish

Made the turn-round.  Looking back the way I'd just come

Looking front again

Friend Tammy coming up behind me

Just past 2 miles....here's the beef, Tammy! 

We had a lot of these flowers along the way.  Very colorful

AFTER MY FINISH

First, get some water!  Found a nice cool spot under one of the sponsor tents – thanks for their hospitality – and sat sipping my water – and treating a nearby dog to some of my leftover doggie treats, lol – and just cooling off.  After that, enjoyed a post-race sausage wrap and walked around here-and-there getting some random photos of the happy finishers, volunteers, supporters, etc.

A few people coming in after I did

Some of Luke's battalion guys

Various finishers, supporters, etc.  The first few photos, it took me a minute or so to realize I had a sweat spot on my lens.  i have such great camera skills, lol. 

Bernadette, 1st in her age group

This lady was first overall woman.  Sammy was first in his age group

Finisher medal that all finishers got

Nice bling

EPILOGUE

Very nice after-party with grilled sausage wraps, grilled chicken wraps, ice-cold bottles of water – nice after a humid run – and various types of sodas, chips, fruits, and so forth.  Raffle tickets for sale for a prize of an M-4 (I think it was M-4 if I remember correctly) rifle with custom cerekot coating; DJ playing some music, pretty nice quality race tee shirts and a nice goodie bag for participants.  This is actually the first time I’ve done this event (I think this was the 4^th annual one) and I certainly would do it again and would recommend it to others.  It was a very enjoyable event, well done by the organizers, and a worthy cause, and lots of camaraderie among the veterans.  I have only one regret, that I did not do all of them after this event first started.  This sure will be a regular one on my future race calendars.

Much thanks to all the people who made this one happen for us:  Athlete Guild for doing the timing, results, etc; all the volunteers and sponsors; the Recon and Sniper Foundation; the family of Luke Holler; law enforcement out there; our food preparers; and anyone else I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you so much for what you do so we participants can have this event.

New venue and a good cause - almost makes up for the lack of beer. Right?

 

When is your surgery?

Probably end of July, first part of August, so no running for 4 weeks after that.