I won't bore y'all with posting all the many photos I took for this one., will just put a few here.  If you do want to see all of them:

Photos are here:    https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO5xgYk5LlrCf-crt854GhtROPIG60cj6n_oW0nR2jCq3SZxh_d5DzM4MtOAp9w_w?key=OGVYeUhLVHZwOVYxaVJXMnRlVGNKYWduYk5OQ2pR

BEFORE MY START: My 2nd race of 2020 was the River Road Run 5K held in New Braunfels, Texas. The main event was a half-marathon and there was also a 10K. This event is part the series of 4 Texas Hill Country races put on my local running/race company Scallywompus. River Road in New Braunfels runs alongside the Guadalupe River in Comal County. These are very popular events and the half sold out. There was quite a nice turnout also for the 10K and the 5K. The half started at 8:01, the 10K started at 8:31 and the 5K started at 9:01. By the time I got there the half folks had already gone, so I wandered around and took a few pre-start photos of some of the 10K and 5K folks. For this event, we had what weather forecasters call “abundant sunshine”, but for while it was still a little chilly for we South Texans, with the temp at 7:30 a.m. hovering around 37 – 38 degrees. By the time the 5K started, the temp had reached the lower 40s, so before I started the race I dumped my top long-sleeved layer shirt and ran in a short-sleeved shirt and felt fine.

Friend Dan cooking up the sausages for the post-race goodies

10K folks getting ready to start

Waitng for the 5K start, with friends Bill and Joe.  We are all veterans.  Bill was an 82nd Airborne combat medic, Joe Navy, and me Air Force.  Between the 3 of us we have quite the medical history, we've had so much stuff going on, lol.  If you put all our medical records together, we'd probably have 20 volumes, lol.

With friend Bernadette.  She ended up with 88 races for 2019.  Me only 67.  That darn pacemaker surgery threw me off track for the year. 

ON THE COURSE: This series in not called Texas Hill Country for nothing. First half-mile or so was fairly flat, with a slight down incline as we crossed a bridge over the Guadalupe River. After the bridge we then began to climb a bit. That leveled off after a while, but having done this event last year I knew there was a 2nd part to this hill after we went around an upcoming road curve. That second hill climbed us up to another level part of the road where we 5K folks then went to our turn-round and headed back. The half and 10K folks, having longer courses, kept going ahead and they had several more hills than we 5K folks did. After the turn-round the return trip to the finish was now mostly downhill – which I do not prefer, as downhills are harder than uphills on my spine arthritis – but I managed to do okay. The last ½ mile, or maybe just a tad under ½ mile, is all flat to the finish. I ended up with a 34:14 chip time, good enough for 4th in my 60 – 65 age group, and I did negative splits for this event, with my last mile being 11:06. Slowly but surely, me and my pacemaker are getting back to where my times were before my pacemaker. The road was open to traffic. Where I was at any given moment, we were all helping each other out with call-outs of “Car Back” and so forth, and the drivers for the most part were pretty patient about it all. That may have been helped by the presence of several police vehicles also driving and parked on the course, with the officers keeping eyes open for the safety of us all.

Just about to the mile mark here.  Standing on a bridge on the course, getting a nice view of the Guadalupe River.

Looking behind me, runners crossing the bridge.  Road was open to traffic.

About halfway up the first hill we had to climb

Looking back behind me, toward the river

Cresting the hill

Wheeled friendly event, but a tough course to push it on

After I made the turn-round.  For a 'country road', this is a pretty well-used road by traffic.  The drivers were very patient and careful, thank goodness; and there was a high police presence too along the course, so that helped.

The BBQ place was actually open;  but I think I better wait until after I finish.

On the way back to the finish.  Around that road curve, on the way out, was the bridge where we crossed the river.

The finish line.  This was also a dog-friendly event

After My Finish: The motto of Scallywompus is “Come for the race. Stay for the party.” They sure live up to it. Really nice after-party with pizza slices, sausage-on-a-stick, beer provided by Alamo Beer, and Bloody Mary’s with vodka. There was also water and various other drinks for the non-alcohol drinkers. Scallywompus has everyone covered. Between sausage bites and beer swallowing, I wandered around getting some after-photos of the happy finishers, supporters, volunteers, vendors, etc.

Ran a bit on the course with this young lad.  After he finished, he told his mom he wanted to go find me and thank me because I had motivated and helped him on the course.  Aww, very nice, his parents are raising him right. 

With his mother and brother who also did the 5K

They also had a whole family team there...

My speedy friend here, Woody, did the half in 1:35 and change, and then enjoyed a post-race pizza slice

My speedy friends Bill and Luna, who did the half.  Bill came in 2nd overall in the half.

With another survivor (breast cancer).  She did the 10K

Yay, beer!   Folks from Alamo Brewery there for us.

5-Year age groups up to four places.  I was surprised to find I had placed.  4th in my age group, but I placed, lol.  Bernadette was first in her age group.

Funny how dogs behave and look at the camera for me when they know I have treats for them, lol

With friend Krista, who has done I forget how many halfs this past year, as part of a local running group here called Half Fanatics.

With Race Director Tony, one all-around good guy

Nice quality tech-tee long-sleeve race shirt.  They tend to run large, but this time ran a bit small, so I ended up getting the wrong size.  My wife claimed it, since it fit her perfectly.  I admit, she does look better in it than I do, lol

This was the finisher medal that all finishers got. Medal on top, with the bottom beer-bottle opener included

EPILOGUE: This is the second time this event has been at this location and it is a pretty nice one. I much prefer this location to the old location at a place called The Ice House, where there was a MONSTER hill all participants wend down at the start and then had to climb up right before crossing the finish line. The hills at the newer location – at least for the 5K anyway – are not that bad and also there are some really nice views of the Guadalupe River along this course. There was on the old course too, but I just like this one better. Really nice finisher medal for everyone and a nice quality long-sleeved tech tee. Usually the Scallywompus shirts run a bit large for me, so I got a medium. However, this one actually was a bit tight. My wife did not mind at all, though, and was glad to claim the tech tee as her own. I must admit she does look better in it than I do.

MUCHO THANKS to all the people who made this one happen for us, including Race Director Tony; MC Lana; music guy Paul; bike guy the other Paul; iaapweb for the course setup, timing, and results; Dan-The-Man and the Munster Squad for the post-race sausages-on-a-stick; all our volunteers, sponsors, and law enforcement folks out there for us; Anytime Fitness for opening its doors for us all; and anyone else I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all so much for what you do so we participants can have this event.

I always love your RR and pics. Sounds like it was fun.