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%2071%20Battle%20of%20Hillotes%205K

A couple of the photos may not have come out so well; sorry about that.   Plus, at times post-race I forgot to wipe my sweaty lens - duhhhh - so there might be a smudge or two on some of them. And for a few, when I asked someone to take a photo for me, I forgot to tell him/her how to focus the camera, duhhh..   All in all though, I think they came out fairly well.  I am certainly no professional photographer with skills; but at least all the photos are free to save.

BEFORE MY START

My 71^st race of 2017 was the Battle of Hillotes 5K.  There was also a 10K and the main event, the half marathon.  The race name is a play-on-words as the event was held in Helotes, Texas, and this area is VERY hilly.  The half started first at 7:30 a.m., the 10K at 8:10, and we 5K folks started last at 8:25.  This is a very popular event, part of the Scallywompus “Alamo Beer”series of various distance runs over a period of time that helps those training for the local San Antonio Rock n Roll marathon, half, 10K and 5K get in some training races.   Alamo Beer – a local brewery which makes my favorite local beer – is the major sponsor for this series.  Since my chosen event started last, I was able to sleep in a bit and arrived onsite just before the half marathon folks started. As usual, wandered around and got some pre-start photos before it was my turn to hit the course.

When I went to packet pickup and got my race shirt, I told some of my friends on FB that the shirt read "Half Marathon" with no mention of 5K or 10K, so I could never wear it since I did not do the half, I was doing the 5K.  My friend and shirt-printer for the race, Roger Soler (Soler Sports owner) read this and he had THIS shirt waiting for me the next day, lol.  Total surprise, and what a nice thing to do!  I did the 5K and then proudly wore this after as my dry shirt.  Nice to have local connections!  "Scottydog 5K"...lol!

With friend Tanya, who was first overall female for the 5K

Bike pacer for the half runners

Half folks getting ready to go

And those of us waiting now for our time to go, along with supporters, volunteers, etc

Our MC

Finisher medals for everyone!

These guys pushed that double stroller on the hilly 10K route

The unofficial photographer got a photo of the official photographer

My speedy friend Karla who passed me on my 5K route as she headed to the finish of her 10K

My speedwalker friend, Bert, who walks faster than I run

ON THE COURSE

Damn hilly.   I thought this course would be the same as the one for last year but nope, it was changed this year, and I ended up having to face THE DAMN HILL that I tore my right leg adductor on in 2016.  I swore I would never run this hill again but now here I was.  Well, certainly not going to quit…so up that hill I went and I BEAT it, all the way to the top nonstop, nice!  A really nice mental affirmation that my leg was doing okay, made me feel great.  Down the other side, then another uphill – shorter than the big hill – then down to a turn-round point and then back to the finish – thankfully not the way we had come out so I didn’t have to do the big hill twice.  I saw some of the speedy half leaders  heading toward the finish, since they started an hour before I did; and on my way to the 5K finish, some of the speedy 10K folks passed me right on by on the way to their finish.   I ended up with 35-minutes-and-change, good enough for 1^st in my 60 – 69 age group…mainly cuz I was the only one in my age group, lol. Don’t care, I will take it. 

The DAMN Hill that tore my adductor last year

Hard to take a photo when you are running up a hill, lol

Heading toward 5K turn-round...this half guy was heading to the finish

Tanya heading for her 5K win

Heading to the finish now...on my last walk break

Down this hill and around the curve..people on the left are 5K folks heading to the turnround point

This was an open road during the whole race...the Helotes drivers know of this race every year and were very courteous and patient and careful - at least where I was at any given time.

My walker friend Karen heading to 5K turn-around

10K folks...blonde lady is floating

After that, back the finish non-stop.

AFTER MY FINISH

Crossed the timing mat, got my chip taken off and then went and found my friend and race director Bart and gave him a BIG HUG for changing the course from last year, forcing me to face that hill again, which I had been avoiding.

Got a few photos of some others finishing...

This is the way to do a race, lol...sound asleep in the stroller.... 

Another floating lady...

My friend Raf, doing the timing...a little blurry

That's better...

After that, wandered around enjoying some of the post-race goodies – beer and sausage-on-a-stick for me, but there was also vodka, tequila, lots of various types of cookies, fresh fruit, energy drinks and nutrition bars, post-race free massages for those who wanted them….just a whole lot of stuff going on!  As I sipped my beer I wandered around getting some photos of the happy finishers, volunteers, supporters, etc.  Quite a few photos!

Done and NOW I can wear my race shirt....

A friend and I gave our finisher medals to these kids, so the whole little family each had a medal

One of my first stops after my finish...

Oh yeah....

If you ever go to a Scallywompus event, you'd think all runners are a buncha drinkers, lol

Yeah, think our MC has been into the stuff.... 

With friend Karen...I had really sweated on that course, so kindly held her nose..

With friend Liza Galvan who, back in the day, was on the New Zealand Olympics running team. Very speedy lady.

Award winners.  Scallywompus events have a competitive walker division too, very nice!  Awards were Mugs..and overalls got those brown jugs... either the overall people or the 1st place, I forget which..

And more happy people..

And as I finally walked back to my car.....said hello to this Longhorn along the way...only in Texas, lol...

EPILOGUE

The Scallywompus events are very popular locally.  Their motto is “Come for the race. Stay for the party.”  And they aren’t kidding, either. All kinds of food, vendor booths, music, raffle prizes, and stuff going on.  Everyone I saw seemed to be enjoying themselves.  Very nice locale for the race, Helotes, a small city bordering onto the San Antonio limits, and the after-party locale, near the start-and-finish was in an off-road cul-de-sac kind of area with plenty of room for everyone.  Really nice venue.  Race nonprofit recipient was Marrow Match, a good cause.  Scallywompus throws a heckuva party at its races and has some very good race venues and courses.  Definitely will continue to keep Scallywompus events on my race calendar!

MUCHO thanks to all the people who did all the hard work to make this one happen for the participants:  Scallywompus and Alamo Beer people; all the organizers, sponsors, volunteers, etc; law enforcement people that were out there for us; iaapweb for timing and results; all the Helotes vendors and businesses and the residents that let us invade their space for a few hours; our MC and sound guy who both did a great job; and anyone else I may have not mentioned – apologies if I did not mention you – who was involved.  Without all of you doing what you do, there would be no events for us participants to do, so thank you very much!

This had me smiling the whole way through!  Thanks for the report, and yay for beating The Hill!