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 a slideshow of just the photos: http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2016%20Race%20Reports/2016%20Race%2056%20Battle%20of%20Hillotes%205K

BEFORE THE START

Battle of Hillotes 5K was my 56th race of 2016.  There was also a half marathon and a 10K.  Held in Helotes, Texas, a small town adjacent to San Antonio limits, this event is part of the Scallwompus series of training races that helps prepare runners and walkers for the upcoming Rock n Roll San Antonio Marathon and Half Marathon.  This race is named HILLotes because the RD ain't kidding.  Helotes is one hilly town and, wow, participants were certainly on them for this event - especially the half marathon folks who, on their course, had to do one certain 'hill from hell" - twice, as all the courses were out-and-back.    Back in March, one of these darn Helotes hills tore my adductor and I have not run in Helotes since then.  I figured it was finally time to face Helotes hills again and 'get over it' - literally, lol - so I started small with the 5K which had less hills than the 10K or half.

Half folks started at 7:30 a.m., 10K folks started at 8:10 a.m. and 5K folks - the event with the smallest number of participants - started at 8:25. So when I arrived onsite at 6:45 a.m., I had plenty of time to wander around and get some pre-start photos.  A "cold front' had moved into San Antonio area on Thursday so by Saturday morning, the temp was 42 degrees - which after a bunch of high 80s and 90s during the week was quite chilly for us. I actually wore a base layer under my shirt, took it off right before my race started, and then put it back on underneath my shirt again after I finished so as not to get chilled, which worked well.  Anyway, we had some very pleasant running weather in the upper 40s and then low-to-mid 50s after the sun came up.  As you can see from some of the photos, some of we 'non-real-winter' folks were wrapped up a bit.

Inside Soler Sports, which kindly opened their doors for race registration, restroom facility, and to stay warmed up.  Big thanks to Roger Soler and family!

With my friends Michelle and Scallywompus Director Bart, a real 'salt-of-the-earth" guy.   Alamo Beer is a major sponsor of Bart's events, so I wore one of the Alamo Beer shirts I'd gotten from a past event.

Two of the race day volunteer angels, one wearing her halo...

My lovely friends Daisy and Karen

More participants, volunteers, etc.

Half marathon folks getting ready to go...

...and they are off!  That black dog there is my friend, Duke, with his human, Bill.  They are really fast and did the half in 1 hour and something.

10K and 5K folks now wait....

These two are wearing the race shirt participants got

Roger Soler, former Olympic Trials runner; co-owner of Soler Sports

10K folks getting ready to start..

5K folks, volunteers, supporters etc. are the only ones around now.

Our music and sound man

Convenient.  Bart always has this company at his races.  You can rent one of these for a nominal fee and lock up your stuff during the race so you don't have to leave anything in the car.

ON THE 5K COURSE

Half and 10K folks were long gone.  We 5k folks for a while had the roads all to ourselves.  Start from Soler
Sports parking lot, down a small incline, up a small incline to a turnround point, down a small incline, right turn, down a hill...flat for a bit...then up..up..a hill...then down another hill to the road below, flat to the turn-round point, then back the way we came with that downhill before the turnround becoming the longest on-course uphill on our way back. Also, right before we finished, we had to climb another incline right before going into the parking lot at Soler Sports to finish.  Not too bad for we 5K folks, but I thought after all the hills the half folks had to do, their legs must have been really loving this last up-incline to the finish, lol.   I did pretty well, ran all the hills on the 5K course nonstop - my walk breaks were on the flatter parts of the course for the most part, just the way the timer thing worked out - and also ran the last 1.2 miles to the finish nonstop.  Ended up with 35-something, for 2nd in my age group for the 5K of 60 - 69.  Actually, I think there were only TWO in my age group, lol.  So I was both second and last.

These folks coming toward me were the leaders of the 5K....I think.  After I made the turn around point some of the speedier 10K folks also began passing me on their way to the finish.

5K turn around.  The guy on the left coming toward the cone is one of the 10K participants.

I am on the right side of the road now, heading back

I

AFTER MY FINISH

Done! And got a finisher medal.

Me and friend Roy

Got some water, did my post-race stretches...and then off to get some refreshment...from Gene, owner of Alamo Beer (right) and fellow server....

Oh yeah....

Parrrrrty!  There was also tequila....

Vodka and bloody marys

and kiolbassa sausage

And after that, wandering around taking photos of the after-party, people, etc.  That sign at the start line area - "Come for the race. Stay for the party" - isn't kidding.  One heckuva nice party, with beautiful weather to accompany it.

I went into the store to take my shirt off and put my base layer back on underneath it.  This lovely little lady was fascinated by my medal.....so I gave it to her as a gift.

My friend Michelle, volunteer at the finish line, handing out finisher medals.

My speedy half marathon friends, Duke and his human.

As you can see I am wearing a medal...cuz after I gave mine to the little girl in the photo above, one of the race organizers had seen me do that and gave me another one; very nice.

My friends Bert and Daisy.  Daisy got her money's worth, lol.  She took a wrong turn off the 10K course and went onto the half course and ended up doing something like 7 or 8 miles instead of 6.2.

Karen and I do a lot of the same races and it's now a 'thing' where I always try and do something in our photos to crack her up, lol.

She never knows what I am going to do.

Bike pacers that rode all the hills in front of the lead runners

2nd place Age Group award, nice hand-blown crafted bottle

My friend Mary, 2nd place in her age group for the half

EPILOGUE

Scallywompus has some tough courses during the year...and then throws one heck of an after party for all the participants, volunteers, sponsors, etc.  Always have a great time - not necessarily RUNNING time, lol - at these events.  Lots of good people, good treats, unique age group awards, etc.  Very nice tech tee shirts for these events too. Several of the Scallywompus events are always a must on my race calendar each year.  So far I've been able to manage them all and, unlike my friend Daisy,  have managed to stay on course for all of them.  Hey, if I ever did get lost, I figure someone would come and find me and get me back - because he/she probably wants a photo taken.      MUCHO thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers, law enforcement, Soler Sports, residents of Helotes for their patience, etc., all the people that made this one happen for we participants.