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/2016%20Race%20Reports/2016%20Race%2065%20YMCA%20Turkey%20Trot%205K%20and%2010K

BEFORE THE START

This was my 65th race of 2016.  The YMCA 5K and 10K was held in Boerne TX on Nov 19, supporting the Y and all its many health and fitness programs.  This event is also 'personal' for me, as I am have a 'city-wide' membership, so can use all of the Y facilities in San Antonio and surrounding area, which includes the Ys in Boerne and New Braunfels.  Love the atmosphere at the Y, always friendly; great facilities, no extra fees for classes taken (like yoga, pilates, etc) and also gives me a LOT of 'bases" from which to go on a run in the surrounding areas - and then be able to take a shower and change clothes before the drive home, very nice.  I did the 5K of this event.  There were around 700 or so registrants.   10 year age groups, so I did not place, but I did okay - 33:50 chip time for the 5K.   It was a bit cold too.  On Thursday the temps were in the 80s.  By Saturday morning at  8 a.m race start time, the temp was a whopping 44 degrees..for we South Texas folks...that is COLD, lol.  So you'll see in the photos below lots of people bundled up a bit.  I'm sure any of you seeing this who are from a "real winter' state will just be laughing about that; I would have too - I grew up in the DC area and lived in Ohio before Texas, but, hey, I've lived in South Texas now for over 20 years, so my cold-weather 'invulnerability" is long gone, lol.  Well, at least we had a nice sunny day, which helped a bit in the warming up department.

Boerne is about a 40 minute or so drive from where I live.  I arrived at the race location with about an hour to go to start time and wandered around taking some random pre-start photos of participants, supporters, volunteers, etc.  Lots of folks were wearing the race shirt, a very nice red, long-sleeved tech tee - "RUN HARD. GIVE THANKS."

Turkey Sighting

Now, there are two turkeys... 

Turkey Tail...

Event was held at Boerne Plaza, a very nice, wide-open area with a clock gazebo at one end and wide open spaces going out from that.

I jokingly told this guy I should have worn my Redskins shirt....

These folks were doing a promotional video for the Y and they interviewed me and my friend, Gene, for the promo.

Me and Gene, a cancer survivor himself

As you can see from the photos of these next few folks.....the sunlight and shadows were really going nutso in some places on the plaza field.

In/near the start line area....the 10K folks started about 5 minutes ahead of we 5K folks.

ON THE COURSE

We started and finished at the Boerne Plaza, right in front of a place called "Ye Kendall Inn" - looks like a nice place to stay.  If you are coming a bit of a ways, probably a convenient place to stay too, as this place is RIGHT by the start and finish...you step out the front door and the start/finish line is probably 50 yards from it.  Then it was out into some neighborhoods on a really well-thought out loop course on fairly wide streets with lots of room for everyone, with the exception of one narrow area on a road, but that was a very short part of the course, thank goodness, and after getting on that road we turned almost immediately back into a neighborhood that had a nice wide street with plenty of room for everyone. Then we wound back to the finish line, coming up to it in the opposite direction from which we had started.  It is a good, well-thought out course...kudos to whomever laid this one out.

I saw this little person on-and-off throughout the course.  He just kept on coloring the whole way, lol.

After that last photo, I ran nonstop the last 1.2 miles to the finish.  I did slow down a bit at one point because somebody put a HILL on the course a bit after Mile 2.   It wasn't much of a hill though, lol.   Considering Boerne is almost the start of "Texas Hill Country'', this course was actually pretty flat most of the way.  Again, kudos to the course planners!

AFTER MY FINISH

Almost right after I finished, I turned around near the finish line and got some photos of some of the other folks coming in, people who had been running near me most of the way, some of whom I interacted with on the course, with a little conversation, back-and-forth bantering, and encouragement to each other.

76 years old and going strong...

After that, I went to look for goodies and take some 'Happy Finisher" photos;  I call the after-race photos that because it seems to me more people are smiling when they are done than before the race or on the course, lol.  Not only photos of finishers, but also volunteers and supporters, which includes some of the family members of some of the participants; and, hey, we runners and walkers KNOW they are important - it is a lot easier to get your training and races done when you have a supportive spouse, significant other, etc.,  who understands your passion.

Goodies post-race included Cowboy breakfast (biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs), sausage-and-egg tacos, chocolate smoothies, and....

Pour that beer!

Oh yeah.....

My pals Gene and Loyce, with their future runner grandson.  He did the Kids Run at this one.

Our MC (right) and sound-and-music man, who both did a great job.

Nothing phases that kid...he's still coloring...

I met this guy at last year's race, if I remember correctly.  He told me after that he had a foot injury and had to do a 'comeback' after that...and told me he kept me in mind to help motivate him to keep on going, e.g., "never give up"...all the races I do, etc;  nice of him to say....and I'm happy for him, he obviously succeeded cuz here he is again, running once more.  Glad I could help him in some way but, hey, dude, it was not me...you were the one who did all the work to get here....good on ya!  Never give up!

I am sure she had a big part in his success too...a supportive friend-partner goes a long way in helping someone.

Turkey close-up!  The hats, not the ladies... 

I did not even know my speedy pal Bernadette was here until after the race.  She was first in her age group.  You think I do a lot of events each year?  This was Bernadette's 72nd race of this year!

Bernadette and some "Aggie" people, whose team beat my UTSA Roadrunners in football today, darn the luck.  OK, joking of course, they are really very nice people.

EPILOGUE

This was the 2nd time I've done this race.  I did it the first time in 2015 and liked it so much I came back this year.  What's not to like? Really great and friendly crowd of people all around you, a good course, nice long-sleeved tech tees and MUCHO goodies and give-aways from the various race sponsors; all for a good cause.  Also this is a very convenient race for me, as I'm a member of the Y, so could take a shower at the Boerne Y and change into dry clothes before the drive back to San Antonio.   All for a very good cause.   Mucho thanks to all the people who made this one happen for we participants, the Y staff, all the volunteers and sponsors, law enforcement, Boerne city officials and staff, etc.  And thanks for the patience of all the residents and drivers whose neighborhoods we went through on the course.   This event is definitely a keeper on the race calendar!