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 commentary report below.     

Photos Slideshow is here: 

https://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2019%2520Race%2520Reports/2019%2520Race%2520Number%252060%2520District%25203%25205K?sort=2

BEFORE MY START

My 60^th race of 2019 was the District 3 5K held on Nov 9, 2019.  The was a free event sponsored by San Antonio District 3 Councilwoman Viagran. The event is part of the Fit Family Challenge 5K in which various District Council members put on an event over the year to encourage San Antonio citizens/families to get out and be fit and lead healthier lives.  Race location at new trails across recently opened across from local small aircraft airport Stinson Field in San Antonio.  These trails are part of San Antonio’s greenway trails system.  I’ve never run on these particular trails, so a nice new course to explore for me, and for my wife, Gail, who walked the 5K.  Since it was a free event, nice turnout for this one.  Start time of 8 a.m. and we had a beautiful morning for it: sunshine, blue skies, 53 degrees or so temp, and low humidity. Gail and I arrived with a little under an hour to start time and I wandered around and got a few pre-start photos.

At Stinson Field, San Antonio

Me and wife, Gail, who walked the course

Various participants, et al....

Dog friendly event

ON THE COURSE

We started on a sidewalk with our back to the Stinson Field entrance building, and then proceeded past the trailhead sign and onto the trails. These are really nice recently build trails, wide enough to accommodate everyone, and are also connected to the Mission Reach part of the San Antonio Riverwalk trails, so a couple of nice views of the San Antonio River along the way.  We also crossed one public road bridge closed to traffic for the race. Me not having great luck with bridges in my running history – I’ve done a ‘splashdown’ off a couple of shorter ones in my past, and also ran right off the Riverwak once and took a dunking – I made sure to stay in the middle of the bridge. One of my friends saw this and said “Good dog, Scotty, stay away from the edge.”  Lol.    Course was pretty flat for the most part with just a couple of pretty mild inclines along the way, including one down that became an up for us right before we finished.

I am heading to the finish. My wife, red jacket on left, is heading to turn-round point

After that bridge photo, nonstop back to the finish.  My last mile was done in 10:28, a pace I have not done since before my pacemaker surgery.  Was feeling great and really pleased that I finished in 33:49 chip time.

After My Finish

Got a few photos of some people coming in after me.  The first 200 finishers got finisher medals.  That was not me, lol, at my pace, lol, but that’s okay, this was a fun event but I don’t care, it was a fun event, and a free one. I was a happy doggie with my results and enjoyed the post-race chatting with friends, taking some photos and getting freebie handouts from some of the sponsors there.     There was also an awards ceremony with the Top 3 males and Top 3 females getting awards, and the Top 3 kids in the Kids Run also got awards.

This is my little buddy who ran near me off-and-on for most of the course.

Thanks, iaap, for the timing, results, etc

One of the iaap race management company folks

With friend Sally

Sally and Gail

Friends Sally and Terry

My speedy friend, Bertha (left) with her speedy doggie and speedy friend.

Others

With the family of my young running buddy (wearing glasses, holding bag)

W

Our MC

With SAYouth runs, a running program for kids.

EPILOGUE

Very nicely done event in a really nice race location.  I get it about the medals only for the first 200, a d the awards ceremony; there has to be budgeting somewhere for a free race.  More than made up for with the race also giving participants a free race shirt, headband, and lot of various goodies, fruits, and other foodstuffs available from some of the vendors, and other stuff.  All in all, a really nice outing, one which I will definitely be doing again, and would recommend to others.  Councilwoman Viagran was a ‘class act’ at the event, standing right by the finish line and cheering and thanking participants coming in.

Mucho thanks to all the people that made this one happen for we participants, including Councilwoman Viagran, her staff; all the volunteers out there for us, including those who I think were San Antonio Police cadets, and the police officers out there for us at the bridge and the one public road we had to cross; all the sponsors; and anyone else here I may not have mentioned.