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/Race%20No%2023%20Our%20Lady%20of%20the%20Lake%20Confetti%205K

A couple of the photos came out a bit blurry, sorry about that, I am definitely no professional photographer, lol, but at least the photos are free.  My camera is also not the greatest with changing light conditions, dark, etc.

BEFORE MY START

Held on April 1^st, this was an inaugural 5K for Our Lady Of the Lake University, one of San Antonio’s oldest institutions of higher education.  Liz, the Race Director, invited me personally to attend this and then surprised me by having my race shirt already printed up with my personal motivation logo; a very nice surprise and so nice of her.  Nice quality tech tee race shirt, already “race-and run ready” for me, sweet.  My cat, Sinatra, seemed to appreciate it too...he got a few sniffs of the shirt, apparently approved, and plopped down right on it.

Race day gear set out, with that lovely shirt Liz gave me

I arrived on the campus grounds with about an hour to go until the 9 a.m. start time.  The place was already humming with activity:  people doing race day registration, people picking up their timing chips, vendors/sponsors setting up and already handing out stuff, iaapweb – a local race management company – setting up the course and timing computers, etc.  LOTS of people because this race sold out – I think there were around 600 participants or close to that - which is pretty darn good for an inaugural event.  Lots of photo ops for me, lol.

Me and friend, Bernadette.  This race day was her birthday, she moved into a new age group, and promptly celebrated by placing first in her age group.

Me and Lovely Liz, the Race Director

With friend and co-veteran Albert

Liz and some guy....   ok, my friend Roy

iaapweb folks who did the course setup, timing, results, etc

Some of the other participants, volunteers, etc.

Closeup of a lovely lady

My friend on the right is pointing to one of the university buildings...she is an alumna

Because this month is Easter, after the race there was an Easter Egg Hunt for all the kiddies.   Mr. Rabbit was onsite for that

This will be my first stop after the race....love some Alamo Beer!

And then it will be on to the Kiolbassa Sausage area....love their sausages

April is also when Fiesta San Antonio starts!  Torchy here is the mascot of the Fiesta Flambeau Parade, the largest night-time parade in the US.

At the starting area

Eye in the Sky

Umm..we are starting...don't they have the sign backwards... 

BOOM!  goes the confetti cannon and off we go through the confetti!

ON THE COURSE

Rain was threatening in the area and the skies were filled with dark clouds, but it never did rain on us.  Around 64 degrees for our start, with just a slight wind and it really did not feel to me all that humid; a pretty nice morning for a race.  The course:  I don’t know who laid this course out, but in my 30+ years of running, this was personally for me one of the best courses I’ve ever done.  A brief time on some campus roads, then onto a broad sidewalk that looped us over bridges and around a beautiful lake near the university.  Very scenic and, from where I was at any given time, ample room for everyone to pretty much move freely, I never saw anyone fall, get impeded, etc.  After that loop, we went back onto the campus roads, returning the way we had first come out.  Very well thought out because, with the size of the loop, by the time participants were heading back to the finish, there were no other participants coming toward us, as all the ‘back of the pack’ folks had ample time to get to the loop before the majority of the runners got back to the head-to-the-finish location.  Perhaps some of those speedy 5 – 7 or 8 –minute miler front-runners saw people coming toward them, but most of us had the way back all to ourselves, very nice.   I ended up 4^th in my age group with a chip time of 33:01.  I probably might have gone a bit faster, but I stopped a bit more than I usually do because just too darn many photo ops around that lake, lol.  GREAT course!  Although...I was kinda disappointed I did not see the Lady of the Lake in the water with that famous sword in her hand...but after I was done one of the Sisters who work at the university told me that was a different Lady of the Lake then theirs. 

Thanks, volunteers!

Heading back to the campus roads...nice view from across the lake

AFTER MY FINISH

Souvenir medals of this inaugural race given to each finisher coming through the chute.  After that I wandered around taking random photos of ‘happy finishers”, vendors, volunteers, etc.

I ran in this shirt...and kept the race shirt for a dry shirt to put on after the race

My beautiful lawyer friend...love her briefs! 

Happy birthday, Bernadette!

My old friend, Sparky!  I've seen him at several races I've done....after this photo we two dogs went to find a fire hydrant...

Way to get a dog to look at the camera...hold a sausage up.. Rocky really wanted that sausage, lol

Darn it..forgot to wipe my sweaty lens for these....just pretend you're having one of those 'tv dream' sequences...  

EPILOGUE

Kudos to Our Lady of the Lake’s Liz Longoria and all her staff, volunteers, etc.  This was one of the very best inaugural 5Ks I have ever done.  Great course, great race shirts, nice post-race goodies and freebies from sponsors – cookies, banana bread, Alamo Beer, Kiolbassa sausage, little hand towels – I took one of those as much as I sweat, lol, when I run and after I’m done – and much other stuff.  Just had wander all around the post-race area to see/get all this stuff.  The only thing I would suggest to do differently for the next time this event is held is to have volunteers right at the finish, handing out water to the finishers, or have, for example, one of those small wading pools, or some coolers with water in it so runners can just pick a bottle up on the way out of the chute…we runners really are spoiled brats at times, lol, and hate to have to go look for our post-race water.  But really, for this one, there was so much going on, it was not that big a deal…I did not even notice at first, as I was so busy observing all the other stuff.  All in all, a super event, which I will definitely be doing again and definitely recommend to my fellow runners.

MUCHO thanks also to all folks that made this one possible for we participants; the sponsors, the volunteers, the law enforcement/security folks out there for us, Our Lady of the Lake staff and volunteers, iaapweb.com for doing the course setup, timing, results…et al…all the folks who contributed for we participants.     THANK YOU.

And finally.....nice souvenir medal

Hope you enjoyed the report and photos!