Barking Mad To Run
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 report below.
Link to photos only:
http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2018%20Race%20Reports/2018%20Race%20Number%2064%20San%20Antonio%20Zoo%20Relay?sort=2
BEFORE MY START
My 64th race of 2018 was the San Antonio Zoo Relay held on Friday evening, Sep 14th at 6 pm. This is an relay event with 4 team members who each do the same 2-mile leg starting in the zoo then going around local Brackenridge Park and then finishing up back at the zoo. San Antonio was getting some fallout from Hurricane Florence so was not sure if this event would be cancelled. However, although we did get rain, Mother Nature was kind and it tapered off in time for this event. I arrived at the Zoo with about 30 minutes to the 6 pm start, met with my other team-mates and then got a few photos before the start.
With my team-mates. We were a team of all cancer survivors, so my team captain said "Wear something pink" as the ladies are breast cancer survivors. Well, this was my only pink outfit, lol. Also, since I was the only guy on the team, I had to dress appropriately.
With friend just before I went into the Zoo grounds.
Inside the Zoo at the start area
Nice view inside the zoo near the start/finish area
This little guy was busily watching all the commotion around.
Various participants etc. that I encountered before the start
Our MC, Mark, getting us ready to go. He had to stand in the rain too.
In the start crowd, ahead of me and behind me...
ON THE COURSE
Team members with white bibs were the start-off people. As we lined up to start, it began raining again and we stood there in the rain, waiting to start, as onf of the event organizers checked the course once again to make sure it was still safe – no paths flooded out, etc. We got the go-ahead and we were off, each carrying our team baton with timing chip inside, to pass off to our next time member after we finisher our leg.
We started in the Zoo and headed toward a back gate. There was actually more water on the zoo’s paths than there was on the part of the course that went through the park outside of the zoo. The outside-of-the-zoo course was not bad at all; a little pooled water here-and-there, but park roads and trails were wide enough to go around those. On really muddy spot – but a very small spot – that most people walked over/through, as it was pretty slick. That was abut the only bad spot I saw on the course. For we first leg people, it rained on us pretty much most of the way. When I got to the back gate of the zoo that wen went in to get to the finish that was the point for me when the rain finally stopped – with ¼ mile to go, lol. Gee, thanks Mother Nature. For participants of the other 3 legs, it did not rain on them at all. The rain stayed away for the rest of the event. So we first leg people cleared all the rain out for everyone else.😉 I did take one walk break along the way and got a few course photos.
I really need to get a better waterproof/sweatproof camera, lol
I ended up with a finish time for my leg of 22:24, and was happy with that and that I had not slipped or fallen anywhere.
AFTER MY FINISH
After handing off the baton to Leg 2 team member, I got some water – even though it was raining, this is Texas and it was very humid out there – dewpoint in the 70s – so the water felt good. After that, since I was first leg, I had plenty of time now to relax, enjoy the after-party, and get some more photos.
This bird fellow gave me a call as I was walking up toward the after-party area after I handed off the baton.
Oops, I forgot to edit these and get them straight
With friend Bernadette, who did the first leg too. She is faster than me, so she got rained on the whole way of her leg.
MC Mark, a little dryer now...and a little darker, lol...my camera is not a great after sunset camera..
EPILOGUE
This is a very popular event that has been going on for a while – I’m not sure how many years – well organized by Race Director Lisa Soler and Soler Sports. Nice venue, nice course, very nice race shirts, and one heck of an after party. With the high chance of rain for this particular weekend – darn Florence! But, hey, at least we did not have to deal with the hurricane directly as lots of those people on the East Coast had too, so we were very lucky – the goodies had been moved into an inside facility – one of the Zoo cafeterias – which was nice; a dry place to sit, enjoy the food of sponsor WhatABurger, and also have a beer from sponsor Shiner Beer, if you were so inclined – and stay dry and chat with friends and take photos, etc. Very nicely done. This is a good-and-solid quality event, one I would certainly do again and would recommend to others.
Big Thank You to all the people that made this one happen for we participants; all the sponsors, the volunteers, Soler Sports and Zoo management and staff that worked with the race organizers to let us use this venue; and to all others whom I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all so much!
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
Your outfit is amazing! Not sure how you can run in the humidity & rain in that.
Well, at least it kept me pretty dry underneath, lol.
I was the only guy on my team, so had to dress appropriately.