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.

Below is yet another of my photo reports.

Link to photos only:

https://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2019%2520Race%2520Reports/2019%2520Race%2520Number%252043%2520Race%2520for%2520Freedom%25205K?sort=2

Full report below.    

BEFORE MY START

 My 43^rd race of 2019 was Let Freedom Run 5K held on July 4.  Put on by Purnell Racing, this event was held in Schertz, Texas.  Starting at 9:15 a..m., participants ran or walked the Schertz 4^th of July parade route that started shortly after the run started.  This is a fun event with lots of parade watchers cheering you on as you run or walk along the route. If I remember correctly, this event supported the families of our fallen military and families of wounded warriors.

We got lucky on the weather this year.  Last year was a ‘heat wave’ with bright sunshine and temps already near 90 at the start time.  This year we had lots of cloud cover, a pretty nice breeze blowing, fairly mild humidity for a July morning in Texas, and temp of upper 70s at the start time.  I arrived with about 45 minutes to go to the start time, got my race packet and then got some pre-start photos.

Me and 3 friends pre-start

MC Mark Purnell (left)

Race Direct John Purnell, daughter Sherri Purnell, and Dog Purnell.  Yep, this event is a family affair, fer sher.

Griill masters prepping food for post-race.  Thanks!

Race Day Registration volunteers

Various participants,  supporters, volunteers - some very colorful for the occasion

In the start crowd

 ON THE COURSE

 This course just about all flat, with one short incline near the halfway point. Nothing on the course you can really call a hill. We started from the Schertz Civic Center and the proceeded  down the main drag – Schertz Parkway – in front of hundreds of spectators waiting for the parade and cheering us on as we  went;  high-and-low fiving lots of kids along the way; and I also stopped to give a doggie treat to any doggie I saw in the crowd, lol, so probably killed my time with that, but who cares, it was fun.  Made a right turn onto a long road – don’t remember the name of it – on which we encountered the parade MC at his spot and lots more cheering people.  The turn-off from this road was near the half-way point and course water station  - and the only incline on the course – and that took us into a very nice neighborhood area with wide streets, shade trees, nice houses.  Crowd was thinned out a bit here, but still several folks cheering us on. After going through this area, we exited the neighborhood to come out back in front of the Civic Center and back to the finish line the way we had started out. Very nicely designed course with lots of room for everyone.  I think had around 80 or 90 participants for this one.  I ended up with a chip time of 34:33, which was good enough for 2^nd in my 60 – 64 age group.

Going down Schertz Parkway

 Right where that police vehicle is, we turned right to go onto the 2nd road of the course

Road #2 of the course - all the speedy people are loooong gone from where I am, lol

This guy was the winner for 70+ age group

Street #3 of the course, that took us into a very nice neighborhood area

Up the only "hill" on the course - about 25 yards, so pretty short

Volunteers on the course.  We turned on this road, took us down a neighborhood street and then back out to Civic Center, where we headed to the finish.

AFTER MY FINISH

Got some water and a banana, did a cool down walk, sipping and eating.  There was also grilled sausage wraps, quite good, compliments to our grill-masters.   Another nice touch for a Texas July morning race, after you crossed the finish line there was a water sprinkler you had the option of going through to help you with your post-race cool down.  After relaxing a bit, I was up and going around getting post-race photos.

A few people coming into the finish

Super close-up finish...waited too long to snap the photo to get a longer view

Happy finishers et al....

EPILOGUE

Purnell Racing did a great job of laying out this course – I sometimes run this as a training run during the week – and Mark Purnell did his usual great job of race MC.  Very nice quality race shirts; I actually gave mine away to a young lady who really wanted a race shirt, but they had run out by the time some people were doing race day registration.  I didn’t mind, since I do so many races each year, I have umpteen race shirts in my closet and I already have a ‘favorite shirt” of this event from a past time I did this one; so I was glad to be able to help the young lady out.  Nice post-race goodies, lots of participant and supporter camaraderie pre-and-post race, fun time interacting with the parade spectators.  If you have not done this one before, definitely put it on your race calendar if you live in the area, or are visiting t this time, and give it a run (pun intended), I am sure you will enjoy yourself.

Mucho thanks to all the people and the organizations that made this one happen for we participants, including Purnell Sports, the Purnell family, police officers out there on the course for us, all the volunteers and the sponsors, and anyone I may have missed or did not mention here. Thank you all so much!