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%2052%20Too%20Hot%20Too%20Handle%205K?sort=2

BEFORE MY START

My 52^nd race of 2018 was Too Hot To Handle 5K. There was also a 15K.  Held on July 15 at Boerne Lake City Park, a park in the Boerne TX area, which is about a 40-minute drive for me from my home in San Antonio.    This is a very popular event put on by local race management/coaching/and running store company iRun Texas.  Had to get up early for this one because everyone had to be in the park by 7 a.m. and then the races started at 7:30 a.m. For Texas summer in July we got really lucky for this one – I think Mitch Allen, co-owner of iRun used his magic powers for us, lol.  It was still a bit humid but we had overcast skies – last year’s race was brutally very sunny and very hot – a temp toward the lower end of the 70s and a nice breeze blowing occasionally.  I got to the park around 6:40 a.m.  Having already picked up my packet during the week – that included a bib with the timing chip already on it, love those bibs, don’t have to mess with picking up a separate timing chip – I just started wandering around getting some pre-start photos.

Start and finish line area

With friend Manny and his lady, who brought out his Cow Tippin' BBQ truck and provided free sausage wraps post-race

Massages pre-start and after the finish...

Some views of the lake from the start area

Our MC Mark, doing his usual great job.

Various Participants etc.

me and friend Don.  I am wearing the race shirt from a previous year.

These two are wearing the race shirt for this year.

My friend Liza who, many years ago was on the New Zealand olympic running team. She did the 15K. I asked her what pace she planned and she told me about 6:18 per mile....was going to 'take it easy."  good grief.

In the start area, waiting to start

ON THE COURSE

7:30 a.m. start was nice.   This course can be pretty brutal, especially for the people doing the 15K who have some major hills.  The 5K was not that bad, but still a challenging course with a combination of off-road and some paved street area. 5K and 15K started together. Flat run for the first short part near the park, then off-road and climbing right up a short but steep hill.  That took us onto an off-road pretty flat part for a bit but also somewhat rocky-in-places, so had to negotiate carefully through here.  How those really speedy front runners pick up any speed at all on a course like this I just do not get; more power to them!   Then down a short but steep hill, then flat again for a while, with a couple of small inclines.  Turned on a paves street where we again climbed for a bit, with the 5Kers making their turn-round on this road and back the way we had come out, while the 15Kers proceed straight on to their more challenging course.   I stopped along the way back for a couple more photos and then ran non-stop to the finish. And, of course, that uphill we started on was now a steep downhill to the finish, so had to be a bit careful going down that.  Finished with a time of 36:31, about two minutes slower than I do for a 5K on paved roads.  I was happy with that and just glad I was able to keep my old-man legs upright and did not fall down anywhere on the course, lol.  I did not place in my age group and did not expect too, as  before the start I had seen there some of the speedy old guys in my age group (60 – 64) and the top 3 in my age group all finished their 5Ks in 20-something.

After we climbed the first short hill up to the top of the 'dam' area, had some nice views of the lake

Looking ahead of me where I will soon be...

This was on the other side of the dam area....

A bit rocky and uneven in places running up along here...had to be careful.

Lil doggie doing her first 5K race

Paved road where the 5K turn-round was on

Orange cone, 5K turn round.  15K folks kept on going straight

Made the turn-round, am now heading back to the finish

These two are wearing the nice tech green caps that participants also got in their goody bags.

This short steep hill was downhill on the way out.  This took us back up to the top of the dam area where we began heading back to the finish for the last half-mile or so

Looking behind me from the short hill

After that, nonstop to the finish.

AFTER MY FINISH

Iced-down towels at the finish which was nice.  Put that on my head and neck – very refreshing – got a bottle of water and just went and sat down for a while sipping the water and cooling off.  After that got some of the post-race goodies, which included sausage wraps from a food truck owned by a friend of mine, various types of fruits, and other stuff. Also sipped a low-cal Gatorade I had brought with me.  After that and feeling much refreshed, got some after-photos.

Went back near the start/end of the course and got the below.

This was the short steep hill that we climbed up at the beginning and then came down at the finish

Then were were like this - silhouetted against the sky for a while as we ran along the top..

My friend Ralph down that hill and heading to the finish

Thank you volunteers!  They were by the start/finish hill

With all-around great guy, Mitch, co-owner of iRun Texas

Relaxing at the pavilion with friend Moe, one of our local "greats" in our running community, past founder of Moe's Half Marathon, and much more that he did.

Various participants, supporters, etc

One speedy lil lady here (wearing tutu) - finished the 5K on this course in 23 minutes.  Way to go!  The young man ran with his Dad and did really well too.  Congrats!

Four speedy 'sisters".... 

This is one speedy family.  They did the 15K.   Liza's daughter, in red, was first in the 15K.

In spite of falling down on that rocky part of the course and hitting her head, my friend Bernadette still came in 2nd in her age group for the 5K.

Two of my speedy friends - Bernadette did the 5K; Eileen did the 15K.  both placed.

This little pup is so enthusiastic, lol

As of this year, this lovely lady has run every day for 10 years in a row!   Good grief!  More power to her!

The 3 speedy guys in my age group that all left me way behind, lol.

Congrats, friend Jim!

Two more speedy friends - 2nd and 1st  in the 65 - 69 age group, 5K

EPILOGUE

iRun always does a great job with their events and this one was no exception.  Very nicely organized, timing chipped bibs, nice tech tee race shirts, raffle drawings for pairs of New Balance shoes, post race massages, and all kinds of vendor booths and tables giving away all kinds of free stuff and good deals, and one of tbose self-photo camera thingys – ‘step on the red button, step back, wait 3 seconds and smile” – which me and some friends had a lot of fun with, lol – and post-race beer – served at 10 a.m., because of the Sunday ‘blue laws’ (stupid law in my opinion but have to live with until it gets changed hopefully someday).  And lots of other stuff.  The lake is also a nice venue.  Several people brought picnic lunches, stuff to grill, and so forth, and just made a day of it after the race.  Definitely will be doing this one again and certainly would recommend it to others.

Mucho thanks to all the people who made this one happen for we participants:  iRun Texas staff; all our sponsors and all the volunteers out there for us in whatever capacity; our MC, Mark who did his usual great job;  my friend Manny and his lovely lady for bringing out his Cow Tippin’ BBQ food truck and providing us all those free sausage wraps; the police officers who were out there for us; New Balance for sponsoring the new shoes raffle; and anyone else I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all so much for doing what you do so participants can do this event.

That looks like a really scenic spot for a race--although it doesn't look very shady.

Hardly any shade at all, except right by the first water station.   Luckily for this one we had a lot of cloud cover.  The sun did not come out until we after we finished.