INTRO / SHORT VERSION REPORT

I am Scott aka Scottydog aka Scotty Dogg, running since 1983, cancer survivor, retired Air Force, employee of University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), friend of dogs, fun-runner, and all-around 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.  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, hence my nickname “Scottydog.” Here is yet another of my Race Reports With Photos, and my thanks to all the people I interacted with for their graciousness and good humor in letting me take photos of them.

My 8th race of 2015, held on February 22, 2015.  The Alamo RunFest included a half marathon, a 10K, and a 5K.  Start and finish was at The Alamodome of San Antonio.    Half started at 7:45 a.m., the 10K at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K at 8:45 a.m.  Weather was a overcast, pretty humid, 59 degrees, with rain threatening - which never developed, thank goodness, and a bit of a wind making it feel a tad chilly.  I ended up finishing the 5K in 32:08, 4th in my age group.   I also thought it was funny that as I was heading toward the finish of the 5K, the guy who won the 10K passed me by.

BEFORE THE RACE

Packet pickup was on Saturday at The Alamodome and there was a small expo there of vendors, etc, with some pretty good deals going on for running apparel, accessories, etc. There was also a health fair with some free health screenings being offered.  Parking on race morning was at the Alamodome.  I arrived with over an hour to go before my 5K start time and wandered around taking some photos and also watched the start of the half and 10K.   Half participants wore red bibs, 10k folks had blue bibs, and we 5K folks had green bibs.

My tall friend, Bob, with two others...they were doing the half.

This Air Force guy was temporarily adopted by these Army guys...

The Alamodome...part of it, now that it was light enough to see it

Bob just before the half start...

Half-marathon start crowd

My friend Laura, who did the 10K

Start line MCs, who did a heckuva job for all 3 events.

My friends Neil and Tina.  Neil's marriage is like mine...we both married UP. 

Selfie!

Tower of the Americas behind these flag-bearing folks

10K folks have departed.....5K crowd now lined up...

ON THE COURSE

The 5K course - and I assume part of the 10K course too  - took us right to the heart of downtown San Antonio, passing by The Alamo and then making a big loop coming back to The Alamodome.   Everyone finished by running into a tunnel under the Alamodome and coming onto the main event floor of The Alamodome, with a big jumbtron showing everyone finishing.   After some of the people doing the half finished, I learned they had gone up to and onto Joint Base Fort Sam Houston, and then come back to The Alamodome.

Passing in front of THE ALAMO - and for you non-Texans..yes, THE ALAMO should always be fully capitalized when written... 

Darn...my lousy camera skills...no, wait...these folks were moving so fast they were a blur on my camera!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Little under a mile to go now...

This guy in the red was doing the 10K...and flew right by me...

Tower of the Americas to our right...

...and can see The Alamodome now...almost done..

AFTER THE FINISH

As said, all races finished inside The Alamodome.  Post-race, H-E-B, the primary sponsor, had some fruits, chocolate milk (pretty darn good chocolate milk too). The vendor and health fair that was on packet pickup day also continued post-race.  People waiting for friends to finish could watch the big Jumbotron and see when they were heading to the finish, which was nice.

"Happy Finishers", supporters, etc....

I chased this guy into the finish, he beat me in by quite a few seconds...

My 'chasee' and son

Finishing inside the Dome...

These folks raced today...and also on Saturday, the day before this race, did the same 5K I did too..the Street2Feet 5K

Don't mess with Texas!

...or the Texas ladies either.....they can shoot! 

I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille...

Pretty darn good chocolate milk, served up by this lovely H-E-B lady..

Ahh, that's better...a clearer photo of these 'fast blurry folks" I was near on the course..

Every participant got a finisher medal....this is the 10K and half finisher medal...

Happy Finisher Bob and two lovely ladies

My running club, San Antonio Roadrunners; its training team had a small area set up post-race with various goodies for members

My friend Michelle..coming in to the finish so fast she's a blur....that's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Neil and I may be a bit long in the tooth...but we finished and we're still in a vertical position...that's a good thing!

5K finisher medal and tech-tee race shirt

EPILOG

This is the first time I've done this event.  Pretty nicely organized with the staggered start, some nice race medals, nice tech-tee race shirts, some nice post-race goodies. Mark Purnell, our finish line MC announcer, - and who announces at several races over the year - did his usual great job of "calling'' everyone in as they came into the finish line chute.  Lots of room, too, on The Alamdome floor for everyone to spread out, stretch if needed, or just simply 'collapse and relax" for a bit if they wanted to...I saw several of the half marathon folks doing this; which makes sense; from what some of them told me, they did have a few inclines and short hills on their course; the 5K course was pretty much all flat except for a couple of short inclines, and I think the 10K course was the same.     Much thanks to all the law enforcement officers - there were quite a few of them too - who were out there doing traffic control for us.  Mucho thanks to all the sponsors, vendors, volunteers, etc., all out there for us who made it all happen.  All in all, I think most everyone enjoyed themselves.  I definitely would do this one again.

10k dude was flying.  Nice job on the report!

Is #3738 the newest running Crush?

ALL the ladies who are runners are my running crushes, lol.

I've known her for a while, she is a member of my running club, and over the year we do a lot of the same events.