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.

Link to photos only:

http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2018%20race%20reports/2018%20Race%20Number%2070%20Run%20For%20Rex?sort=2

Full report below.    

BEFORE MY START

 My 70^th race of 2018 was The Run For Rex 5K on October 6, starting and finishing at Valero Energy Corporation.   This event raised money for the SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Foundation to help find a cure.  I never lost a child to SIDS but I can relate to the loss as I lost an infant son many many years ago to a drunk driver.  Any loss of a child for any reason is a real tragedy so this event has personal meaning for me.  This was a fairly small event – there were 37 finishers for the 5K – but a good one as it felt like a big gathering of running friends out there enjoying each other’s company and supporting the cause.  One reason I love running, you can meet total strangers at these races, yet that running bond connects us all in the running community and you end making a whole lot of new friends.    There were also several other local area races on this day – including a huge  5K over at local Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio which I heard had a very large turnout – so probably another reason why this one was smaller; lots of competition on the same day.

Late start for this one, 8:30 a.m. start time, so I got to sleep in a bit, arriving with about an hour to go to pick up my race packet and wander around and take some pre-start photos.  Love that bib Athlete Guild uses, already has the timing chip on the back of the bib, so you don’t have to mess around with getting a separate timing chip to put on your shoe, very nice.  Wish all races would use these kind of bibs, but I understand they do cost more and some races are on pretty tight budgets, so I get why the separate chip is used.

Anyway, got my stuff and then got some photos.  The primary sponsor, Valero Energy Corporation – Valero is a topline Fortune 500 company –  has a super-nice campus with really good facilities. I have done several races here in the past so was familiar with the layout.  Pre-and-post race activities were in a covered pavilion with access to water fountains, inside restrooms, Whataburger providing breakfast tacos before-and-after the race, free coffee, Krispy Kreme donuts, and so forth.

Welcome to the event

Baby Rex...his family is the one who started this event

Two of the oldest guys at this event.  

Folks from Athlete Guild who did the course setup, timing, results, etc.

Start and finish gate

 Various volunteers, participants, etc.

At the start line, getting ready to go

ON THE COURSE

The normal 5K route at Valero is usually a loop around part of the campus then onto a nearby paved running trail. However, lots of ongoing construction for campus improvements so the course was changed to a simple out—and-back, going out the back gate of the campus, then down to what is known as the Valero Trailhead, a paved trail that is part of San Antonio’s greenway system, providing runners, walkers, cyclists, etc., off-road access for their activities.  Lots of these trails connect with each other so you can get a very long run, ride or walk on some of them.  We went down this trail, got to a turn-round point and came back the way we had come out.  With the small number of participants I pretty much knew at my slow pace I’d be running by myself a lot and that was the case.  Don’t care, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, took some photos, along the way, and finished in 34:23, which put me first in my age group (60 – 69) since I was the only one in my age group, lol.

The one lady at the back there, I was in proximity with for most of the race.  She was ahead of me most of the time until the very last 1/4 mile or so when I passed her.

There actually were a few people behind me, lol

But for most of the course it was like this for me....just me and the trail.  There were other people on the trail too not doing the race, cyclists, other runners, walkers, etc.

Had not even made the turn-round - not even close - and this guy, first overall, was already heading back to the finish.

I made the turn-round and was heading back and there were some people still heading to the turn-round point.  This part of the course was the only "hill' we had on the trail, mainly just a short incline.

Trying to catch up to those two green-shirt dots, lol.  One of them was the lady I chased for most of the course.

Another participant coming up behind me after she made the turn-round.

And she passed me and went on.  Wow, there were still people heading to the turn-round.  I had pretty much thought I was dead last, lol.

Looking back the way I'd just come.  Got this photo before I realized the guy was not a race person, just out there doing his own run.  Speedy too, he left me in the dust and I never saw him again.

These lovely ladies were walking the course.

Almost done now, about 1/4 mile to go.  This is the incline we went down on to start and then had to climb back up to finish.  This is the point at which I finally caught up to the lady I'd been chasing most of the course, and stopped to get a photo of her.  Probably killed my finish time, lol., but what the heck.

AFTER MY FINISH

I drank some water near the finish line and then got a few photos of some of the participants coming in after me; yes, there actually were some people who finished after me, lol.   Then I headed back to the pavilion area to enjoy some of the post-race goodies, including post-race beer, of which they had 3 brands available, nice.  I also indulged in a post-race taco and a krispy kreme donut.  And, of course, wandered around taking photos of some of the happy finishers, supporters, volunteers, etc.

My happy finisher self with one of the other participants

OK, you healthy runners and walkers...this "young" lady is 86 years old and walked the whole course.  So what was your reason again for not getting off the couch and getting out there?

This was a dog-friendly event.  Pyrenees named Jack (I think) and his family

With the lady I chased for most of the course.  Made a new friend.

She was also one of the raffle winners and won this liquors basket that included Tito's Vodka, a brand of tequila, and more.

Krispy Kreme available both before and after the event

Yep, nice, they had beer at this event too.

And finally....with that 'young lady".  Super nice lady with a great sense of humor.  I want to be like her if-and-when I ever make 86 years old. 

EPILOGUE

As said, small but nicely organized event done for a good cause.    Nice race venue, and really nicely designed quality tech tee race shirt, very comfortable; I will probably get mine printed up and turn it into one of my shirts for wearing at races.  There was also a DJ – is that still a term?  I’m old so that’s the term I use, lol – playing music for us, a clown doing face painting if you wanted it done – I saw one person had a Dallas Cowboy star on his cheek and I was tempted to ask Clown if she had a Redskins one  😉 – and all kinds of vendors offering their services and giving away some nice freebies.  A very nice event that I would do again – and hopefully they get more participants for this very good cause – and would recommend to others.

Mucho thanks to everyone out there who made this one happen for us participants; all the volunteers, sponsors/vendors and law enforcement and anyone else I may not have mentioned here who were out there for us.  Big kudos to Valero for the use of their facilities, they really always do well by we participants for the events held on their campus.