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%2087%20Race%20To%20The%20Pantry%205K?sort=2

BEFORE MY START

My 88^th race of 2018 was the Race To The Pantry 5K on Dec 15, held in Canyon Lake, Texas. This event supports Community Resource and Recreation Center (CRRC) food bank in Satler, TX.  There was also a 10K.  About 92 participants with the majority of them doing the 5K.  Race site was about a 45-minute drive from where I live, with a start time of 8 a.m.  I arrived with about 45 minutes to go and got a few photos before the start.  The community hall where we started and finished was all decked out very nicely for the holidays.

The race shirt

Race Management company Athlete Guild did the timing and results. 

Front entrance of the community center, where packet pickup was, plust pre-and-post-race activities.

Various participants, volunteers, etc.

Race Day volunteers

My friend Don with his friend.  This race was Don's 102nd race of the year.

My speedy friend Sammy

Inside the community center area, with friend Joe. 

Medals awaiting their recipients post-race

Very christmasy in the center

Our MC

With my friend, Yeti the Wonder Dog.  Joe is Yeti's human.  The stuff this dog can do is amazing.  He makes Rin Tin Tin and Lassie look like slackers, lol.

This was the speedy guy that was first in my age group for the 5K

Waiting to start

ON THE COURSE

10K participants started about 10 minutes before the 5K people.   10K did a loop course while the 5K did an out-and-back course.  I heard from some of the 10K folks post-race there were a couple pretty good-sized hills along their course.  The 5K course pretty much had long inclines, nothing I’d really call a ‘hill”.  I did this event last year and it was cold and cloudy and windy.  This year we had bright sunshine, blue skies, and a bit of a wind; much better than last year.  Temp near 48 at our start time. I ended up with a 34:06 chip time, which was good enough for 2^nd in my 60 – 64 age group.

The course was open to traffic.  Small community,. so most residents knew about the race and the drivers were pretty polite and patient about it all.

Yeti loves to run.  Here is he, pacing Joe.

Our scenery...homes like this along the way and there was a creek to our right going out, our left coming back

Made the turn-round and am now heading back to the finish. 

Looking back toward the turn-round, into the sun.  We had a very bright day.

After that last photo, nonstop back to the finish.

AFTER MY FINISH

After getting a dry base-layer shirt under my outer-layer, I then wandered around a bit and got some after-photos and also enjoyed some very nice post-race goodies that included sausage wraps, some really good beer from local Guadalupe Brewing Company, and various other snacks. My friends Bernadette and Don did this one too – their 102^nd race of the year for each of them – and, as usual they placed in their age groups. Bernadette was first in hers.

One of the 10K folks finishing

I ran quite a bit on the course near this little lady in the back and her Dad coming in

Happy finishers,  volunteers, some of the medal winners, etc

Army National Guard was present.  Had a nice chat with these two great people.

Inside now enjoying the goodies and the awards ceremony

Thank you, Guadalupe Brewing Company.  Good beer!

Another great doggie and human.  Doggie got along well with Yeti.

overall winners got nice placques

Including the little lady who was sitting at the same table  as I was

Others got medals

2nd in my age group.

Yeti calmly took everything in....lol....dog cracks me up,  paws crossed and mellow...

When Santa is not there yet....

EPILOGUE

This is a very friendly event done in a friendly community atmosphere.  The community hall was a nice place for the before-and-after ongoings; everyone could enjoy the many displays of holiday items in the hall and also had nice-and-warm indoor restroom facilities, much better than the usual race porta-potties.   Nice post-race goodies, pretty nice quality race shirt, and lots of friendly people.   I certainly would recommend this one to others and definitely would do it again.

Mucho thanks to all the people who made this one happen for us:  organizers and volunteers, sponsors, vendors,  the law enforcement folks out there for us, keeping us safe, and anyone else I may not have mentioned here.  Big shout-out for what all of you do so we participants can have an event.