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.” Here is yet another of my Race Reports with Photos. I am not exactly a good photographer but hey, at least all the photos are free so my ‘subjects’ can save and share their photos if they so desire. Mucho thanks to all the people I interacted with at this event for their graciousness, patience, and good humor in letting me take photos of them.  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, and conversation forums for runners and much more!

My 17th race of 2016 done on the evening of March 5^th was the Glow In The Park 5K, starting at 7 PM, after doing the March 5^th Diploma Dash 5K in the morning at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The Glow In The Park 5K was held at Joint Base San Antonio Fort Sam Houston. The flyer said “MacArthur Field Park.” Well, there really is no “park” at MacAruthur Field, it’s just a big field that goes about 4 miles around, with a lot of parking lots adjacent to it and a one mile track on part of it. So that ‘park’ part may have confused some people; I run at Fort Sam quite often so I knew where to go and just drove the adjacent road to MacArthur Field until I could see all the tents, booths, etc. Bingo! Race start area. Put on by Negative Split, the party for this event started at 5:30 pm and featured DJ, dancing, contests, prizes, giveaways, food truck and food booths and beer booth for food-and-drink purchases, a vendor of a variety of illuminated objects if you wanted to really glow, and a course filled with illuminated objects.   There was a huge turnout for this part-atmosphere event, probably at least 1,000 participants of active duty-and-retired military and government workers and their friends and families. For this one, I ended up finishing in 34:16.

On to the photos! I do tend to take a LOT of photos at the events I do. So if you’d rather just see photos only without my “pithy comments” you can check out the slideshow of this event at this link:  http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2016%20Race%20Reports/2016%20Race%2017%20Glow%20In%20The%20Park%205K

BEFORE THE START

I’d actually forgotten I had registered for this one, lol. Got home from the Diploma Dash, ate my lunch, did my report for that one, took a nap, checked my e-mail and my Glow In The Park 5K event reminder popped up…at around 4:45 p.m.   Crap! I hustled into my gear, drove down to Fort Sam, got my bib number, etc., and then wandered around the start area taking some photos.

Lots of food and drink available for purchase

This lady was leading a bunch of people dancing; it was like line dancing or synchronized aerobics, a mass of people all moving together...and they danced, danced, danced..

There were some very colorful participants in the crowd

This Army guy really is "Old Guard"

Lots of glow stuff for purchase

Run Day registration volunteers

Shy little guy

There we go...

About 15 minutes to start...and the dancing goes on...

Lined up now for the start; and these photographers climbed up there to take their photos

LOTS of folks ahead of me

The little flares shoot off...and we are on our way

ON THE COURSE

The start was in one of the parking lots adjacent to MacArthur Field, a huge field used for PT events, parades, and a 1-mile around running track with ‘intersections’ so you can choose to go round the full mile or a half mile or a “regular track ¼ mile. From the parking lot we turned onto one of the base paved roads, did an out-and-back, then back into the parking lot and onto part of the track. We finished by coming back on the track, which was set up with illumination lights.  There was a LOT of people and the course did stay pretty crowded, but it was designed well enough that we all could spread out a bit and pass when needed, and so forth. Where I was at any given time, everyone was pretty polite about people passing each other and I did not see anyone fall around me; hopefully nobody did anywhere. Everyone around me seemed to be enjoying themselves and there was a lot of chatter and good-natured back-and-forth banter, encouragement, etc., among the runners and walkers where I was at any given time on the course.  My camera is not a really good night-time camera, but you can still get the idea of what it was like out there....dark!

Glowing, umm..jellyfish?  Along the course

We ran through several of this illuminated 'tunnels"

Back into the parking lot heading for the track to finish up

The far sides of the track were illuminated with these glow lights going along the edges of the track

There were also these window-like illuminations along the track part of the course

AFTER THE FINISH

Got some nice cold water and water and walked around a bit cuz my legs were telling me they were now a tad sore after the hilly 5K of the morning and then this one which, thankfully, was very flat. Then got a few photos of some of the “Happy Finishers”, supporters, etc.

Yes, that young lady on the left did run with her crutches...and she beat me too.    

And the dancing was still going on, now with this lady, who had such fast moves she blurred on my camera

My camera does not show it, but this guy had a green light in the wig that was pulsating continuously

After two 5Ks for the day, one happy but tired doggie

After I got home I felt just like my cat, Midnite...I just wanted to lie down and go to sleep, lol.

EPILOGUE

The only complaint I heard about this one is that the toilet paper ran out in the majority of the porta-potties on site, which had some people upset – especially the ladies out there. With as many people as showed up for this one and the party starting 90 minutes before the actual start time, and continuing after the finish, I’d suggest Negative Split ensure their porta-potty contractor put a whole bunch of rolls in those things. Other than that, great event! It was like a little mini Mardi Gras, lots of music, dancing, costumes, food, etc. Weather was great for it too, nice clear evening, just a very light wind, about 66 or so degrees at the 7 pm start time, very low humidity and dew-point, sweet.  This is the first time I’ve done this one. It was pretty fun and I’d do it again in the future. Only next time I’d bring a little cash – I forgot to stick any in my pocket for this time – so I could at least have a post-race beer.

MUCHO thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors, law enforcement, EMTs, course set-up and race timing/results folks, etc! All the folks who do all the work to make this one happen for us participants. And thanks to the patience of the Fort Sam Houston gate guards – I think they must have been asked a million times by people coming through the gate on this event evening “Where is MacArthur Field Park?”