Beginners and Beyond

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2018 Race 25: Run With The Mules 5K (Read 5 times)

scottydawg


Barking Mad To Run

    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%2025%20Run%20With%20The%20Mules?sort=2

     

    BEFORE MY START

    My 25th race of 2018 was Run With The Mules 5K on April 7 at 5 pm.  This was my 2nd 5K of the day after having done Wanderlust 5K in the morning.  This one started at 5 pm and was a noncompetitive fun-run fundraiser for local Woodridge Elementary School.  After the very chilly race I had done in the morning, Mother Nature was more lenient with this one, giving us temps in the low 50s..but still a chill in the air with a bit of wind lightly blowing at times.  I arrived with about 40 minutes to go to start time and got a few pre-start photos.

     

     

     

    With friends Tony and Don

     

    Our lovely Race Director

     

    Thank you race day registration folks!

     

    Glad we were not running in these ditches, lol.   Kids enjoyed playing in them before the start

     

    We probably could have run in them, they were certainly wide enough

     

    Some of the participants, supporters, etc

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Lining up for the run....excited kids....

     

     

    ON THE COURSE

    This was done in Terrell Hills in the San Antonio area. Starting and finishing in front of a small and pretty local park pretty in a neighborhood area across from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.  Route was a loop course through the adjacent neighborhood to the park.  Given the name of the area, yes, there were some hills. Paved course all the way.  I ended up finishing in 33:25 for this one.  Everyone got a really nice finisher medal. I gave mine to parents who had pushed their baby daughter - I think it was a daughter, if I remember correctly - on the course in stroller.  Hey, she did the course too - so her very first race medal. 

     

     

     

     

    We went past this hill, but did not have to go up it, thank goodness

     

     

     

    These students gave us some music on the course.  When I got to them they were playing some Tom Petty...pretty good too.

     

    Course Marshals

     

     

     

     

     

     

    AFTER MY FINISH

     

    Cool-down walk and then some 'after' photos.

     

     

     

     

    With the Mascot... I represented the other end...   

     

     

     

     

    For a school event and a fairly small event, they sure had a lot going on for this one!  Climbing wall, food truck, vendors with free cupcakes and free cookies, and also a hot dog vendor, clown making balloon animals for the kids, DJ with music, etc.  Better stuff at this one than at some of my past races.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    EPILOGUE

    For an inaugural event, this was really very well organized and from what I saw everything went off without a hitch. And for a smaller event, the goodie bags for runners were crazy - better than some bigger races.   Really nice quality tee in a 'carry bag' that included a side pocket with a water bottle and a zip pocket; coupons for cookies, dry cleaning pickup-and-delivery service, a nicely packaged little flashlight with batteries included, and more.  Good grief, worth doing just for the goody bag alone, lol. And, of course, for a good cause, school support.  Very nicely done, organizers, very nicely done!   Would definitely do this one again and would recommend it to others.

     

    Mucho thanks to all the people who made this one happen for we participants.  Thank you school staff, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, law enforcement out there for us, and anyone else I may not have mentioned.  Appreciate all of you doing what you do so we participants can have an event like this.

    "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt