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%2068%20SNIPSA%205K?sort=2

 Full report below.    

BEFORE MY START

My 68^th race of 2018 was the SNIPSA 5K, supporting the local San Antonio Spay and Neuter program.  This is a dog friendly event so lots of dogs present at this one, and there were also some dogs there available for starting adoption process. Event was held in the local neighborhood of Alamo Heights, an upscale area with many fine houses along the course.  Rain was predicted for the weekend but it actually held off until the race, awards ceremony, et al was over;  did not start raining until I was already on the way home, so than you for that Mother Nature.  With the rain threatening though, dark skies and a pretty humid 78 degrees or so at start time.  I arrived with about an hour to go to the 8 a.m. start time and got a few photos pre-start.  Also gave a few doggies some of the treats I usually carry with me when I run.

Welcome to the event

With one of the characters there

local race management company iaap was doing the timing, results,  chip pick up, etc

Various volunteers, participants, etc.

Trying to get the doggies to look at the camera, lol

Our chefs getting all the sausage wraps prepared

 My speedy friend Tanya (pink), her first race after meniscus surgery.  She is often first woman overall in a 5K.  I guess the surgery slowed her down a bit for a while, she was 3rd today.  Still speedy!

 My friend Peter, coming off a knee injury.  I guess he was better, he beat me in by about 3 minutes, lol.

Foxy Lady

ON THE COURSE

Runners and walkers doing the 5K without dogs started first, and runners with dogs started 2 minutes after that – and some of those dogs with owners were pretty quick, lol, I got passed by quite a few of them. Then walkers  - I think there was a 1-mile walk too – started who did that event. The course was a loop course through part of the Alamo Heights neighborhood with a couple of small hills and inclines thrown in along the way.  I’ve done this course in the past and so am familiar with it, but even so, at one point I wasn’t paying attention and went right by one of the turns I was supposed to make and had to turn around and go back, so I ended up with a tad of extra distance, lol.  I finished in 34:34 chip time, which put me 2^nd in my age group of 60 – 69, probably because this year there seemed to be a bit less participants than last year; most likely because there were 4 other local area races going on, so that probably took  some folks away from this one. All good though, a nice turnout on a muggy Saturday morning

A little over a half mile in.  Our first incline to go up. 

Now at about the halfway point...

The dog seems to be having an easy time, lol

Another incline....a bit blurry, I took this one on the run..

After that, ran nonstop to the finish.

AFTER MY FINISH

Got some water and a banana and just sat for a few minutes relaxing, rehydrating and chatting with people around me.  Then it was off to get some after-photos of the happy finishers, supporters, volunteers, etc.

Our MC, Mark Purnell doing his usual great job; here, calling in the finisher names and numbers as they came toward the finish line

Some of the iaap crew

I was tempted to join him in there, lol, to cool off too

70+ male age group winners

With the foxy lady

She ran in that outfit...which included a tail

The old retired Air Force guy with active air force folks

Thank you to our law enforcement folks that were there for us!

EPILOGUE

This is a nicely organized event with a nicely laid out course on wide streets, so plenty of room for everyone, dogs and people. Some nice post-race goodies, including sausage wraps,  cups of sweet-and-unsweet tea from Cane’s (I may have the name of the place wrong, sorry), doggie treats from various vendors for the doggies, and they also had wading pools set out at various places so the doggies could get a drink.  Pretty nice quality  race shirt, although they tend to run a bit small, so I probably should have gotten an XL rather than a large; but all good, nice race shirt.  As said, have done this one in the past, will do it again in the future and definitely would recommend it.

Mucho thanks to everyone out there who made this one happen for we participants;  all the volunteers, sponsors, iaap for course setup, timing, and results, food preparers, law enforcement officers out there for us, et al.  Thank you so much for doing what you all do so we participants can have an event!

That was a hilly race. Looks like fun with all the dogs. Did you run out of treats?

I definitely ran out of treats, lol.