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%2045%20Texas%20Tough%205K?sort=2

BEFORE MY START

My 45^th race of 2018 was the Texas Tough 5K in San Antonio on June 23.  There was also a 10-miler and a 10K.  Race location was Scenic Loop Café, a very nice eatery in the San Antonio area.  Start times were staggered – 8:00 am for the 10-miler, 8:15 for the 10K and 8:30 for the 5K.  I arrived a little over an hour until my start but even so parking around the start/finish area was already crowded as this is a very popular event. Found my parking spot, got myself squared away and then took a few before photos.

I have arrived. Here with friend Carolyn

iaap race management folks for timing, results, etc

Various participants, supporters, vendors, sponsors, etc...

Friend Max doing the 10-miler and heading out carrying the flag

With my brother from another mother....

The guy on the right is wearing the race shirt participants got

My friend Silvia heading out to do her 10K

With Bernadette, who did the 5K.  This was her 49th race of the year, if I remember correctly

With two of my favorite ladies, Bernadette and Daisy

Daisy started scratching my back....and my leg began to doggie-twitch, lol...  

ON THE COURSE

For all the courses this is a VERY hilly course, with the 10-milers, doing the longest distance, getting the bulk of the hills.  The 5K is not too bad.  I did this event last year so knew what to expect.  The first hill we climbed was ‘the bear’ –  pretty steep uphill climb, go around a curve in the road and you get Part 2 of this hill, more to climb but not as long as the first part.  We wound through a very nice neighborhood, taking in a couple more hills, uphill and downhill, before we hit a flat road for a bit.  After that it was a downhill to the road we had started on and then a turn onto that road and headed toward the finish; but before we did the last part to the finish, we had to do a little out-and-back on a side-road that included a short uphill. After that back to the main road again and then it was pretty much downhill and then flat to the finish.  I ended up with a chip time of 33:40, putting me 4^th in my age group.  With all these hills, I really had expected to finish in 35 to 37 minutes, so I was happy with what I got.

First hill we climbed

Looking behind me..this upper part was Part 2 of the hill after we went around the curve in the previous photo

Some of the homes we passed.  Lot of 'hill country" around here

More up....

After that up, we went around the curve, made a left turn and went up a REALLY steep hill.  I managed to run that hill nonstop.   Then we did a little  curve-around the neighborhood, got onto a downhill and that took us to one of the flatter roads on the course

About a little over halfway done at this point

Turned on a downhill, then back to the road we had started out on. Before the finish...a little out-and-back on this last hill

Thank you, Course Marshal volunteer

After that...nonstop running to the finish.

AFTER MY FINISH

Found some Gatorade and sat for a bit, sipping that and cooling down.  Then first wandered around getting some photos outside and then went into the café where goodies were being served up for the runners and walkers – chicken fajitas, beans, tortilla chips, and so forth. Since the fajitas had garlic as an ingredient, I was out of luck for eating those, or the beans, so pretty much had to pass on the food offered.  All good though.   The café was nice and cool with their a/c on and the bar was open, so I got myself a cold one and sat at the bar sipping that slowly and enjoying the cool air.  Nice way to cool down.  After that, wandered around and got more photos.

This speedy young man did the 10K, finishing about 2 minutes before me.  I joked with him that his 10K time was my 5K time, lol.

All those hills on a hot Texas morning (near 80 at the 5K 8:30 a.m. start)  Happy to be done and still standing!

Bernadette, as usual, finished way ahead of me.

This attorney  has the best legs... the one on the right.  

Thank you volunteers - handing out finisher medals

I did not fall down, I am down here on purpose!  

10-miler finisher, happy to be done

My friend, Albert, 75 and going strong.  He did the 10K

Group of 10-milers almost to the finish, running the flag in

And we are done!!!!

Ahhh, cold beer in a cool place....nice way to cool down...

These ladies had the same idea

My friend Silvia made her 10K and on the way to get some well-earned post-race food and drink.  Here with her N0. 1 supporter, Abe, really good guy

Two more 10K finishers

Thank you, Scenic Loop Cafe folks for the food and drink!

Enjoying the goodies

As I left to finally go home....horse enjoying some goodies too......how appropriate for a Texas race, lol.  There is a stables located next door to the restaurant. 

EPILOGUE

Nicely organized event by We Run San Antonio, which I think was the company putting on the race doing the race,  with local race management company iaap doing the timing, results, etc.  Nice quality race shirt and finisher medals for everyone.  Very challenging courses for all the distances, but a nice feeling of satisfaction after you complete.  The only thing I would change in this one is the START time to an earlier time, maybe just after it gets light, like 6:30 or 7 a.m. for the first wave.  It is, after all, Texas summer and by 8 a.m. the temp is usually already brutal.  5K not so bad – our start was 8:30 and we had the shortest distance – but I really felt for the 10K and 10-miler folks, especially the middle-and-bac-of-the-pack people, some of whom did not even finish for quite a while and by then they had some brutal warmth.  Other than that suggestion, everything else was – where I was at any given moment – done up really nicely.  I would certainly recommend this one to fellow runners and walkers, especially those who want to test themselves against this challenging course.

The roads are not closed to traffic either, so that made it even a bit more challenging, lol.  The majority of drivers in the area know this race happens each year and were quite polite and watchful about us being out there, but I saw a couple of instances where the drivers were just downright rude, honking at runners and not even slowing down at all; so definitely have to be aware on this course.

Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants:  We Run, iaap, all the sponsors and vendors, the patience of the residents in the areas we ran through, and anyone else I may not have mentioned here.   Big thanks to the café,  Scenic Loop, for opening their property to us before and after – nice to have indoor restroom – and for the food and drink.  What all of you do gives an event for us to do, so thank you very much!