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%2055%20Glorify%20Grow%20Go%205K?sort=2

BEFORE MY START

My 55^th race of 2018 was Glorify! Grow! Go! 5K on July 28 in San Antonio, put on by United Methodist Church (UMC) to fund school supplies for kids at a local elementary school.  This was a fairly smaller 5K, with about a little over 100 or so runners, and also lots of walkers, as there was a competitive walking division for this event too, nice.  Start and finish location were at UMC.   I live pretty close to this location – about a 15 minute drive – so was able to sleep in a bit before the 8 a.m. start time.  Arrived at race location with about an hour to go to the 8 a.m. start time and got some pre-start photos.  The church had opened its Activity Center for participants, so we had access to restrooms, water fountain, water bottles, morning coffee for those who wanted it, and an airconditioned inside area to get out of the humidity of a Texas summer morning.

The lonely start/finish line before all the activity starts.  The time was 70309. 

Getting the computer, etc, ready for the race

Our MC, wearing the pink race shirt

Various Participants, volunteers, etc.

My friend, Don (left).  This was his 62nd race of the year.

Bernadette's 62nd race of the year too

My friend, Peter.  He is quick.  He finished in 28-something.

Two old guys.  My friend, Albert, in his 70s and still going strong.

ON THE COURSE

Start in the church parking lot and then a left turn onto a neighborhood street.  We then did an out-and-back on paved streets through a really nice neighborhood.  Streets were nice and wide, plenty of room for everyone.  Course was mainly flat, but along the way there were a couple of pretty good-sized inclines, especially a longer one going up as we headed back to the finish.  The last part before the finish was nice and flat.  My #$@! Spinal arthritis had flared up in one spot in my lower back a few days before this event, so I decided to just go slower than I usually do on the way out and see how I felt.  Actually, once I get moving I feel pretty good and today was no exception.  I felt no discomfort in my back as I did my run/walk and so after the turn-round point and my last walk break I picked up the pace a bit – and pretty much ran nonstop to the finish - with one quick stop about a half-mile from the finish to treat a spectator dog who was sitting out in his yard with his human watching the racers go by.   I ended up finishing in 33:43, feeling like my old running self again.  Small race, so I thought maybe I got luck and placed but, nope, the first 3 guys in my old-man age group (60-64) all did under 28 minutes.  Some speedy

old guys in my age group, lol.

As I took my walk break and got some photos, this guy passed me and told me jokingly "I don't like running behind you because that means I can never give up."   lol.

Made the turn-round and am on my last walk break.  Looking back behind me.  The end of this street behind me was the turn-round point.

Little man did all right!

My friends Jill and Ralph were doing the competitive walk

Here comes my buddy....napping while he runs...this is a good senior citizen running trick, lol...

They did not stop to give me a ride, so after that photo, I ran nonstop into the finish, with the exception of about a 10-second dog-treat stop.

Then got some photos of some people coming in after me. 

AFTER MY FINISH

Nice of the organizers to have that activity center open; participants could go sit inside post-race and cool of in the a/c area.  While doing that, we could also enjoy the goodies put out for us, various fruits, breakfast tacos, iced-down bottles of water and there was even small cups of beer from San Antonio Brewery, nice.   I ‘chilled’ in the a/c for a bit enjoying some fruit, taco, water, and a beer, and then it was off to get some after-photos.

Getting those results printed and posted. 

Found the beer

Door prize winner

I am behind  here....Don and Bernadette have 62 races for the year, I have 55...those darn hospital stays really will put a crimp in your racing schedule, lol.

Getting ready to start the awards ceremony.   A nice cool venue to do it on a warm Texas morning

And before going home, nothing like some nice refreshing Shave Ice.

EPILOGUE

This is a really well-organized event and for a smaller one really had some nice stuff.  The packet pickup goodie bags were chock-full of all kinds of interesting stuff, including a fold-in travel toothbrush, which was a perfect item for my gym bag; a little hand-fan that folded into its own carrier; a little compact thing that, when you opened it, found a small mirror inside and the rubber prongs were a brush – my wife liked that, perfect size for her purse and for her ‘spiky hair’ , so she appropriated that, lol – and nice quality race tee in pink.  There was more stuff but I can’t remember it all, but a very nicely stuffed goodie bag for a small event.  A very nice race location with a good course, door prize drawing after the finish, nice age group medals for the division winners, and nice for the walkers that there was a competitive walking division too. I enjoyed this event, would certainly do it again, and would recommend it to others.  Nice race cause too.

Mucho thanks to all who made this event happen for we participants!  Thanks to United Methodist Church; all our volunteers, and our MC who did a great jog; Athlete Guild for the timing, results, course set up; the police officers out there for us; the patience of the residents and drivers along the course as we invaded their space for a while; and anyone else I may not have mentioned here.