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.

Below is yet another of my photo reports.

Link to photos only:

https://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2019%2520Race%2520Reports/2019%2520Race%2520Number%252050%2520Dragons%2520Den%25205K%252010K%2520Half?sort=2

Full report below.    

BEFORE THE START

My 50^th race of 2019 was the Dragon’s Den 5K on August 17, my last race for a while, as I have to take a month off after my pacemaker surgery on August 22. There was also a 10K and a half marathon. Put on by – E-Dragon Productions, this event was held in the VERY hilly Pearsall Park, which is located close to Port San Antonio (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) and Joint Base San Antonio Lackland, the home of Air Force Basic Training.  The Half started at 6:30 a.m., the 10K started at 6:45 a.m. and we 5K folks brought up the rear, starting at 7 a.m.  Because Pearsall Park has pretty limited parking – especially when events are held there, I arrived a bit before the half started and got some convenient parking close to the start/finish area.  I’d already picked up my race packet the day before, so after getting my timing chip I got a few pre-start photos of various people.

After I parked, I saw this....so THAT'S what they did with the hat of the Wicked Witch of the West...

Me and friend Bernadette.  Had to get up early for this one...my eyes are open, I'm awake, I'm awake! 

My friend here did the half, carrying the flag

Various participants, supporters, etc.

In the start area

MC Mark

 ON THE COURSE

 Apologies in advance for photo quality, my old-time Canon point-and-shoot is not a great motion camera, so a few blurred photos, but you can kinda make out what is happening.  Just about right from the get-go this course started with the hills. The course surface was a mix of paved trails and off-road gravel, rocky areas, and dirt, with more off-road than on the paved surfaces.  One darn challenging course. I have not run or trained at this park in a while and I sure paid for it,  having to walk more on some of the hills than I had planned to, and ending up with over 12-minute miles and a finish time of 39:41.

Looking ahead of me, at the first hill we are going to climb.  This was less that 1/4 mile from the start line, so hills for us just about right off the bat

On the hill now, and looking back down it

When we got to the almost-top of the hill, we had another short climb.  Then it was level for just a short time, and then we went down this hill.  When I did the very first  inaugural Dragon's Den race at this park, way back when, this hill was an uphill for us before we headed to the finish.

When we got to the bottom of the hill, we went onto one of the park's paved trails.  This one had a few inclines  along the way, but nothing you could call a serious hill.  The paved trail took us to a turn that went onto an off-road dirt trail, where we did a loop through the woods. 

My friend, Sammy, coming toward me.  He was doing the half.

This was a dog-friendly event.

After finish the woods loop, we were greeted by our next challenge - going up this hill.  The majority  of people I saw here walked most of this almost-straight-up hill, including me.

Behind me

A little flatter when we finally crested the hill

Flatter only for a bit though, as we were heading to getting to where these people were already

Up I go...looking behind me on this hill

After that, non-stop running - or more like shuffling, lol - to the finish. I still ended up 3^rd in my 60-69 5K age group; I don’t know how that happened at the snail pace I was going, maybe there were only 3 in my age group. 

AFTER MY FINISH

Finisher medals to all.  Got my medal, got my timing chip removed and then went to my car where I had some ice-water waiting and just sat for a bit, relaxing and rehydrating.  Then it was off to enjoy some of the post-race goodies – which included  Shiner Beer, turkey legs, various fruits, sports drinks, and other items.   Wandered around sipping my beer and getting photos of the happy finishers of their various events.  Some of these people – especially the front-runners – were amazingly fast on these tough, hilly courses.  The guy that won the half did it in 1:27 and that course had some really large hills on it.  The 10K winner did it in 36:52 and the 5K winner was at 20:05.  I’d have to be scraped off the road, lol, if I ever tried to run at those paces.

Happy finishers, award recipients, supporters, volunteers, etc

Happy finisher with his turkey leg

Yay beer!

:Play that funky music, white boy."... thanks, Paul!

Happy 10K finishers

These two did the half

Cool-down after your race, anyone?  Splash-pad

EPILOGUE

E-Dragon Productions puts on various events over the year and all of the are really good quality events, and often on challenging course.  There were also speakers at various points along all the courses, playing music as you went along, that was a nice touch.  Finisher medals to all, nice quality race tees and/or singlets, and a nice little after-party post-race, with various food and drinks, DJ playing music, and nicely done unique ‘placque” awards for the age-group awardees, 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd, in each age group.   For the event at Pearsall Park, the park also has a ‘Splashpad” playground area, s after a race on a humid morning, you can remove shoes and socks and go wander around on the splashpad and get a nice cool-down.  A very well organized event, which I would do again – and train smarter, lol, for the next one – and one I would recommend to others.

Big thanks to everyone who made this one happen for we participants.  All the volunteers; iaapweb for timing, results, course setup, etc; law enforcement out there for us; all the sponsors and vendors; all the prepares of the great goodies afterwards, including Shiner Beer; and any others I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all so much for what you do.

Not a PR course, but nice training for someone who wants to do some trail races.

Good luck with your surgery. Keep us posted on your progress please.