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

Here is yet another of my photo reports.  Full report below.    

Link to photos only:   http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2017%20Race%20Reports/2017%20Race%20No%2053%20Dog%20Days%205K

A couple of the photos may not have come out so well; sorry about that.   Plus, at times post-race I forgot to wipe my sweaty lens - duhhhh - so there might be a smudge or two on some of them.     All in all, I think they came out fairly well.  I am certainly no professional photographer with skills; but at least all the photos are free to save.  J

BEFORE MY START

My 53rd race of 2017, held on August 5^th was Dog Days 5K at Fischer Park, New Braunfels TX.  Put on by Athlete Guild, a local race management company.   Around 75 participants.  Fischer Park is a very nice park with paved (concrete) trails and a man-made small lake.  There is also a Splash Pad at the main park area, which is nice, after a warm run, can take off your shoes and socks and go cool off in one of the fountain sprays. Race start time of 8 a.m.  I arrived with about 45 minutes to go, got my bib and race packet and then took a few pre-start photos.

Athlete Guild folks

Various participants, etc

Selfie right before the start...my 'determined look', lol, to get these hills done..

People behind me at the start

ON THE COURSE

One word describes this course:  HILLY.  A two loop course of up-hills and downhills, with the occasional flat part, and for the very last part of the 5K we finished going up the steepest hill on the course. My friend and Race Director of this event, Sherri, can sometimes have a wicked sense of humor, lol, laying out this course for us.  Very humid day and already in the mid 70s, by the time we started; but at least Mother Nature was somewhat kind to us, we had gray skies with no sunshine beating down on us.  Usually for a 5K I take 2 walk breaks and then run in the last 1.2 miles.  Not for this tough course though, I took all 3 of my walk breaks for this one. Ended up with a time of 36:02, and I was darn happy with that on this course.  I was 6^th in my age group (60 – 69).

Caught these runners with birds flying overhead

Just before Mile 1

A little past the halfway mark, on the other side of the lake from that hill view of it above

Into the second loop....down this hill we go again...

That parking lot area above these ladies is where we started and finished

These ladies are already up the hill that is coming up for me to run too

This was the flattest part of the whole course; at this point I am heading toward Mile 3 and getting ready to run up that finish hill.

AFTER MY FINISH

After I finished, I walked a little ways down that ‘finish’ hill and got a couple of photos of it.  Not as steep as some of the hills in Helotes or the Texas Tough, but still pretty darn challenging, especially as it was on concrete which, for some reason, I never seem to be able to get much traction on, especially when it’s almost straight up. .  After I finished I told myself, well duh, I should have just stepped off the concrete for that last hill and just run on the pavement right by the sidewalk.

Then back up to the pavilion area, slowly sipped some water, did a cool-down walk and then just sat relaxing for a bit.  After that, up and going again, walking around taking some after photos of the finishers, all of whom were, lol, happy to be done, and some of the supporters, volunteers, etc.

The lady in red shirt pushed a double-baby jogger up those darn hills, including that finish hill - twice!  #670 was also pushing a baby jogger.

Two tired old guys happy to be done.

Park Rangers...thanks for your support!

Medals.....

The speedy guy in the middle and one one the right are both in my age group so when I saw them before the race, I knew I was not getting any medal today, even by default, lol.

And so I bid a fond adieu to Fischer Park...but before I go get a photo with one of my 'running crushes', friend and Race Director Sherri.  In spite of you making us run all those hills, I still luv ya, lady.

EPILOGUE

I would do this one again.  Nice park, challenging course - which I need to go practice on in the future, lol, and Fischer Park is a pretty nice area to run in.  There is also nearby flatter adjacent paved trail that goes out for quite a ways. There are also a couple of nearby really nice neighborhoods - a couple of them pretty hilly too - so any run or walk in Fischer park can be expanded to to these neighborhoods to get in more miles. And then finish up at the park and enjoy that splash pad.  Also very adequate indoor restroom facilities and water fountains too, very convenient.  Race was well organized by Athlete Guild, age group awards 3 deep in each age group, very adequate parking right near the start/finish line, so a nice short walk back to your ride after doing that tough course, which the legs appreciate.  And from the top of some of the hills, some pretty nice views of the surrounding area and the park lake.

MUCHO thanks to all the people who did all the hard work to make this one happen for we participants and were out there for us: Athlete Guild did the timing, course setup and results; a few park rangers who showed up to check on us;  volunteers who were out there for us, doing setup, registration, course marshaling, and so forth; and, of course, all those sponsors/vendors, etc. for their support.  Without all of you doing what you do, there would be no events for us participants, so thank you very much for what you do!

That hill looks awful. Did you use the splash pad after the race?