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 a slideshow of just the photos:  http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2016%20Race%20Reports/2016%20Race%2055%20Urban%20Legend%205K

BEFORE THE START

Urban Legend 5K was my 55th race of 2016 and my second of the day, having done the Mascarita 5K in the morning.  This one had a 9 pm start, and is based on several Texas "creepy' legends, such as La Llrona (the Weeping Woman), the Donkey Lady, the Ghost Children of San Antonio, and so forth.  You can find info on line about all these characters.  Start and finish locale was Victory Sports Park on Shane Road in San Antonio.   I got there with about a little less than an hour go go to start time. Everyone had some kind of light for the night run and several people were decked out in glow sticks and various costumes.

As for me, I wore a headlamp and my running shirt and a pair of socks that are quite visible when hit by light

Welcome to the Urban Legend 5K:

Various Participants, Volunteers, Supporters, etc.

Chip lady

Race Day Registration volunteers

Others...

At the start line area..

ON THE COURSE

Start on the unpaved rocky entrance/exit to the park, then it was down a paved road to a turn-round point, back the way we had come, a turn off this road onto another road to go to a second turn-round point, then back down this road, a right turn onto the road we had started on, and back to the park to finish.   The roads had a pretty good camber, which my braced knee does not like so much, so I pretty much ran down the middle of the roads where it was more level - and my headlamp nicely reflected the yellow road lines for me to follow - which made "Follow the yellow brick road" get right into my head, lol.   My camera is not the greatest for night-time photos - mostly all I saw was "points of light" from the headlamps of others coming toward me - so not too many on-course photos...but here are the few that I did take.

This is mostly what I saw on the course, lol.

We had a bright full moon on this 5K.  Given the race theme....kinda creepy, lol.

The Donkey Lady...

La Llrona aka the Weeping Woman

She was right by this small bridge we crossed, with rushing water below it, and the full moon overhead

After that, nonstop back to the finish.  I finished in a very slow 37:44, doing 12-something minute miles

AFTER MY FINISH

2nd event of the day done!  I got some water, did some post-race stretching, and then found the beer and, as my legs were now feeling a bit the two 5Ks of the day, got myself 'relaxed" for a while

Ahhhh, beer and a lie down for a while, that's better!

Besides the beer, there was also some really tasty sausage-on-a-stick...thanks Kiolbassa!

After that, wandering around getting some photos of various 'happy finishers", supporters, volunteers, etc.

This guy is wearing the tech tee participants got

I ended up first in my age group of 60+ ...and this was what the handed out  Age Group awards looked like... a ceramic tile photy thingy, with holder of La Llorana....hmmm, she kinda looks like one of my exes on a bad day.....creepy... 

I ended up getting home around 11:30 pm or so.  Having been up since 5 a.m. that morning, when I got home I felt just like I found my cat "Scoop"...I just wanted to lie down and 'veg" for a while, lol...

EPILOGUE

This was the 2nd annual one held and I've got a streak going, lol, have now done both of them.  Not as many people, sadly, at this one as there was at the first one.  Too bad because it is a fun little event, with "weird characters' along the course and nice post-race goodies, kiolbassa sausages, beer, water, sodas, etc.  A very unique-themed race and a pretty nice course.  I would certainly do this one again and recommend it to my fellow runners, walkers, etc.    Mucho thanks to all the folks who made this one happen for we participants....law enforcement, volunteers, sponsors, etc.

Congrats scotty! Looks like a fun race.