INTRO:  I am Scott aka Scottydog, runner since 1983, cancer survivor, retired Air Force, friend of dogs, fun-runner, and all-around 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.  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, hence my nickname “Scottydog.” Here is yet another of my Race Reports With Photos, and my thanks to all the people I interacted with for their graciousness and good humor in letting me take photos of them.

SHORT VERSION REPORT

My 44th race of 2013.  Held in Kerrville Texas, a Texas Hill Country city about 62 miles from San Antonio. Tyler Behrens 5K, named for Tyler Behrens, who tragically drowned in 2003 at age 5. His family started something positive from this tragedy by founding this race in Tyler's memory, with proceeds going to help other children in the local community.  I missed the first one of these that was held, but I did all the rest of them.   Having lost my first wife and 4-month old son to a drunk driver, I really feel for the Behrens family, the loss of a child is a terrible loss, one you never get over, you just learn how to live with it.  So I always tried to do this one every year  to show support for them and for the nonprofits this race supports in memory of Tyler.   This was the 9th year for this 5K and the last in its present form, as the run will become a Family Color Run 5K starting next year, still named for Tyler, with the Kerrville YMCA taking over the organization of the event.    For the event held this year, there was a 5K run/walk, a 2-mile walk and  3 Kids Runs, 1 for the small kids, one for slightly older kids, and then one for kids 9 - 11 years old.  The 5K course lived up to being in Texas Hill Country, the route was very hilly.  I took an extra walk break on one of the hills to get more photos, which put about 3 more minutes on my usual finish time for a 5K.  I ended up finishing in 37:54.  After the race, a couple of my Garmined friends told me the race was a bit long, one had 3.3-something, the other had 3.3, something, so I just took the middle ground and logged it at 3.25.

LONG VERSION WITH PHOTOS

Apologize for the fuzziness of a couple of the photos.  It's not the camera's fault, I think it's my old eyes not getting into focus correctly.

Race start time was 8:30 a.m.  I left San Antonio pretty early and got up to Kerrville with plenty of time to spare.  Since I did have so much time, I stopped just before going to the city park where the race would be held and got these photos of the Guadalupe River that I had to drive over to get to the park.

Before The Race

Got to the park, got my big and packet and said hello to my friend Scott, of Athlete Guild that did the race course set up, timing, results, etc.

Participants, volunteers and supporters pre-race

My friend Luke (left), still running at 78 years old, and our new friend Philip, visiting here from Oregon. Quite a change in temperature for him!

This young man, with his family, has an inoperable brain tumor and was told at the time it was found he probably only had a short while.  Yet here is still is, 4 years later!   After the race, he was presented - deservedly so - with a Special Award for being a winner!  He and his family, whom I chatted with for a bit, are really nice folks.  Wishing the young man all the luck!

A few of our great volunteers out there for us today.  These ladies were registration volunteers.   Believe me, they are quite lovely, and look a lot better than my unfocused eyes make them appear.

These young ladies are wearing the race shirt that each participant got.

A few of my running buds (left to right):  Philip, Perrin, Ed, and a friend of Ed's and Perrin's.  I want to be like Ed when I grow up. He is 80 years old and still out there going strong!

My running buds, Perrin and the lovely Bernadette - who does as many races a year as I do, but she actually RACES them, and places in her AG in just about every one she does.

I missed getting a photo of the Little Tykes kid's run, but I got a photo of the next two Kids' Runs.

On The Course

The 5K course was two loops around the park.  The first loop had one long hill climb, then a downhill back to the start/finish area.  The 2nd loop had more hills than the first loop, but once we got through those hills, we were back on the road of the first loop and had a downhill finish.

Near the end of the First Loop:

When I got to this point, one of my friends called out "Scotty, you're supposed to be running!"  I said "Hey, I'm taking pictures here!  You can tell I'm REALLY caring about my finish time." 

Second Loop

Here comes Philip...loving this Texas weather compared to Oregon!  78 degrees at 8:30 start time, 86% humidity, dew point of 74. 

YAY!

The last uphill!  Deceiving because when we rounded the curve at the top, there was another part of the hill to go.

Looking back down the hill at the water stop.

After that, I got up the last of the hill and trucked on into the finish.

After The Race

Me, Bernadette, and Philip relaxing in some shade we found.

Post-race "Happy Finishers", supporters, and volunteers

After I took the photo of the lovely ladies above, I got into that line by the truck behind them.  A volunteer lady was serving 3 kinds of frozen yogurt!  Nice and cold and really good!   Yes, I did indulge in a cup of it.  Then more photos.

Some of the AG award winners, and friends.  Philip got one to take home to Oregon.  The lady standing next to him kinda reminds me of actor Michelle Pfeiffer.

Last, and most certainly not least, Jodi Behrens, the mother of Tyler, with some family.  One of the nicest people you could ever meet.

EPILOG

Post race goodies included that delicious frozen yogurt (choice of peanut butter or chocolate or pb/chocolate swirl), really ice-cold water and sodas, lots of fruit, etc.   There were also lots of door prizes, none of which I won, darn the luck.   A really nicely organized event with lots of great volunteers out there for us, a somewhat challenging, but really nice course, and very friendly participants.    An era comes to an end as this event takes a different form next year.  Thanks so much to all the members of the Behrens family - immediate family, in-laws, cousins, uncles and aunts, etc - who always just threw themselves full force each year into putting this event on, and raising thousands of dollars for local children.  This was one real quality event.  To all members of the Behrens family, I say  because of your efforts,  because of  what you did for us, and for your community, this event will be missed  in the future by all we runners and walkers familiar with it; and Tyler will  always be remembered by every one of us who ever did this race.  Wishing you all the luck, happiness, and future success!

Well, at least this one was a little out of San Antonio.  I thought I might have to move to San Antonio pretty soon if you guys literally had weekly races out there....LOL.

 

Great cause & beautiful pics again, as usual!!!

 

Actually, there was another race on the 27th - IN San Antonio. The Run, Rock, & Wine 10K and 5K - http://www.getlocoevents.com/san-antonio-run-rock--wine-run.html.  However, I am committed to the Tyler Behren one each year.  As it will not be held next year, I will probably do this other one next year.

Oh, and here is our August calender coming up, and..... a race every weekend, except the last one, in San Antonio!   Actually, 2 most weekends and THREE on Aug 17 and  FOUR races on the weekend of Aug 24/25.    Oh wait, since the last weekend of August is labor day weekend, we DO have a race that weekend too - the 5-Mile Whine Run on Labor Day, with post-race party at a local winery.  Eat your heart out...

Just Running Events...

Where?  Aug 7/14/21/28 - San Antonio - SARR Wednesday Evening 2-Mile Zoo Run

Where? Aug 2 - Salado -  Midnite Madness Down Main 5K

Where?  Aug 3 - Austin - Be Healthy Lake Travis Day 5K/1M Fun Run

Where?  Aug 3 - New Braunfels - Team Valerie Be Encouraged 5K

Where?  Aug 3 - San Antonio Wheatley Heights Sports Complex - Sunrise 5K & 10K

Where?  Aug 3 - San Antonio - Battle of the Mac Park 8K & 16K

Where?  Aug 4 - Georgetown - Georgtown Super Sprint #2

Where?  Aug 4 - Round Rock - Runnin' 4 A Reason

Where?  Aug 7 - Austin - Sunstroke Summer Stampede Race #12 at Brushy Creek

Where?  Aug 10 - New Braunfels - Dog Days 4.5 Miles

Where?  Aug 10 - Round Rock -   Flyer     5K for Clay

Where?  Aug 10 - San Antonio - Loteria Run 5K

Where?  Aug 10 - San Antonio - Primitive 5K Run

Where? - Aug 17 - Georgetown - Vern's No Frills 5K

Where?  Aug 17 - Killeen - Caliente 5K

Where?  Aug 17 - Fredericksburg - brAVERY 5K  

Where?  Aug 17 - San Antonio - C.O.P.S. 4th Annual 5K Fun Run/12K Race

Where?  Aug 17 - Shavano Park (San Antonio) - Celtic Crawl 5K

Where?  Aug 17 - Windcrest (San Antonio) - Patriot Run 5K

Where?  Aug 24 - Austin - Run or Dye

Where?  Aug 24 - Burnet - Capt'n Karl's Nighttime Trail Race 60K, 30K, 10K

Where?  Aug 24 - San Antonio - Jalapeno Del Sol 10K & 5K

Where?  Aug 24 - Lackland Air Force Base (San Antonio) - Air Base Boogie 5K

Where?  Aug 24 - Temple -Big Blue Wave 5K and 1K Fun Run for Temple ISD

Where?  Aug 25 - Austin - Run/Walk To Break The Silence on Ovarian Cancer 

Where?  Aug 25 - San Antonio - AuGUSTO Run at OP Schnabel Park 5K, 10K & 18K

Where?  Aug 25 - San Antonio - Churchill 5K Run/Walk at McAllister Park

Where?  Aug 31 - Austin - Keep Austin Well 5K/Run Walk: Bite Back For A Cure

Definitely a hilly race, but at least the trees provided some shade.  Sounds like it was a good one.

Nice report and pics as always, Scotty.

Another great race report.  Thanks for sharing!

Scotty, it's not just amazing how many races you do but how many people you talk to and get to know.

I always go to races and think people are hard to get to know, but you keep proving that it just ain't so.

So congrats on yet another day of getting out there, getting it done and getting to know people!

Scotty - What's up with this truck?  Seems a little close to that runner.

 

Your race schedule is pretty darn insane in August.  Congrats on another.  It is always good to see people take a tragedy, and become inspired to do something positive like Tyler Behren's family is doing.

Campers!  The park has overnite campers in it, so the park roads were not closed for the race, and we are warned about it every year by the RD before the race starts. We deal with the campers every year for this event.  Most of the camper folks driving  around the park are quite polite and usually pull over and wait for us all to pass.  Luckily, the idiots - like this guy in the photo - are in the minority, and thankfully, no runner at this event has ever been hit by a vehicle.

I am not doing ALL those races, Awood, lol.   Those are just all the races available in August that we can choose from in our area.   You think that's insane...we get even MORE races available during Sep-Oct-Nov, which is our 'cool' season, with highs only in the 70s.

Good stuff, Scotty.  That looks like a nice place to run.

I'm a little disappointed with the lack of photobombs in your pics.  These races need more Baboon-types.