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

Full report below.    Sorry about some of the ‘shadowy’ photos. This event was primarily done in early morning darkness and my camera is not a great camera for night-time or dark-time photos.

Link to photos only:

http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2018%20Race%20Reports/2018%20Race%20Number%2012%20Be%20My%20Valentine%205K

BEFORE MY START

My 12th race of 2018 was Be My Valentine 5K held on Feb 11 at Alamo Beer, a local beer brewery.  This is a very popular event each year and usually we have great weather for it.  Last year it was nearly 62 degrees.  Not so great this year.  Cold front came in, temp was around 38 at the start and a very stiff-blowing wind made it feel more like 33 or so.  For we South Texans that is darn cold. Most people were all wrapped up.  A few brave souls were in shorts and singlets. I wore my "Lady Tutu" costume with some layers underneath that and was fairly comfortable - still cold at times, though, I just hate cold weather.  Give me running in 90 degree weather anytime over running in the 30s and 40s.   The brewery kindly opened their customer-serving area, so people could pop inside to keep warm for a while.  I arrived with about an hour to go to the 9:30 a.m. start time - late start time, so we could enjoy beer post-race cuz you can't serve it too early on Sunday due to our blue laws - and wandered around getting a few photos.

Does this outfit make me look fat?  With my friend Ceci, race director for this event

Various participants, vendors, volunteers, supporters, etc.

These two Pepe LePews...

ON THE COURSE

Start at the brewery then onto local area surrounding roads.  We eventually climbed historic Hays Street Bridge (goes back to 1910 or so) and then went up the major hill to do an out-and-back portion in an area atop that hill - and then back to the brewery to finish. The guy who won - and was wearing shorts-and-singlet in this weather - finished in 17-something.  I took much longer, lol, finishing in 34 minutes and change.  I was 5th in my age group, and happy about that cuz I did not have to stand outside in the cold during the awards ceremony, instead could sit inside the customer area, where it was warm, and drink my beer.

Looking down from the bridge into the courtyard of Alamo Beer where we started

Looking back where I'd just come from

Heading down the hill we'd come up to get to the turn-round point.  Nice view of parts of the city in the distance.  After we got down the hill, it was on to the finish.

AFTER MY FINISH

Even with the cold, this was a fun event.  Nice post-race goodies of Kiolbassa sausages and Alamo Beer, a warm place to sit/stand and enjoy it, music man playing tunes for us, costume contest - which I ended up winning, and 1st place got $100, so nice surprise - and lots of good cheer and friendship.  In between drinking my beer, doing the costume contest, and enjoying some sausage, I wandered around taking photos.

Happy to be done! Where's the beer, the sausage, and that warm room to sit in?

Thanks for serving up the beer!

My speedy friend, Bertha, with her age group award

C'mon doggie...look at the camera.....took me a few tries to get him to look

Time to go home now..  Farewell Alamo Beer, and thanks for a nice venue for our event.

EPILOGUE

One very fine event put on by my friend Ceci and her family/pals of local race management company iaapweb.com.  They always do a great job with all their events.  Nice quality tees - with a Valentine's theme, of course, and the race bibs were themed also.  Unique finisher medals of half-a-heart - so if you had your own love, or found someone, you could then place the two halves together to make a whole heart - and the age group awards were tiny white bears with a valentine's heart.  Lots of other stuff always going on at this one too.  Have done this one several times in the past, will continue to do it in the future. Definitely would recommend this one.

Mucho thanks to all the people who got this one organized for we participants:  all the volunteers, law enforcement out there for us, vendors, sponsors, iaapweb, etc.   Those volunteers and vendors really have some heart too.  We got to move along in the race, but those volunteers and vendors pretty much stood around in that cold wind to take care of us, bless 'em all.  Thank you so much everyone!

Great outfit! I've never seen that one before. I understand why you won the contest. You probably had a lot of people taking your picture for once.