Beginners and Beyond

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Race 67 of 2017: MacArthur High School Run White & Blue 5K (Read 9 times)

scottydawg


Barking Mad To Run

    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%2067%20Run%20White%20and%20Blue%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. And for a few, when I asked someone to take a photo for me, I forgot to tell him/her how to focus the camera, duhhh..   All in all though, 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 67th race of 2017 was Run White & Blue in support of local MacArthur High School cheer teams.  Held on Oct 7 at Lady Bird Johnson Park in San Antonio, this was a smaller event with about 100 or so registered.  Start time of 8:15 a.m, with a Kid’s 1K done at 8 a.m.  Mother Nature for once cooperated with us, a nice cooler morning – for Texas anyway – with a low dew-point and some cloud cover, nice.    I arrived with about an hour to go to start time, got my race bib, packet, etc., and then wandered around getting a few pre-start photos.

     

    MC Mark Purnell; always does a great job at events he announces

     

    Athlete Guild folks who did timing, results, etc

     

     

     

    With Race Director Janna

     

    Jana and daughter.  I think I freaked the daughter out a bit when I told her 'so you're the student in the school with the hot mom, huh;  kind of like that song "Stacey's Mom.."   oh, the look on her face, lol. 

     

    Janna and her beautiful family

     

     

     

    Our start/finish area

     

     

    Various participants, volunteers, supporters, etc

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The big doggie was giving me his opinion on how to take the photo, lol.

     

     

    With good friends

     

     

    Karen is my sister from another mother... I am always goofing with her in photos

     

    OK, she told me to be serious..

     

     

     

     

     

     

    My friend, Dana, one of my personal heroes, who has really survived a lot and is the personification of Never Give Up

     

     

     

     

    With friend John

     

    The speediest guy today in my age group

     

     

    Kids 1K going on...

     

     

    ON THE COURSE

    Course was out-and-back.  Start in front of the park pavilion, a little downhill – which became an uphill when we came back to finish – and then onto a paved (concrete) trail.  As this was a smaller event, lots of room for everyone to run.  I was pretty much running by myself at several spots along the course.  This is a nicely shaded park, lots of trees along the route.  Also, several of the cheerleaders were on the course at various points, cheering everyone along.

    Out to a turn-round point – which, since I have done several races in this park, I noticed was not quite far enough out, so I figured this race would be a tad short of 3.1, which I found after I finished turned out to be the case;  all good though, I just made up for it by going around the turn-round, heading back toward the finish, then on my next walk break, kind of wandered back toward the turn-round point and then back again toward the finish, taking photos.  After that last walk break with ‘extra mileage’, lol, I headed to the finish nonstop.  I still did not get 5K, I ended up with 3.0 miles for me in 31: 42.  Did not bother me at all, since I was not in it for an award or anything, I was just out there to enjoy myself, which I did. From what I saw after I finished, nobody else seemed upset either.

     

     

     

     

    I was in the proximity of these two for most of the course

     

    Turn-round point

     

    Heading back to the start/finish area

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Karen is a walker.  Here she is almost to the turn-round point

     

    After that, nonstop running back to the finish line.

     

     

    AFTER MY FINISH

    Water, cool-down walk, and then some “after photos.”

     

    I was playing 'catch up' a lot on the course with these two guys.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Love the expression on the kid's face, lol;  like "hey, what's with the camera.. I'm eating my popsicle here! "

     

     

    My friend here was 1st in our age group - 60 - 99, lol;  I was 4th...and got my medal for 'most patriotic" gear.  I'll take it.  Another medal for my collection going to the cancer kids at Children's Hospital of San Antonio.

     

     

    Thank you, Janna, for a nice little event!

     

    Three lovely ladies with beautiful smiles.  I think they are all sisters..   

     

     

     

     

    EPILOGUE

    Despite the course being a tad short, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  This event seemed more like a big ‘neighborhood get-together run/walk’ than a race, with lots of friendly people, everyone interacting with each other, lots of smiles and chatting, and so forth.  Post-race goodies was pretty much just water after the finish, although there was a popsicle vendor you could buy a treat from.   I get it though; public schools these days are on a pretty darn tight budget, so no frills and extras for this one.  Even so, very laid back and relaxing event, one of the friendliest races I’ve ever done.  I would do this one again in the future sometime and recommend it to others.

    MUCHO thanks to all the people who did all the hard work to make this one happen for the participants:  all the organizers, sponsors, volunteers, etc.   Athlete Guild folks who did the timing and results; and our MC Mark Purnell who did his usual great job; and anyone else I may have not mentioned – apologies – who was involved.  Without all of you doing what you do, there would be no events for us to do, so thank you very much!

    "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt