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
I don’t have great camera skills and take photos with a camera that is like me - old fashioned, lol - so sorry if a photo appears a bit blurry, etc. However, they are free to save, share, etc.
Here is yet another of my photo reports. Full report below.
Link to photos only:
https://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2019%2520Race%2520Reports/2019%2520Race%2520Number%252038%2520Carrabbas%2520Half%2520and%25205K?sort=2
BEFORE MY START
My 38th race of 2019 was the San Antonio Roadrunners Carrabba’s 5K held on June 15 in McAllister Park, San Antonio, TX. The main event was Carrabba’s Half Marathon/Half-Marathon Relay with teams of 4 members each. There was also a Kids Run. The Half and relay started at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K at 8 a.m. This is a very popular annual event and the race sold out. I knew parking would be crazy for this one, so arrived with about an hour and 45 minutes to start time, got some pretty good parking fairly close to the start/finish area and then went around getting some prestart photos. The people doing the 5K had bibs with green numbers.
San Antonio Roadrunners puts on this event
Tom, the official photographer, who takes a ton of photos - much better than mine, lol - at lots of events
Our MC, Mark
Me and friend Albert
Various
Half folks getting ready to start; people doing the half individually or the first leg of the relay
5K folks getting ready to go
ON THE COURSE
As for the weather, at least we had cloud-cover. It is June in Texas so for San Antonio this means quite warm, around 78 degrees and pretty high humidity/dewpoint at the start of both events. I had sympathy for the people doing the individual half which consisted of 4 loops through the park. By that 4th loop I bet they were so ready to be done.
The relay participants each did 1 loop. We 5K participants, of course, also did one loop.
There was a pretty nice breeze blowing when we were on the open park roads but on the paved off-road trails the wind was pretty much nil, as the many trees in the park were a pretty good windbreak, so lots of ‘dead air’ along the trails, making it feel pretty darn warm. Because the 5K time was 8 a.m., by the time we started some of the speedier half folks doing the 1st leg of the relay were already coming into the finish area to make their exchanges while we 5K participants were just starting out. So there was a bit of mixing in there, and the relay people doing the 2nd leg were running along with us and, in many cases, trying to pass the 5K pack to get going; some of these relay runners may have been impeded a bit, but I did not personally see anyone getting blocked by our pack of 5K folks as we started out.
Except for some slight deviation, both the 5K route and the ½ route were pretty much the same, and at certain points I saw and heard a few of the ½ people – especially the speedier ones – trying to get by the pack and calling out to the 5K folks “Move right!” as they attempted to pass the slower mid-and-back of the back 5K people – like me – as they went on their way. I tried to keep an eye out for them – their bibs were different colors so you knew which ones were doing the half – and just tried to stay out of their way when they came along. Kinda crazy at points, but everything seemed to work out.
I managed to finish in 34:18 chip time, which was about 5th or 6th in my age group. There were some speedy old guys in my 5K age group, lol, the first 3 all finished in the 20s. I did not even come close to placing, nor did I expect to.
Hope all these runners and walkers did not ruin the walk for this couple that was heading toward all these people on the course.
My friend Stan (shirlless) and I played tag on the route. I'd stop for my walk break, he'd catch up and pass me, I'd catch back up to him after my walk break was over. He does really well for 70+. age group.
After that last photo, non-stop running to the finish.
After My Finish
First thing – rehydrate, it was warm out there. Drank water first, then drank some Gatorade, and just sat for a while and relaxed and chatted with friends. Much better.
Then off to check out the goodies. Nice spread of food provided by primary sponsor Carrabba’s Italian Grill – chicken, pasta, various other stuff. Long line for it too, but I didn’t mind since I could not eat the food anyway, it has various spices which I can’t eat since it upsets the heck out of my stomach.
So I passed on the food initially. . I saw a friend near the grill where Carrabba’s was preparing the food for everyone, so went over to get a phot of him and friends. While I was there, one of the Carrabba guys – I think it was the manager – asked why I wasn’t eating. I told him cuz the cancer I had kind of screwed up my digestive system so I pretty much had to stay on a bland diet – if I eat garlic, peppers, onions, pretty much anything even remotely ‘spicy”, I get sick as a dog – no pun intended. He said, well, shoot, we can cook you up a plain chicken, and so that’s what he had his grill-master do right there, cooked me up a nice chicken breast, nothing added, and handed it to me right there. He also said anytime I came to their restaurant, just tell them my “needs’ and they would make anything to order for me. So not only did I get to eat, I got some really great personal service there and didn’t have to stand in line either. I thought that was so nice of the Carrabba’s staff, going out of their way like that for me so I could enjoy too, they definitely get 5 stars from me. That grilled chicken breast was really good too.
Aside from the really items Carrabba’s served up there was also cold Luzianne tea – really good, and helped get my blood sugar back up – and 3 brands of cold beer, so I had one cold beer too. Very nice. Also other items like various fruits and veggies, and so forth.
After I enjoyed my food and drink I wandered around chatting with friends and getting some after photos.
Carrabba's grilled chicken and a cold beer...nice. My friend's dog, Chance, is really interested in that chicken, lol. He got doggie treats from me instead.
Thank you, Carrabba's staff, for taking personal care of me!
Friends enjoying some of those post-race goodies
This guy, with his family, Erik, is the one who laid out the course routes. I think he did a leg of the relay too, as did his wife.
Happy finisher Stan
And others...
The ladies making me look good
Another local good upcoming race series
My friend Krista did the half solo
EPILOGUE
This is a really nicely organized event put on by the San Antonio Roadrunners at a good locale; McAllister Park is one of the larger parks in San Antonio and has all kinds of places to run, the paved park roads, both off-road paved trails and natural dirt/rocky trails, and some adjacent nice wide-road surrounding neighborhoods easily accessible from the park. Multiple restrooms and water fountains all around the park and the park connects to another park so those who want to get really get in a good long run or cycle ride. Finisher medals for everyone and good quality race tees. Probably the only suggestion I would make is just start both events at the same time, or maybe start the 5K only about 5 or 10 minutes after the half starts; at least this would have us all going in the same direction all at once, and probably create a bit less interference for the half relay people making their exchanges. Just a thought. Good event, though, really good, and I certainly would recommend this one and I would personally do it again.
Much thanks to all the people who made this one happen for us! San Antonio Roadrunners, of course; local race management company iaapweb; Paul Baltutis of San Antonio Running Company, Erik Burciaga for laying out the course; all the volunteers, police officers, timers, et al., who were all out there for us; and, most certainly primary sponsor Carrabba’s and all the other sponsors who do what they do, and anyone else I may not have mentioned here. Without all of you, no race for us, so thanks!
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt