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.”

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:

http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2019%20Race%20Reports/2019%20Race%20Number%2017%20Viva%20SA%205K%20and%2010K?sort=2

BEFORE MY START

My 17^th race of 2019 was the VIVA SA 5K and 10K put on by the Junior League of San Antonio in support of various nonprofit organizations they work with and support. Held on March 23 at HemisFair in downtown San Antonio, an area that is a mix of park, cultural institutions, businesses, the nearby San Antonio Riverwalk, and the HemisFair Tower of the Americas built for the 1968 World’s Fair.  Very nice area to run or walk in or just relax in. This event  Late start time of 8:30 for the kid’s run, 9 a.m. for the 10K and 9:10 for the 5K, so got to sleep in a bit this race morning.  I arrived on-site with just less than an hour to the 5K start time and wandered around getting a few pre-start photos.

Tower of the Americas looming over us at the start/finish area

The playground area here has some very unique items, including this jaguar

Hemisfair area has a few birds 'patrolling' around, like these two.  They're pretty friendly and used to people.

With friend - and fellow retired Air Force guy - Bert.  He is a really fast speedwalker.

Bert with our friend, Lynette, another very fast walker.

Thanks, Junior League of San Antonio, for putting on this event

Race day registration and packet pickup volunteers

Very unique age-group awards waiting for post-race

Our DJs and sound men, and I think one of them may have been the MC also.

thank you, volunteers

Various 

Free coffee, anyone?

Vulcan Materiels was one of the sponsors. 

Aha!  Found what will be my first stop post-race, lol. Thanks Corona.

Wildaway, another sponsor

Another sponsor.  San Antonio Running Company provides all kinds of things, including social group runs, coaching and training for runners, various types of food-and-drink products with runners in mind, etc.  A really great resource for our local runners.

Dog-friendly event.  This doggie was a little taco.

OK, trying to get the dogs to look at the camera...

Got the doggies, now the ladies are acting up, lol

Nice, a behaving doggie...   lol

My friend here did the 10K

My friend here did the 5K.  She is really speedy and had knee surgery a while back.  She says here knee is still not quite 100%, but she managed to be first overall master's for this one. Even if she had a cast on, she could outrun me, lol.

Beautifully singing the National Anthem

In the start crowd, waiting to go.  10K folks have already left.

ON THE COURSE

San Antonio has lately been having some crazy weather, with some cold days creeping in, then shooting up to the 70s for a few days, then back to cloudy and colder. I think Mother Nature is experimenting with us for something, lol.  Weather for this race was actually pretty nice; temp in the low 60s, a bit of wind blowing, but not a cold wind, and lots of cloud cover. Both the 5K and 10K were out-and-back courses, with each event starting at Hemisfair, then heading down to the San Antonio Riverwalk, where we went to a turn-round point and then came back the same way, with the 10K, of course, going out a little farther to their turn-round point.  The part of the Riverwalk we were on is the ‘quiet’ part of the Riverwalk that goes past King William District and down to the Blue Star brewery area, so not a whole lot of tourist foot traffic on this part.  It was a tad crowded at some parts, but I never did see anyone’s progress get impeded, where I was at any given time.  Also got to see those speedy front-runners heading back to the finish as I headed to the turn-round point, since this was out-and-back.  The Riverwalk is a nice place to run or walk.  I took several photos and ended up with a time of 34:08.  I ended up 1^st in my age group (65-69), mainly because I was the only one IN my age group, lol.  Nice little unique age group awards, designed appropriately since we are getting close to Fiesta San Antonio, which starts in April.   After I finished, I got a few photos of some of the people coming in after my, including my friend who was in the competitive walker category and walks about as fast as I run.  She was overall winner in the walking division.

My speedy friend already heading towards the finish

A couple of photos of the Riverwalk area near the 5K turn-round

Meanwhile, back on the course...

This dad was running with his son on his shoulders, dang..I asked him if he caught up to me, could he pick me up too, lol

I am done.

Some people coming in after me. A couple of these may be some of the speedier 10K folks. The lady in the white hate is my friend Lynette, who was first overall in the Competitive Walking Division, here coming into the finish.

Double-stroller lady made it.

AFTER MY FINISH

Lots of vendors at this event, so lots of freebies given away.  There was also post-race beer provided by Corona, nice.  This is a pet-friendly event too, so lots of doggies out there; I ran out of doggie biscuits pretty quick.  Enjoyed myself post-race, walking around and chatting with people and getting some ‘happy finishers’ and supporters photos.

With friends.  Enjoyed chatting with them.

YAY!

Various

We old guys still got it, lol

Paul, owner of San Antonio Running company, was the bike pacer today for the lead runners. All-around great guy, well-known in the running community and does a lot for our running community.

Close-up of my age-group award.  This little creature was given to all the age-group winners. I believe these are hand-crafted.  Nice-touch and very original.

EPILOGUE

Nice quality race shirts, very unique age group awards, nicely thought-out course, and a late start is on occasion nice too, lets you sleep in a bit more in the morning; at least for the participants, anyway; the volunteer and vendors probably had to be there really early to set up. Lots of freebies at this event, thanks to a whole passel of vendors that were there. My friend Woody would have loved the coffee booth…he is a coffee maniac. I have done this one in the past – did it last year too – and definitely will continue do to this one in the future, and would recommend it to others.

Thanks very much to all the people who made this one happen for we participants:  Junior League of San Antonio; Race Director, volunteers, bike leads, police officers out there for us, all the sponsors and vendors, of course.   And thanks to anyone involved I may not have mentioned her.  Thank you all!

That's a really cool AG award! Congrats!  Is the pinata filled with anything?

No, but I thought about putting some booze into it, lol