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.”

Here is yet another of my photo reports.

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!

BEFORE THE START

This was my 37th race of 2016.  The SMAsh Dash 5K was held at Fair Oaks Golf and Country Club in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX, a small city adjacent to one of the San Antonio boundary lines; about a 25 minute drive from my house to get there.  This event supporting  the Gwendolyn Strong Foundtaion in finding a cure for SMA, a genetic disorder (more info here: https://runsignup.com/Race/TX/FairOaksRanch/SMAshDash)  The Race Director's daughter has this condition, so this is an especially personal event for him.   A very nice turn-out for this event - around 130+ participants - especially considering there were 2 other events going on in San Antonio this same day, the very popular Dragon's Den races and a free 5K advocated by one of our local city council members.

I arrived onsite with just under an hour to go to start time and got a few pre-start photos

Two of my running buddies, Bernadette and Karen

Me and Karen

The little girl on the left is the RD's daughter, who has SMA

Our race course set up, timing, and results folks, who did a great job.   Race Day Event Services.

Other participants, volunteers, etc

ON THE COURSE

Typical San Antonio area weather; humid, about 82 degrees already at the 7:30 am. start time, but we thankfully did have a lot of cloud cover at least, as rain clouds seemed to be moving in.   Started from the parking lot of the golf club, then down the road through a beautiful area with lots of huge houses - I wonder if the residents are all golfers? - an out-and-back through one of the neighborhoods, and then back the way we had come out, to finish at the golf club.  The course was a tad hilly in places.

I've made the turn-around point and am heading back to the finish now.

Saw my friend Karen (in red shirt) - who walks her events - heading toward the turn-round point

Well, we came down it on the way out, now we have to go up it....

And then back to the finish!  I ended up with a time of 35:12, which was good enough for first in my age group of 60 - 69. When I saw on the results sheet that I was first in my AG, my first though was that I must be the only old guy doing the event, lol.   Well, I was quite satisfied with my time; but I was even more satisfied that I'd done those hills in really good order, had run them normally - well, 'normal' for me, anyway    A nice mental confidence boost that my adductor muscle that I tore back in March is really coming along and probably very close now to being 100% again.  Yay!

AFTER THE FINISH

Got some water and did a little cool-down walk....and then it was time for more photos! 

This kid - very speedy kid! - was the overall winner,  doing 5-something minute miles....zowie!!!   I saw gong to the finish as I was still going to the halfway turn-around, and I figured by the time I got done, he'd already be showered, changed, and eaten breakfast.

I think the lady on the left is his older "sister".    I saw the Culligan Kid - also pretty speedy - on the course, and was going to ask him if he had any water.  

My friend in this group - bib 63 - got up early this morning to do this event right after doing 3 days of traveling back to the US from Afghanistan, good grief, he must've been exhausted after that between the race and the jet-lag.  Hope he got a post-race  very long and well-deserved nap!

2nd photo....nope....he's not asleep yet...

Some lovely ladies here modeling the race shirt participants got.   The shirt is part-cotton, so how they could wear that in the San  Antonio heat....I'd be drenched in sweat if I ever tried to wear a cotton shirt for a Texas summer event. Of course, I am a fat guy, so there is that.  These ladies obviously handle cotton in summer way better than I do, lol.

Hey, sweetie in the chair, look at the camera....

There you go....one of our community's future runners

Karen made it to the finish.  She actually had her own cheering section when she came in, her boss showed up to cheer her in.  Nice of him!

Happy Finisher me - with my post-race sweat towel, lol.  Thanks for taking the photo, Karen!

Bernadette, me, and Karen.  Bernadette, speedy as ever, finished way ahead of both me and Karen. Well, I may not be more speedy than Bernadette - but I am more color coordinated. 

The Race Management folks got everyone together for a post-race group photo...so I got in a few shots myself...

For a smaller event, how cool is this?  The golf club opened up a room for us and inside we went, to sit down at tables in an air-conditioned ballroom, where we enjoyed fresh fruit, water, coffee, and various types of breakfast tacos.    Nice!  The awards ceremonty was held inside too.

Our MCs for the awards ceremony, the RD and his daughter.  She handed out all the medals.

As usual in most of her events she does, Bernadette placed in her age group

I got a medal too...but as soon as I got it, I put it on the young lady.  Hey, she's one of the reasons we support this event and, as many races as I've done in 33 years of running, I think I have enough medals, that I can spare one for a good cause.  The little lady and her brother kindly let me have a photo with them.

Me and the other 'old guy' in my age group, standing next to me.  That third guy is a friend of the guy in the middle. He is in a younger age division.  So me and my fellow old guy dragged him over to get into the photo, so we two would look good. 

Ahh, Bernadette with us...now we REALLY look good! 

EPILOGUE

And a very nice time was had by all!   At least from what I saw everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.  This is the first time this event has been held in San Antonio, and this year replaced the BRAVEry run, usually held in Fredericksburg.   Well, if the BRAVEry run comes back, I hope they combine the two, SMA and BRAVEry and keep the venue right here at Fair Oaks.  This event is probably one of the best little 'unknown' races in San Antonio, but if the organizers keep putting it on like they did this year, that won't be the case for long.  Nice goodie bags, very beautiful neighborhood to run in - yes, even with the hills, lol - very "atmospheric" start-and-finish area, courtesy of the golf club, really good race organization - from what I saw everything went very smoothly, which is phenomenal for an 'inaugural' event ; all that, and breakfast too at an inside location where participants can relax, cool down, chat, etc.  Really great!     The only problem I see here is....if word gets out how nice this event is - and I guess I may be at fault for letting that happen too, lol, with my reports - it might grow so much that the location may have to be moved.  That would be a bummer, this really is a nice run venue.   Well, what happens in the future happens, I guess.  But until then I definitely will put this one on my race calendar in the future. Very enjoyable event!