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.

Link to photos only:

http://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2018%20Race%20Reports/2018%20Race%20Number%2067%20Head%20for%20the%20Cure%205K?sort=2

Full report below.    

BEFORE MY START

My 67^th race of 2018 was Head For The Cure 5K held on Sep 22 in San Antonio.  This event is put on by San Antonio’s local ABC-TV affiliate station KSAT-13, who started this local event many years ago in honor of one of their employees who died of brain cancer.  Head For The Cure is a national organization which holds 5Ks through local organizations in many cities around the US.   Once again for this weekend San Antonio was on a storm-and-flood watch.  It was pouring pretty good when I woke up, but had lessened a bit by the time I got to the race venue.  Providence Catholic School, which is right across the street from the KSAT station and offices, kindly allows this race the use of its grounds each year.  My wife had picked up my race packet the day before, so when I arrived I just started wandering around and taking some photos.

With Steve Spreister, one of the local news announcers for KSAT-TV

Me and my speedy friend Bernadette.  This was her 79th race of the year.

Since it was raining when when everyone first arrived, all the tables, etc. were set up on the verandahs around the school

Various voluneers, participants, etc.

ON THE COURSE

Very slight delay in the start due to the weather, about 15 minutes after the scheduled 8 a.m. start time.  Slight drizzle as we waited and then after we began, the rain stopped completely and it never did rain on us again for the race or the after activities.  The streets were quite wet though so a little puddle negotiating was  done along the way.  Usually this course is 2 laps around city streets in the area of KSAT and the school;  this year it was pretty much the same course, but we did an out-and-back thing probably due to some water on parts of the road.  I actually like this course better than the old course, although the course was just a tad short – 2.9 instead of 3.1, probably something to do, again, with water on the road – so probably need to move the turn-round point back a bit if they keep this course for next year – which I hope they do.  Much less boring than doing that 2-lap thing; plus you get to see and cheer on friends as you pass each during the coming-and-going to and from the turn-round point.  I ended up with a time of 29-and change chip time, so when I saw 30 minutes on the clock, I knew it was short, I haven’t done a 30-minute 5K in about 5 years, lol.  All good though – wasn’t going to place anyway, lol – had an enjoyable outing.

Getting ready to start....in the start crowd

And we are off....

Bernadette heading to the finish after making the turn-round

That building on the left of the photo is a local funeral home parlor.  I think everyone runs faster at this point of the course, lol.

After that, nonstop back to the finish.  I ended up with negative splits.

AFTER MY FINISH

Finisher medals for everyone.   Some kind of glitch in the results (first time this has happened in all the years this has been done; probably weather messing with the computer – something to do with ages in each age group, so the race folks announced they would sort it out and then mail the medals to each of the placers.  Well, I surely did not have to worry about that at my pace, lol, so I  just wandered around chatting with friends and taking after-photos.  Also partook of some of the very nice post-race goodies that were available, including sausage wraps, donuts, bagels, Starbucks coffee – I passed on that, don’t like coffee, and can’t even stand the smell of the stuff, lol – and various fruits and more.

These colorful people were cheering everyone in at the finish.

This little lady, front left, is a brain cancer survivor.  She really is a Wonder Woman.  She is the one who gave me my finish medal...

With their mom..

The little lady let me have a photo with her....and a hug....yeah, I admit it, I cried...  such a sweetie.... may she always be healthy and happy.

Happy finishers, volunteers, supporters, etc.

lol....love that little manin the front row....

With another speedy friend, Woody.  He is in my age group too, so when I see him at the same race as me i am pretty sure I am getting nada that day....unless there are only 3 of us in our age group, lol.

Some nice entertainment post-race

Shy little one, but she finally came out a bit more

For most of the race I was in proximity of this young lady

These are all brain cancer survivors who attended the event and some of them completed the 5K too.

Our Race director doing the post race ceremonies

EPILOGUE

This is one of my few ‘streak’ races, in which I have done every Head For The Cure 5K since it first began – my other local top favorite is Street2Feet 5K in Feb – so I always try to make this one.  I was seriously tempted to sleep in when I heard the weather report for the day, but made myself get up and go, and it worked out quite nicely after all, thankfully.   This course is very flat, not a hill in sight, so a good one to shoot for a PR for those so inclined, especially on a nice day when the weather is good, and of course when the distance is accurately measured.  😉   All in all, though, this is a really good quality event which has had a great turn-out each year since it started.  The weather just messed with it a bit this year.  Even so, it still was pretty darn good this year too.  I will definitely continue doing this one and would recommend it to others.

Mucho thanks – especially with the weather the way it was – for all the people that made this one happen for we participants:  everyone that had to be out way early for course set up, timing, race day registration, etc; all the volunteers and sponsors and vendors that braved the weather to be out there for us; the law enforcement folks that stood out on the streets in all that wet keeping us all safe until the very last person came in; the medical folks on hand there for us; and anyone else I may not have mentioned here.   Thank you all so much!