Barking Mad To Run
INTRO
I am Scott aka Scottydog aka Scotty Dogg, runner since 1983, cancer survivor, retired Air Force, employee of University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), friend of dogs, fun-runner, and all-around 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. 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, hence my nickname “Scottydog.” Here is yet another of my Race Reports With Photos, and my thanks to all the people I interacted with for their graciousness and good humor in letting me take photos of them.
Held on Jan 16, 2016, this was my 4th race of 2016. Put on by the Junior League of San Antonio, a women’s nonprofit organization whose members include many local prominent women who are business, civic, and community volunteer leaders. Junior League is very involved over the year in many, many, MANY San Antonio events helping out nonprofits. The beneficiaries of today’s 5K were quite a variety of nonprofit organizations. Thank you, Junior League! Race start and finish area was on Brooklyn Street, near downtown San Antonio. 9 a.m. start time. Weather was pretty cooperative, a bit of a light wind, about 49 – 51 degrees at the start, and kind of overcast and cloudy. iRun Texas, an excellent local race company/running specialty store did the course set up, timing, and results. About 200 or so participants. I ended up with a chip time of 32:14, which was good enough for 3rd in my age group of 60 – 69.
BEFORE THE START
Picked up my race packet the day before the race at iRun Texas. Nice quality cloth goody bag with lots of stuff in it; and a nice quality cotton race tee:
Laid out my gear the night before....
Arrived on race day at the start/finish area with about 45 minutes to go to start time. Since I’d already gotten my stuff the day before, I wandered around taking some pre-start photos.
The lonely start/finish line before all the activities begin
Scottydog representing The Eagle - Team RWB (Red White and Blue) San Antonio, my veteran's organization. Kind of a 'lame' eagle sign, lol, with my old hands
Our race MC
Race Day registration volunteers
My fellow Eagle, Margaret, and me
A few of our sponsors out there
Me and a fellow survivor
And now with a fellow Roadrunner - Go UTSA!
My speedy friend, John...err..Alex....no, wait...it's John.... (he'll get this, lol)
In the start area, getting ready to go
My speedy pal, Bernadette, heading toward the front of the pack. She finished in 27-something and got a medal.
ON THE COURSE
Start was on Brooklyn Street, near Agusta Street and the Junior League building. We went down Brooklyn Street and turned left onto a ramp that took us onto the San Antonio Riverwalk. Down the Riverwalk toward Pearl Brewery area, up onto Josephine where we did a little out-and-back, then back onto the Riverwalk on the opposite side from which we had started. Down to the Museum Reach, crossed a bridge there, down a ramp to the other side of the Riverwalk and back to the finish the way we had come out. A bit crowded for the first part of the Riverwalk that we did, but everyone around where I was seemed to be pretty accommodating about it all. Less crowded on the way back – at least where I was, since I am not speedy, lol - as the race pack around me had spread out a bit by then. Pretty nice little laid out 5K course.
At the Riverwalk locks....
Near the Riverwalk VFW (white building in the background), oldest VFW Post in Texas
Heading for the San Antonio Museum of Art
Near Josephine Street and heading back to the Riverwalk after our little out-and-back across from the Pearl Brewery riverwalk parking area
Oh good...here comes my ride!
After that last photo, it was nonstop running for me all the way back to the finish (about 1.2 miles to go from that point). Then I got some photos of a few people coming into the finish after I finished, including my fellow Eagle, Margaret, and her friends.
AFTER THE FINISH
I got some water and walked around cooling down a bit; then it was time to get the ‘after’ photos!
Found my speedy friend, Bernadette...who, of course, finished long before I did.
That dog is really enjoying that treat I gave the lady to give to him...he would not turn around for the camera, lol.
Me and Bernadette and Mitch Allen and his wife, of iRun Texas. Love all the folks at iRun, they have always been really great to me in all the years I have interacted with them. Those folks are a class act.
I am by no means a professional photographer - FAR from it, lol - but I think I did pretty good on this photo. Awwww....
These two photos turned out pretty good too.
Medal Bernadette
My fellow San Antonio Road Runners club member also medaled.
Being in the 60 - 69 age group and 3rd place..I was the last person to get my medal at the awards ceremony. I keep telling Mitch - who was doing the awards - he needs to start with we old people first..since we don't have as long to be around as the younger folks..
EPILOGUE
Very nicely done 5K! Well organized, nice course, lots of really nice pre-and-post-race goodies and give-aways, nice race shirt, and love that D-Tag timing that goes on the shoe because (a) you don’t have to wait around after the race for someone to cut your timing chip off the shoe; and (b) my old arthritic fingers always have a problem gripping those ‘timing chip” ties – I usually have to ask someone to put it on for me, lol - so this D-tag timing ribbon is much more convenient for me. It certainly is for a great cause too, so hopefully it will grow in the future. Of course, there is ‘good-and-bad’ about that; great if it grows bigger because that certainly helps the nonprofits; but probably would also mean it would have to move from the Riverwalk, which would be too bad as it’s really a nice course. Whatever the future brings, I would certainly recommend this one to my fellow runners.
Mucho thanks to all the volunteers, law enforcement out there for us, etc. all the folks who made this one happen for us; and of course a big thank you to the many race sponsors:
And mucho thanks to my friends and owners of the great running website runningahead.com (free training log, runners forums, running routes, etc), who always allow me to put my many many MANY race reports and photos onto their site. And that has been QUITE a few reports over the years, as they can certainly tell you, lol. Could not do this without y'all!
Next up for me: Jan 23 Salute to Service Members 5K at Bluebonnet Palace in Selma. Y’all come on down…I’ll be glad to take a photo of you.
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
I've never seen pasta and spinach salad at the end of a race, that's definitely a first!
Looks like a nice event. Congratulations on the AG medal. Given the crowded course, your time was great.
5K Specialist
Nice run, Scott. Y'all look like you are dressed for 30 degrees instead of 50.
Personal Bests:
800M - 2:38 (5/28/13) | 1 Mile -5:54 (5/28/13) | 3K - 11:55 (12/29/12) | 2M - 13:00 (12/1/12) | 5K - 20:00 (4/12/13) | 13.1M - 1:37:24 (2/3/13)
We're not North Texas, lol. Temp drops to 50 and below around here, the coats come out!