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 commentary report below.     

Photos Slideshow is here: 

https://s166.photobucket.com/user/scottydog69/slideshow/2019%2520Race%2520Reports/2019%2520Race%2520Number%252057%2520Masquerade%25205K/2019%2520Race%2520Number%252058%2520Day%2520of%2520Dead%25205K?sort=2

BEFORE MY START

My 58^th race of 2019 was Dia de Los Muertos 5K (Day of the Dead) held on 26 October at 5 pm in McCallister Park, San Antonio.  This is quite a popular local annual event, with several people wearing costumes and a post-race costume contest.   I arrived with about 45 minutes until start time and wandered around getting some photos of participants, both costumed and un-costumed.

Welcome to the event

Various participants, volunteers, etc

ON THE COURSE

As this was my 2^nd race of the day – and the first time I’ve done 2 races in one day since my pacemaker was put it – I took it pretty easy for this one.  I ended up with a time of 38:39 and was dead last in my age group.   Even so, I felt pretty good and enjoyed myself.  We started on one of the park roads, then did a route on some of the park’s paved off-road trails, finishing up with a short out-and-back on one of the park roads and then back to the finish the way we had come out.   I like this race, but that little out-and back part before we go to the finish always gets me, lol, because when we come off the last trail and have to turn right, I know that finish line is to the left and I want to go that way right to the finish, instead of having to do that out-and-back part first.  It’s all in my head, of course, but even so, I wish they’d figure out a way to give us a tad more on the course so we could just turn left off the trail and head right back to the finish.  All-in-all though, pretty nice course.  The weather did behave – sunny, blue skies, low humidity – although it was warmer at 78 degrees than my morning race  of 47 degrees at start time.

The one road we had to cross

A bit past the halfway mark on this trail

Altho sometimes crowded at the beginning of the race, this event is stroller and dog friendly

Had to be warm for some of these folks in costume on the course

After My Finish

A nice finisher medal for all finishers.   Post-race goodies of Kiolbassa sausage wraps – the only sausage I can actually eat, so thankfully it is actually made here in San Antonio – and iced-down bottled water and beer.  Water first, then beer-and-sausage and then wandering around to get some post-race photos.

My friend here, left, is wearing the singlet race shirt

Yay, beer and sausage

Some of the costume contest folks

The Colonel with his chicken and chicken-tender lady. Makes you really want to go to KFC, doesn't it?

EPILOGUE

This is a really excellent event that has been put on for years by local race management company iaap (iaapweb.com).  Nice venue, nice course, really nice quality race shirts and finisher medal and great post-race goodies.   Even if you don’t do races, come out and be a volunteer and see the ‘show’; some of the participants have great imagination and the costumes are awesome.  I’ve done this one several times in the past, will continue do to it in the future whenever I can and certainly would recommend it to others.

Thanks to all the folks who made this event happen for we participants: iaapweb staff, all the sponsors, Kiolbassa sausage for all that great sausage, all the volunteers out there for us, park police keeping us safe at the one park road we had to cross, and anyone else I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all so much!