Photos are here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/x4ZmUreSPtD8AH3D7
BEFORE MY START: My 8th race of 2020 was the Scallwompus San Marcos 5K on Feb 9th. The main event was a half marathon and there was also a 10K and a 5K competitive walk. All the courses started and finished at Tanger Outlets. The half marathon folks started first, the 10K next, and then the 5K started at 8:30 a.m. Weather dudes had called for rain on this day, but it was just misting a bit, we never really got any downpours, thank goodness. It was a bit humid, with the temps in the lower 60s, and the roads were kind of slick but it could have been a lot worse, so we were quite lucky. I arrived with about an hour to go until the 5K start time and got a few pre-start photos.
ON THE COURSE: We went through part of the Tanger Outlet parking lot and then made a turn almost immediately had climbing up an incline. After the incline, it was a down incline for a while, then a short up incline to the turn-round point. Once we rounded the turn-round point, we had a down for a bit, and then that long down incline we had on the way up became a long 2-part uphill incline, which was probably the toughest part of the whole course. After we crested that it was downhill back to the Tanger Outlets, and then we turned behind the stores, running on a back service road and that was flat all the way to the finish. I had pushed a bit at a 5K I had done before at OP Schabel Park – also hilly – in San Antonio, so this one I just kind of forced myself to take it a bit easier. I ended up with a chip time of 37:38, which was good enough for 2nd in my 65-69 age group. Of course, it helped that there were only 2 IN my age group, lol. That first guy finished 10 minutes ahead of me.
After My Finish: Scallywompus does not kid about that “Stay for the party’ part of their motto, lol. First I went and changed into a dry shirt I had brought with me, then found some fruit and water, and relaxed a bit. Then I went to enjoy some sausage-on-a-stick and cold beer from Alamo Brewery. In between feeding my face I wandered around getting some photos of the happy finishers, supporters, volunteers, et al.
EPILOGUE: MUCHO GRACIAS to all the people that made this one happen for we participants: all the volunteers, sponsors, vendors, outlet mall folks and workers for their patience, drivers out on the road – since this was an open course – for their patience too, any police officers out there for us, iaap for the timing, results, etc. our sound and music guy, race director Tony Garcia, and anyone else I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all for doing what you do for we participants!
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