Photos for this event are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EZ535wCgLpkUMUQq5

 BEFORE MY START: Winter In July 5K, July 25, 2020.  This would have been my 18^th race of 2020, but due to COVID, this event too went virtual.  The actual race day would have been July 25, so Marty from Team RWB set up an area in McAllister Park , San Antonio, and invited participants to come out on race morning and do their own thing for the virtual race.  Race Director Rebecca was there and handed out packets to the participants that showed up, so I got to do my virtual 5K wearing the race bib.   After chatting and getting a couple of before photos, everyone was off to do whatever 3.1 mile route – or more for some, maybe – they had decided to do.  The weather was actually pretty decent.  Still warm, but at least only in the upper 70s, with a nice breeze blowing, and lots of cloud cover, as Tropical Storm Hanna – which I saw on the news right before I left to go to the park had turned into Hurricane Hanna – was in the Gulf area and heading toward the coast near Corpus Christi; so we were getting a little bit of ‘fallout” from that, as San Antonio is only a few hours drive from Corpus.  So we had a nice breeze and mix of both some darker clouds and sunshine.

 ON THE COURSE: I selected to do off-road for this one.  Started near the Dog Park at McAllister Park, beginning on what a trail sign said was the Blue Route. This trail is both quite hilly and rocky in some places, and popular with cyclists too, so these combinations did slow me down a bit as I both negotiated the trail and stepped aside many times to let cyclists go on past me.  Not that I am all that speedy anyway, lol, with my usual 12-minute miles, but today it turned out more like 13+ minute miles, with me ending up with 3.2 miles done in  42:37, averaging 13. I noted on my Garmin that I hit the 3.1 mile mark at 41:07, and then the last tenth of a mile got me back to the parking lot area.  Yeah, pretty slow but, between being hospitalized for a week a couple of weeks ago, and having a relatively new pacemaker that is still less than a year old, I am just happy to be running at any pace, lol.

After My Finish:   Marty had kindly brought a couple of coolers full of Gatorade, water, and other types of cold drinks, so that was nice post-race.  Sat relaxing and rehydrating and chatting with others there, and got a few “post-race” photos.  Lots of other runners, walkers, and cyclists coming-and-going in the parking lot area too, and Marty kindly invited them to have a cold drink too; so ended up chatting with some of these folks too, and also gave a few doggie treats out to some that had their dogs with them.  Very nice little outing and gathering, with  good people.  And, of course, I did get a few after-photos.

Epilogue: Thanks so much to Race Director Rebecca Benton for all her hard work in organizing the Winter In July 5K and then doing all the hard work to turn it into a virtual event for we participants.  And also thanks to any behind-the-scenes volunteers that helped her out with any of this.  Rebecca even handed out packets to those who came today, and there was a mail-out option for those who wanted their packets mailed, very nice.  Really nice singlet race shirt and a very nice finisher medal. Mucho thanks also to Marty for arranging the meet-up.   A very enjoyable running experience today.