Race photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BkvQZVLCdCh62Ker5

Introduction:  I am Scotty aka “Scottydog”, called that because I carry dog biscuits when I run and treat the doggies I meet along my way – or throw them in the other direction if a dog want to chase me. I actually register for all my events as Scotty Dogg and this is the name all my running friends know me by.  I became a runner during my Air Force career, on April 15, 1983, when I was stationed at Incirlik, Turkey. I always remember the exact date since I started on Tax Day, lol. And as all we runners know, sometimes running can be very taxing. 😉  As a cancer survivor, I have this superstition that as long as I keep running I won’t have a recurrence – so far so good! – so that is why I had my running shirts printed up; every time I get lazy and don’t feel like going for my run, all I have to do is open my shirt drawer and remember why I keep on running. That, plus I love to run anyway, lol. As I’ve gotten older I’m dealing with a few challenges – as we all usually do as we get older – with some spinal and hip arthritis – which is why I now do run/walk these days – and I’ve had a few surgeries, including 4 knee surgeries, and still have the screw that goes all the way through below my knee, holding my left kneecap in place.  Never-the-less I manage to do okay and complete quite e a few races over the year; 91 races in 2018 is my all-time high so far.  Never give up!

BEFORE MY START:  On Nov 7, I did my 27^th race of 2020, the Bulldog Dash in Buda, Texas. This event supported a local elementary school, if I remember correctly. The event was held at the Buda YMCA Camp Moody, a very nice facility with the usual YMCA accoutrements and also a really nice Natatorium with an indoor pool.The grounds of this facility are really large with various terrain running and walking trails and also equipment for ‘team building’, like a climbing tower and so forth. Event start time of 7:30 a.m. and there was also a kid’s run.  I arrived with about 45 minutes to start time, got my packet and then got a few pre-start photos.  We had a nice sunny day for this event, with the temp being about 58 or so when I first arrived, and then around 62 or so when we were on the course.

ON THE COURSE: Starting in the parking lot in front of the main YMCA building, we went onto the entrance road of the park, down to some cones where we did a turn-around and the proceeded back the way we had come out. We continued past the Y building on a paved road and then went into ‘the interior” running trails that included dirt, gravel, and grass.  We made a loop in this area on the various trails and then ended up back on the paved road heading for the Y.  I figured we would finish by turning back into the parking lot, so I started pushing a bit.  However, the volunteers directed us back up to road to the cones we had looped around after the start, and THEN we went back to the finish.  Looking at my Garmin as we did this, I suspected this would make the race a tad long and did turn out to be 3.3, so not too long over.  After we were all done, our Race Director Jennifer jokingly said she definitely heard about, lol. 

AFTER MY FINISH: Got some water post-race and then wandered around getting some photos of the Happy Finishers, supporters, etc.  Got a bit chilly now that I was stopped, so thankfully had brought a dry shirt with me to put on.  Age groups were 10-year, so I didn’t even come close to placing in my 60 – 69 male age group, with a finish time o 41:32, averaging 12:38 per mile.    

Epilogue:   Very nicely done event at a really nice location.  Enjoyed doing a course I had never done before and got to meet a lot of great people. Really nice facility and trails. Definitely would do this one again, and would recommend it to others.

 Mucho thanks to all the people that made this event happen for we participants, including the Y for hosting us; Race Director Jennifer and her volunteers for getting thing organized; Athlete Guild for timing, results, etc., and all the sponsors and others who helped make this one happen for us.