Photos are at this link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2FQWExp2cNC49uud8

BEFORE MY START:  On Nov 14, 2020, I did my 28^th race of 2020, the Scallywompus “Battle of Leon Creek 5K.”  This was the 4th and fina; race in a series of “Remember The Alamo Beer” race, which gradually increased distances for the longer runs until the series culminated in today’s 20-miler, the main event.  There was a 5K at each race and I did all 4 of the 5Ks. Today’s event also included a 10-miler and a half-marathon.  Location was in Canyon Lake, starting and finishing in the Anytime Fitness parking lot area. The 5K was the last to start, so I got to sleep in a bit, and then drove to the race location, arriving with about an hour to go to the 5K start.  The 20-milers and half folks had already left, and the 10-milers were getting ready to go shortly.  I’d already picked up my packet the day before, so wandered around chatting with friends and getting a few photos.  Weather was overcast (nice) with a bit of wind (nice) but pretty humid (not so nice) with the temp about 68 – 71 degrees.

ON THE COURSE:  Out of the parking lot onto a paved road.     Down this road to a left turn, taking us on a fairly flat road that led to a bridge over the Guadalupe River.  A short downhill to the bridge, then after getting to the other side, we began to climb. Fairly long hill, with the river to our right, as we ran facing traffic.  After cresting this long hill, we had a bit of a flat, winding road that went to the 5K turn-round point.  Then it was back the way we had come out.  By this time, some of the speedier half and 10-miler folks – and maybe some of the really speedy 20-mile folks too – were beginning to come back from their turn-round points, also heading to the finish line.  Of course, since we went uphill from the river, we now had a downhill back to the river bridge, which was nice; but not much easier on my joints as, with spinal arthritis, downhills actually pound me a bit more than uphills do. Even so, I felt pretty good and was making good time for a slow old dog.  After I got to the bridge, I started to push myself a bit faster, knowing I now had just a tad under a mile to go. At that point, a young lady came up behind me and said “Scotty, aren’t you supposed to be behaving yourself?”   I was like, Whaaat?  How the heck did she know this?  I had seen my doctor on Friday for a non-infectious prostate condition and was given antibiotics for 10-days. I told my doc I had 2 races this weekend and she said, well, I could still do them, just take it easy.  The young lady, who was doing the 10-miler told me she was one of my doc’s nurses and she was the one who updated all her case results, so she knew I had been at the office on Friday and what the doc told me.  Dang.  Busted on the race course, lol.   She continued on ahead of me, jokingly telling me “I’ll be watching you when you finish.”  Lol.  OK, so I “forced” myself to stop on the bridge – it was so hard to make myself stop 😉 – and had the official photographer take a photo of me with the river behind me.  So that slowed me down a bit.  After that, a nice lil run to the finish line, completing the 5K in the take-it-easy time, lol, of 38:34, averaging 12:17 per mile.

AFTER MY FINISH: Got some water post-race and then wandered around getting some photos of the Happy Finishers, supporters, etc.  Ended up being third in my age group.  I think there were only 3 in my age group, lol. Nice post-race activities with music, various fruits, two types of sausage-on-a-stick, and adult beverages that included beer and some vodka mix drinks.   Scallywompu is not kidding when they tell you “Come for the race.  Stay for the party.”

Epilogue:   Very nicely done event at a really nice location.   This event was supposed to have been at Bankersmith TX but got moved to this location due to ‘some stuff”.  Personally, I was glad it got moved to here, I was getting tired of that Bankersmith course – and that spooky drive to get there, lol. Yes, this is a hilly course, but much more scenic with the river views and lots of tree shade. Course was open to traffic, but where I was at any given times, the drivers were pretty cautious and polite.  Most of them had their windows down, so as I passed them and they passed me, I called out a “Thank you!” to every one of them.  I don’t think the speedier runners would have been able to do that; but at my slow pace, I still had lots of breath left, lol. All the Scallywompus event are greatly done, and they have quite a variety of events over the year, so if you have never done one, sign up and see how it goes for you.  I am sure you will enjoy yourself.

 Mucho thanks to all the people that made this event happen for we participants: all the Scallywompus folks and volunteers; all the many sponsors providing support; our food-and-drinks folk; the local businesses in our start/finish area for allowing them to invade their space for a while – I encountered a few of the local business owners and thanked them personally on behalf of all we runners and walkers; and to the EMT folks that were out there for us, as well as the local law enforcement officers patrolling the roads for our safety; and to anyone else I may have not mentioned here.  Thank you all!