Race photos are here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Px4fPj3fgDAxkADL8
BEFORE MY START: My 31st race of 2021 was the Battle of Bankersmith 5K, put on by Scallwompus running company on Sep 4 as part of its 2021 Alamo Beer Series, a series of 4 races for which you could register for all 4 or each one individually. The main event was a half marathon and there was also a 10-miler, a 10K, and a 5-miler. Bankersmith, population 0 is a small, privately owned property between Fredericksburg and Comfort, Texas, with a saloon, dance hall, and events center. The final road on the drive to get there is one crazy, hilly, curves everywhere road, kind of spooky in the dark, and first morning light. At one point on this road I felt like I was in The Twilight Zone and thought I would see Rod Serling waiting for me around the next bend. My friend, Woody, when he drove it, told me he kept hearing banjo music in his head, lol. Finally arrived at my destination, got parked, and then wandered around chatting with friends and fellow participants and getting some pre-start photos.
ON THE COURSE: All the courses were out-and-back. We 5K participants were the last to get started, at 8:15 a.m. I have run the Bankersmith 5K before so thought I knew what to expect – a very hilly course – but what I did not know is the course was changed a bit since the last time I’d done this event. So after going down a hill from the start, then proceeding up a long hill, instead of then going flat-and-straight to the 5K turn-round point and then back the way we came, we instead turner right onto one of the cross-roads…and had THE HILLIEST part of the course on our way to-and-from the 5K turn-round. These hills were no joke – not as steep as the ones in hilly Helotes, Texas – but still fairly steep and long. After making the turn-round point the hill going back up as we headed to the finish was a real bear, and I ended up walking a bit more than I had planned. Finally knew I had finished this hill when I could once again see the Team RWB water-stop tent – thanks guys! – good grief. Then it was back out onto the road we had started on, downhill for a while, and then just before finishing, going up the downhill we had come out on…and then there was finally a nice flat part of the course just before we turned into the finish. Mile 2 was my longest-in-time mile – that big hill – and I guess I was ready to be done after that, lol, because Mile 3 was a negative split for me. 39:13 chip time, averaging 12:37 per mile, and was 3rd out of 4 in my 65 – 69 age group.
AFTER MY FINISH: Pretty warm for this one, with ‘abundant sunshine” and no cloud cover. I went to my vehicle for about 10 minutes, sitting in the a/cl and rehydrating…ahhhhhh. Much better. Then it was off to get some post-race goodies – Alamo beer, sausage on a stick, a variety of fruits, etc. – and get some post-race photos.
Epilogue: This is a very hilly and challenging event for all the courses – I think the drive is part of the challenge too, lol – and, of course, the participants doing the longer mileage events had even more hills than we 5K folks did – but very well organized as all Scallywompus events are. They are not kidding, either, when they post “Come for the race. Stay for the party.” Music, lots of food and drink, really nice and unique ‘award’ glasses to all the age-group placers and nice awards for the overall winners, and every finisher got a nice finisher medal. Nice quality race shirt too. I’ve done several Scallywompus events in the past and will do more in the future.
Scottydog Reports 