Photos are here:   https://photos.app.goo.gl/EUtiCpR3c1Nn2DZj7

Before The Start:  My 38^th race of 2023 was the Texas Too Hot 5K, held on July 9, at Boerne Lake Park. This event benefits Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There was also a 15K and a Kid’s 1K before the two main events started. The race packet included a very nice quality race singlet and an insulated tote bag for the first 400 registrants.  I signed up early for this one as I have done every one of the Texas Too Hot 5Ks since it first started – one of my few ‘streak events’ – so I did get the tote bag, a very nice one too, that I passed on to my wife as a gift. She earned it, lol; that woman has the patience of a saint, having to live with me every day.   This is a very popular iRun event that had 213 finishers for the 5K and 156 really crazy people that finished the 15K. I arrived around 7 a.m., got myself parked and then got a few pre-start photos before we all got underway.

 On the Course:  The 15K and 5K started right on time at 7:30 a.m.  Both groups started together.  Both courses were out-and-back. We began in one a parking lot of the park and after a very short jaunt, climbed our first hill that took us up to a somewhat rocky off-road trail that gave us some really nice views of the lake as we went along. I did my usual run/walk thing and often stopped to take a few photos. After a longer training run the day before this event, I planned on just having fun with this one, thinking I would probably finish in about an hour, maybe a little longer. It was a little warm with a temp of about 80 or so, and the humidity was crazy-high, but while we were on top of this trail there was a really nice breeze coming off the lake, so it didn’t feel too bad to me. After getting to the end of this flat trail, we then proceeded down a hill, than along the trail some more, going to a short uphill that took us onto pavement for a while. This part of the course was fairly flat, with a mix of asphalt, dirt, stones, small rocks. By this time, some of the speedier 5K runners were already coming toward me as they headed for their finish.  Past the water stop we turned right to go onto a paved road that was, for the 5K folks, our longest hill of the course. This road was open to traffic, so we assisted each other with cries of “Car Back!” when a vehicle came along.  The drivers where I was at any given moment were all pretty polite about it and safety-conscious with us.  The 5K turn-round point was on this hill, while the 15K folks continued on forward to what some friends who did the 15K told me after were some really long and brutal hills, especially the one to their turn-round.  For we 5K folks, after making the turn-round, we then went to the finish the way we had come out. I was feeling pretty good and surprised myself by ending up with a negative split for my last mile. I had thought I’d finish in about an hour, but ended up with a finish time of 46:39, averaging a 14:58 per mile pace and my last mile was a negative split. By no means a fast mile at 13:35, but quicker than my 14:26 for Mile 1 and 15:39 for mile 2 – those miles I made the most stops to take some extra photo shots – so I was pretty pleased with my results, which was a confidence booster that, after dealing for 2 years so far with these darn cancer side-effects, I am starting to slowly but surely get stronger and feel more like my previous running self; I was one happy doggie, lol.  I was 5^th out of 6 in my 66-69 males age group.

After My Finish: Got a few photos of some others coming in, handed out some treats to some dogs in the parks and then went to just relax for a bit. Love those iced-down towels at the finish line, they are so helpful in cooling you off after a warm outing.  Put one of those on the back of my neck, got some water, and then went to find a place to sit and relax for while. I went toward the lake-front and found a guy sitting with his two dogs, very nice and friendly. With his permission, I gave them treats and he kindly invited me to sit on the slab while I rehydrated and enjoyed that cooling lake breeze coming right into my face. It turned out this guy was retired military too, like me – Navy for him, so we had a nice chat.  He told me his wife was doing the 15K and was wondering how long it would take her.  I pointed across the lake to a house we could see at the top of the land above the lake and told him “I believe that is their turn-round.”  He was like, okay, then I might be here a while.  Lol.  We had a nice conversation about our  various military experiences, and other things, and it was just so nice to sit and relax for a bit with all that lake scenery in front of me.  Then I was off again, wandering around the race area chatting with friends and other participants and getting some more photos.  There was also a raffle drawing of bib numbers, with some nice iRun gift certificates given out – I won nada, darn the luck and Mitch did the 5K awards ceremony for the 5K placers, while the 15K was still going on.

Epilogue:   This is a really well-done event, as all iRun events are, with nice quality race shirts – singlets this time – very nice finisher medals and lots of post-race “goodies” including not only Shiner Bock Beer and some food, but also post-race massages and stretching tables available, a photo area, and even pets had a sponsor in PAWBASICS pet and nutrition center. This is a dog friendly event too, although it was pretty warm out there, but I did see a couple of dogs being walked on the course.  Great MC-ing by our announcer Mark Purnell.  Mucho thanks to all who had a part in making this one happen for we participants, iRun Texas, our timers, Split Second Productions, all the many sponsors, and all the volunteers, the park police officer(s) out there for our safety, the on-course professional photographers -PhotoWolfe, if I remember correctly, and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all!