Photos are here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/YmvGGbXAEc8UkpjFA

Before The Start: On Saturday, November 4, 2023 I completed my 61^st 5K of the year.  Put on by Scallywompus, Battle of Leon Creek was Race #4 and the last race in the Alamo Beer Series of races. Participants can register for all 4 – which I did – and get a nice entry discount, or register individually for the ones they want to do. This race included a 20-miler, 21K, a 10-miler, a 5K competitive walk, and a 5K, with staggered start times.  Since the 5K did not start until 9 a.m., I got to sleep in a bit.  The race location was in an apartment complex just off of Roadrunner Boulevard, and across from Valero Way.  Parking was kindly provided by UTSA in their East upper parking lot just down from Valero headquarters.  I had picked up my packet the day before, so when I arrived, I got a few pre-start photos.  The people doing the longer events, and all walkers, had already started and, as I arrived, the 10K folks were getting ready to go.  I wandered here-and-there chatting with friends and other participants; supporters; sponsors and vendors; and getting a few photos before my start.  Scallywompus events are always popular and someone told me he guessed there were about 800 or so total participants between all the events.  All courses started and finished at the Hill Country Place apartments complex.

 On the Course:  We lined up near the back of the apartment complex, then went up the entrance/exit road to the apartments, heading towards UTSA Boulevard. There was a slight and short incline just before UTSA Boulevard. Before reaching UTSA Boulevard we turned right onto a sidewalk that took us down to the Greenway trails.  All the shorter distances for this event turned left after the apartment sidewalk; the people doing the longer distances turn right, heading in the direction where Babcock Road is located.  All courses were out-and-back. The course was all on the paved concrete greenway trails, with a couple of hills; well, more like long up-and-down inclines rather than hills, but nothing really major. I did my usual  8-min-run/2-min-walk thing and took some on-course photos during my walk-breaks. I was feeling pretty good; after passing Mile 1, I ignored my next walk break and kept on running, going all the way to the turn-round point. After the turn-round, I stopped briefly to get a photo of the water station volunteers – thanks to all of them – and then continued running.  I did stop for my next walk break and got a couple more photos.  After hitting Mile 2, I just kind of ignored my watch, lol, taking just a brief photo stop, and then for Mile 2 to the finish, ran just about non-stop for that whole way, with just 1 brief photo stop. I ended up with a 5K chip time of 41:38, averaging 13:27 per mile and was very happy with that, as I have now progressed from usually averaging 14 to 15 minute miles; gave me a nice strong “boost feeling” that I am finally turning the corner on these darn cancer side-effects I’ve dealt with for over 2 years, so YAY! I was 5^th out of 6 people in my 65-69 males age group.

After My Finish: I got a couple photos of a few more finishers coming in after me, and then wandered around, chatting with friends, other participants, supporters, vendors, sponsors, etc., and enjoyed one a post-race sausage-on-a-stick that was grilled up by some very nice race-day volunteers.  Also available was all kinds of drinks, including C-Force water, Alamo Beer, bloody mary’s and some other ‘drink’ concoctions, if I remember correctly.  There was also a pay-as-you go Food Truck on site, with some really nice food choices. I enjoyed wandering around chatting with friends and other participants and getting post-race photos.  I also got my 5^th  finisher medal.  Scallywompus gives a finisher medal for each race and, if you signed up for all 4 events, you get a 5^th medal for doing all 4; very nice.  I was wearing my finisher medal for this 4^th event. When I got my “all races” 5^th medal, the darn thing went ZAP and clung to my finisher medal and I realized then they were both magnetic, uh-oh for me since I have a pacemaker.  I took a photo of the medals and then I gave one to a little girl who had been pushed on the course in a stroller by her mom – her big smile was reward enough for me – and my “all races” medal, I sneaked onto the neck of my dog-friend Luna, who did the events with her human, my friend, Bill, who I think did not even notice me putting it on her.  So, Bill if you read this, that’s where Luna got the medal, lol.  Luna loves me because she knows I have treats and when I show up for an event where she is, she heads right for me when she sees me, lol.

Epilogue:   As usual, one super-nicely done event by Scallywompus, with special thanks to my friends Bart – co-owner of Scallywompus – and Race Director Tony who is Bart’s Chief-in-Charge for all these Scallywompus events and does a great job of getting everything organized.  Scallywompus motto is “Come for the race. Stay for the party.”  They are not kidding, either. One great after party with all kinds of things going on, including a men’s and women’s pull-ups contest, lots of giveaways from various vendors, all kinds of food-and-drink things, massage table, photo booth thing, and more.  Finisher medals for all and a really nice quality race shirt, and even the race bibs are nicely designed.  If you’ve never done a Scallywompus event, you are missing out; definitely try one; I am sure you will enjoy it.  MUCHO THANKS to all the people involved who made this one happen for we participants, e.g., all the many volunteers for packet pickup and race day, who got everything done for us; the sponsors and vendors who help make all this happen; our music-and-sound guy Paul; my friend Meghan for once again beautifully singing for us The National Anthem; our grill-masters for those delicious sausages; Mr. and Mrs. Bart, who do a great job with this company; UTSA for use of the parking area; and also to all of you there who have so much patience with my taking photos of you, and also talking your ear off at times, lol, with my stories; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all so much! Hope to see you at the races!