Photos are here:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/RBxm152mGJY616CV8    

 Before the Start: My 43^rd race of 2024 was the E-Dragon Productions Summer Series 5K, Race 4, held at McAllister Park, San Antonio, on Sunday, July 21^st . This is  series of 5 races held in various San Antonio parks.  Participants can register for each race individually or register for all 5 at once and get a nice race entry discount registering for all of them. The series of races provides funds for a youth scholarship, usually presented to the recipient at the last race in the series.  These events usually have an early start time, which is nice considering how warm it gets pretty early in Texas summer.  I had pre-registered for this one so arrived fairly early, got my race bib, and then got a few photos before the start.

On the course:  I lined up way in the back of the pack, planning to mostly walk this one as I have been dealing since June 30 with a pulled piriformis issue (the piriformis is a small muscle in the buttocks, connecting with the sciatic nerve) so had to give up 4 races I had registered for to let this thing recover for a bit.  It is a lot better than it was when I first pulled it. I normally do an 8-minutes-running/2 minutes walking thing when I do my running. I’d seen my doctor a few days before this event and told I was not fully recovered but feeling a lot better and had been able to do some 3 mile walks around my neighborhood. She gave me permission to try and run just a tad with this one, e.g., totally walk the first mile and after that then walk the first first 4 minutes of my 8-min run segment and then could try and run VERY EASY for the last 4 minutes, but if I felt any pulling to go back to completely walking. After my first mile walking, I followed these instructions, and after my watch counted down my ‘run now’ segment from 8 minutes to 4 minutes, I then did a very easy run-pace for the last 4 minutes. When I did the very first one of these, I did feel a little pull, almost like a quick ‘pressure and then suddenly the piriformis area felt much better, so maybe I knocked something back into place. Never-the-less, I followed her instructions, not pushing myself and that was okay, and it felt so good to be running again, even for these short bits. When my watch beeped for walk break, I behaved myself and took all of those, and just kept following the above pattern she had told me to, going very easy.  I even ended up doing negative splits, Mile 1 (walked that entire mile) 21:15; Mile 2 1945, and Mile 3 18:13, and I ran across the finish line. I ended up with a 1 hour and 34 seconds chip time, good enough for 3^rd in my 70-74 males age group, since there were, lol, only 3 in my age group. This is a far cry from the usual  38 to 40 minutes finishing time for a 5K, but I don’t care; my real reward was being able to run a little again and feeling good, which makes me think I am now on the healing path for this thing; not much running, as noted, but it was something, making me a happy mutt.  I’ve still got some physical therapy to get through in the coming weeks, but this was a nice confidence builder that I will get back to my normal running self in time.  

After my finish:  The awards ceremony had already finished, but I guess I timed it right, lol, because I crossed the line right as they called my name for 3^rd place, so got to get my medal right then. After that, I took a few more after photos, got some post-race treats – my ‘fruity friend’ Gilbert knows I like to eat a post-race banana, so always has one ready for me – and enjoyed chatting with some other participants still there, and did hand out more treats to the doggies still there.    

Epilogue:  Very nice event with 151 total finishers.  The course was also very nice – flat and a kind of loop course that started by the lower soccer fields in the park; then past the youth baseball field, and onto a paved road that took us in the direction of Becken Pavilion. We then turned onto an off-road paved trail that took us near a police-substation by the park, and then onto another paved trail that eventually led us to a trail going behind the youth baseball field.  The last paved trail put us back onto the road we had started on, and then we went back to the finish line in reverse of the way we had come out; no little out-and-backs to do anywhere on the course, which was very nice. The award medals are huge, with a code on it that can be used to get a discount for future E-dragon events one registers for. Nice photo back-drop for photo ops; indoor restrooms, water fountains – also plenty of bottled water – and McAllister Park also has lots of shade.  All-in-all, a very nicely done event by both E-Dragon and iaapweb, who did the timing, results, and probably helped set up the course too. Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants, e.g., iaap; E-Dragon; all the volunteers; the police officers out there for our safety; the official photographers; the bike lead person, our MC, Anthony doing his usual great job, and the guy in the Dragon costume – had to be hot in that thing – post-race for the awards, etc. Thanks also to all the race sponsors, and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Happy and safe running, racing, walking, biking, etc., to all!  Maybe I will see you at a future event sometime.