Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QDXBcXhonvWWBqm27

 Before the Start: My 45^th race of 2024 was the Summer Meltdown 5K, held on August 18^th at O.P. Schnabel Park in San Antonio, Texas.  Event was put on by Bigfoot Running.  There was also a 10K and a half marathon.  This was the only event I found in San Antonio for this weekend, so there was quite a nice turn-out, with 189 finishers for the 5K; 15 finishers for the half-marathon; and 99 finishers for the 10K; well the 10K was listed in the results as a Quarter Half, so it was actually 6.6 miles instead of 6.2 miles.  All the event started at 7 a.m.  Prior to the main events, there was a kids run about 10 minutes prior to the other events. I arrived at the  park with about 45 minutes to go until the start. I’d picked up my packet the day before, so wandered around chatting with participants, volunteers, and supporters and getting a few pre-start photos.    

On the course: National Anthem was played and we started right on time.  All the events started at the same time. I have done quite a few races over the years in OP Schnabel Park so knew what to expect. The course was on the paved trails of the park.  We started to the side of the park pavilion and went up a long incline; I suppose you could ‘technically” call it a hill, but it really was not steep, just a bit long. Once at the top of this, we then made a right turn and had a down incline. This part of the course took us to a left turn, where we went down a short but steep incline; after getting down that, we then went down a longer incline that was a bridge over the park’s grounds below; the bridge being there mainly because some tough terrain below; and also when it rains pretty good, the ground below this bridge gets flooded from the creek that flows through parts of this park. One we hit bridge bottom, we were on a flat part for just a short bit, and then went down another short incline. At the bottom of this there was an intersection, where one could turn left onto a paved trail, or right onto another paved trail.  I was glad to see we went left because that trail to the right has some pretty darn steep climbs. The one we took has more gradual climbs. I did my usual run/walk thing – 8 minutes running/2 minutes walking – and took some photos during my walk breaks. I was feeling pretty good and kept on steadily going.  Before I got to the 5K turn-round, I saw some of the speedier 5K folks coming toward me heading for the finish. We did have some climbs along the way to the turn-round, but they were pretty gradual uphills and downhills, so not too tough.  Got to the 5K turn-round – thanks to the water station lady there for us – and then it was back the way we had come out.  Since I am currently getting physical therapy for a piriformis issue, I had instructions from my Physical Therapist (PT) to just take it easy, so I did – for most of the way anyway, taking my walk breaks and walking up about half the way on that darn long bridge – which was now an uphill on the way to the finish – and the following uphill right after it. … I did take all my walk breaks until my last ½ mile.  I was feeling pretty good so I just thought, okay, let’s just get this thing done and ran nonstop for the last ½ mile.  My running pace during my therapy has been 14 to 15 minutes miles and that was so for this event; but the last mile I finished in 13:50, sweet; a confidence builder that I am slowly getting back to my normal running self. There were only 2 in my 70-and-up age group and I ended up being first with a time of 44:04.

After My Finish:  It was pretty warm out there so, as usual after I finish, I got some water, did a short cool-down walk and then went and sat in my car for about 15 minutes with the a/c on full blast….ahhhhh, nicely cooled down now.  Then it was back to the race area to chat with friends, supporters, volunteers, and other participants and get some after-photos. There were several dogs at this event too – most of them not running or walking since it was pretty humid – so, as usual, I handed out doggie treats too. I got in the habit of carrying them with me when I do my run/walks because some of the neighborhoods and parks I run in have several dogs around; so if one gives me ‘chase’ I toss the biscuit in the other direction and the dog usually goes after that, giving me time to get away in my direction. The friendly ones I give a treat to directly with, of course, permission from their humans.

Epilogue:  Very nicely done event by Bigfoot Running.  All finishers got a really nice finisher medal and all age-group placers – top 3 in each age group – got a “Gorrilla” pin: gold for 1^st place, silver for 2^nd place, and bronze color for 3^rd place, so kind of unique. There was not an awards ceremony; you just checked your results and if you placed picked up your pin at one of the volunteer tables, where race day packet pickup was. Force Water was also handed out to the finishers after they crossed the finish line. Pretty nice quality cotton race shirt.  I would do this one again.   Mucho thanks to all the people who made this one happen for we participants, e.g. Bigfoot Running Company; the park police officers out there for us; all the many volunteers, including the volunteer race photographers; all the sponsors who supported this event; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all!