Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/NAmRtYRg3jBM4rUY9

 Before the Start:  My 54^th race of 2024 was the 6^th Annual Veronica’s Journey 5K held on September 29th in Shavano Park, Texas. This was my 2^nd 5K of the weekend, having done the day before the Head For The Cure 5K. Veronica was an infant child diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 13 months old. She put up a courageous fight, but sadly passed away in 2017, shortly after her 2^nd birthday. This 5K is in her memory and for all children who battle cancer. This even supports Veronica’s Boutique of Catholic Charities and also the Gabriella’s Smile Foundation, a local support cancer support center for kids in San Antonio. Gabriella also was a victim of childhood cancer. The event gathering point was at the Shavano Park City Hall location just off of Military Highway. Race start time of 8:30 a.m. Prior to the 5K, a mass was held at the race location, starting at 7 a.m.  I arrived about 7:30 a.m., got my packet, and got a few pre-start photos. This is also a dog-friendly event, so I soon made some new dog friends after giving them treats.

On the course:  This event had 148 timed finishers, walkers and runners.  We had to cross over NW Military Highway to get to the start area. Shavano police officers were there doing traffic control to assure a safe crossing for all of us, so big thanks to them. Our start and finish was on Saddletree Road and the course took us through a pretty nice neighborhood with large, spacious homes, wide streets, and dogs…lots of dogs who bark-cheered us on as we passed by their home grounds. The course was out-and-back and had a couple of pretty good-sized hills; nothing like the hills In Helotes or Eisenhower Park, but still fairly long.  I did my usual run/walk thing, 8-minutes run/2 minutes-walk and took some photos during my walk break. I was just trying to take it easy after my 5K the day before when I’d pushed myself a little; however, after I passed Mile 1, I was feeling pretty good so from about Mile 1.2 I pretty much ran most of the rest, with just a few more short photo-stops along the way. I ended up finishing in 42:08 chip-time, which was good enough for 3^rd in my 70-99 males age group. The first two guys ahead of me both finished with times in the 30s.

 After My Finish: I stood near the finish line getting a few photos of others coming in – making sure to stay out of the way of the official race photographer and then chatted with some other participants in the finish area and got a few more photos. We then went  back to the event gathering area at the City Hall outdoor pavilion and were treated to a cultural dance performance by dancers from a large dance company.  It was quite entertaining, and they were awesome with their dancing talent and flexibility. I’d seriously hurt my old-man bones, lol, if I tried that.  After they finished, I got a photo of them and then they allowed me to have a photo with them.  I also enjoyed chatting post-race with more volunteers, participants, and supporters of the participants and, of course, got a few more photos. There was an awards ceremony, starting from the youngest placers to the oldest – umm, I think they need to do this starting with the oldest first, since we need to get home and get our naps after all this exercise, lol – so I got a placer medal as well as a finisher medal.  I enjoyed chatting with some more people, as well as handing out my last few treats to the doggies still there, and then it was time to head on home. Epilogue:  This is truly a very nicely done event for a good cause.  Cancer for anyone is awful, but to me, especially so for kids; no kid should ever have to go through that, they should just be able to have a normal, happy kid’s life; hopefully someday a cure will be found, and this will happen; but until then, events like this will keep on being put on and someday hopefully help us reach that goal of finding cures for cancers.  The course was really nicely done – even with the hills, lol; very nice quality race shirts; nicely designed finisher medal and award medal;  and some post-race goodies afterwards; if I remember correctly, there were a couple of food trucks near the pavilion area.  The only “drawback” on this one was the restrooms; there two actual restrooms at the pavilion, but single-seaters, so the waiting time got a bit long. Maybe a local porta-potty company can be convinced to be one of the race sponsors; sponsors, if the Shavano Park city official would allow porta-potties on their grounds for the duration of the event; might be worth a try.  Being an old guy, lol, I’d even be willing to contribute something toward the cost.  Well, everything worked out and it really was a nicely done event, one I will continue to do as long as I am able.  Mucho thanks to Veronica’s family for founding this quality event for such a good cause; Thanks also to all the people involved that participated and/or made this one happen for we participants; city officials; local law enforcement; all the sponsors; our course setup and timing folks at iaap; the many volunteers out there for us; the dance company; our race directors; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all!  Lord willing, and the creek don’t rise, see you again next year!