Photos are here:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/KhGmkYkMbNL7LD2c8

Before The Start:  Put on by Bigfoot Running, my 39^th race of 2026 was the Shark Week Showdown 5K held at Ladybird Johnson (LBJ) Park on Saturday, July 11^th. This event was put on byThere was also a 10K and a 1-mile walk.  Per results posted on RunSignUp website, the 5K had 257 finishers and the 10K had 160 finishers, so a nice turn-out for this one. There was also a 1-mile walk. This event had an early start, with the 10K starting at 7 a.m. and the 5K starting at 7:15 a.m.   Our race day weather was pretty muggy with a temperature of 78 degrees around start time and humidity around 87%.  It was also very cloudy  and overcast and about 20 minutes or so before the start of the events, we had some spittting off-and-on rain for about 10 – 15 minutes.  I had picked up my packet the day before race day so after arriving at the park I wandered here and there, chatting with volunteeers, other participants, and the Bigfoot Team members that did the course setup, timing, and results. This is also a dog-friendly event, so I gave a few treats to the dogs I encountered.  The 10K folks started around 15 minutes before we 5K folks began. By start time, the spitting rain had stopped and never did start back up the whole time I was on the course.

On The Course:  The 5K was an out-and-back done on the paved concrete trails of the park.  Normally, we do a loop around the park’s traffic circle and then descend a short, winding hill to get to the park’s main concrete paved trails of the course to do an out-and-back course. However, our start for this one was just at the end of the public parking area. We crossed the start and then did a short jaunt on a winding downhill that took us to the park’s main trail.  We turned left onto this trail that took us in the direction of The Los Patios Shoppes and the 410 frontage road. The course is mostly flat, with just a few up-and-down inclines, but nothing you could really call a hill, until we got closer to the 5K turn-round.  Due to my now active spinal arthritis and DDD( Degenerative Disc Disease), I cannot run non-stop anymore for the whole race distance; so I did my usual run-8-minutes/walk-2 miinutes and took some on-course photos during my walk breaks.  Because we had a different start than the usual start route done for a 5K at this park, we went a bit farther to get to the 5K turn-round point. We actually passed the turn-round arrow in chalk for the usual 5K course done at this park and went over the Loop 410 frontage road and then underneath an overpass and could hear the Loop 410 traffic above us. This course took us up a hill that is fairly long, but not-too-steep, and once we got to the top of that, there was a water station on our right with 2 volunteers there – thank you very much –  and the 5K turn-round sign on our left. We then turned round and proceeded to the finish in reverse of the way we had come out. As noted, I can’t run a complete 5K non-stop, but I did get permission from my doc and my Physical Therapist, after my physical therapy was done, to run the last half of a 5k to the finish, and just take a few ‘quickie’ walk breaks; so on the way to the finish, I made a few “quickie” photo stops, and then got back to running again, and also ran the last mile non-stop to the finish. I ended up with a chip time of 46:57, averaging 15:05 per mile, with my walk breaks and photo-stops.  This was good enough for 1^st in my age group as, lol, I was the only one in my 70-79 age group, lol; which is okay; I’ll take it.  I got a Bigfoot pin for being first in my age group.  All participants who finished 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd in their respective age groups got the Bigfoot Pin. I’m not sure what award was given to the overall winners; and some of those folks were pretty darn fast.

After My Finish:  I stood for a bit near the finish line and got a few photos of others finishing, including some of my personal friends. After that I wandered here-and-there, chatting with other participants, volunteers, supporters, etc., and got some more after-photos that included fellow participants – both 5K and 10k people, and some that did the 1-mile walk – as well as some photos with my Bigfoot staff member friends who organized this event, and did the timing and results, as well as some of my volunteer friends who were verifying results and handing out Bigfoot pins if they placed 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd in their age groups.  I am not sure what the overall winners got but, dang, some of those people are really speedy, including some of the younger lads and ladies.  One young lady, mabye about 12 or so, wow…she was traveling, running with her father, I think. She sped right past me, lol, like I was standing still. There were a couple of more kids like that on the course also. I kept thinking…I need a transfusion frm these kids, lol.   

Epilogue:  The course change was interesting and gave we participants new things to see, as we went farther than the “usual” 5K course takes us, so that was pretty cool – although that was a bit of a climb, lol, to the 5K turn-round point. I was quite happy that I met my usual race goal – finish standing up and no ambulance waiting specifically for me, lol – and even got a place award out of it; well, since I am not a speedy runner, that’s my goal…try and outlive the competition, lol.  All-in-all a very nicely organized event and – unlike some other races done here, Bigfoot Running provided several port-a-potties for us, which was great; much better than that crappy one-seater porta-potty that is the only ‘restroom” at the park that is near the trailhead; as much as this park is used, I never understand why Parks and Recrecation doesn’t put in an actual restroom near the trailhead, or more port-a-potties.  Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants: Bigfoot Crew; all the many volunteers; Park Police Officer out there for our safety; the patience of patrons – other runners, cyclists walkers, etc. – doing their own thing as we participants invaded their space for quite a while; all the race sponsors; and anyone else involved whom I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all!

Whatever your passion is, may you always enjoy it safely and have much success. If you’re a fellow runner/race participant and see me at an event, give me a shout-out; love chatting with my fellow runners, and if you are so inclined, we can get a photo together for my race report I do for each of my events I sign up for. Stay safe, stay happy, and enjoy what you do. Cheers.