Scottydog Reports

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6HaXT2qk4bkjJ9tP9

Before The Start: my 61^st race of 2022 was the Jingle Paws 5K held on December 10 at O.P. Schnabel Park in San Antonio.  This dog-friendly event supports the Helotes Humane Society. Race start time of 8 a.m. This was a fairly smaller event with 91 total finishers. Dark clouds overhead, but it never did rain on us, thankfully.  Mother nature gave us a very humid day – 90% – with temps in the upper 60s. I arrived at race site with about 40 minutes to start time and got a few pre-start photos.  Also, the doggies apparently all had great sniffers, lol; they knew I had dog treats in my pockets and went right for them. They even picked the correct pockets too; the amazing ‘smell ability’ of dogs.

On The Course:   Top-notch race management company Athlete Guild did the race setup, timing, and results, so they probably had a hand in laying out the course. If you choose to run or walk at O.P. Schnabel, there are going to be hills along the way, and this was the case for our event.  We started in front of the park pavilion, climbing up the paved trail that led to the inner park paved trails.  After getting to the top of the first trail we made a right turn and then did a down-slope on the next paved trail.  This took us to a steeper downhill slope – which we would have to climb up on the way to the finish as this was an out-and-back course – and then onto some very nicely paved trails which, for most of the route, were fairly flat, but we did have about  2 to 3 uphill and downhill inclines along the way. There were also some fallen leaves at several places, so had to be careful at those spots, that stuff can make you slip a bit.  The trails were open for non-race walkers, runners, and cyclists, and there were even a couple of skateboarders.  Most of them were very nice about calling out when they come up behind us, but a couple of the cyclists were just downright rude; thankfully, nobody got injured. I just plodded along at my slow  run/walk pace, taking photos during my walk breaks and interacting with other participants as I went along, cheering them on, and them cheering me on.  Overall, I felt pretty good. The last mile I ran almost completely non-stop and got a negative split for that one, nice. I met my primary race goal – finish standing up and no ambulance waiting specifically for me, lol. As for my time: 41:22 chip time, averaging 13:19 per mile, This is pretty slow, but it is progress for me; I finished my last prostate cancer treatment on Nov 9 – cancer free now, yay! – and during my 15 months of treatment my running times had dropped to around 14 – 15 minute miles, so this is nice progress for me as I slowly start to get back to my old self; felt really good. 

After My Finish:   Cool-down walk and some water and a banana. After that, enjoyed chatting with other participants, race supporters, volunteers, and the dogs.  Yes, I chatted with the dogs, lol. Again, I think every dog there knew I had treats, lol.  Some of the ones I gave treats to before the start actually recognized me and often came right up to me, sniffing for the treats, lol. Fun stuff, I did not mind at all.  I also got a few photos of the happy finishers, volunteers, and supporters. Nice little spread of post-race goodies that included fruits, nutrition bars, energy bars, and some other things.  I knew I was not going to place because age groups were definitely different, lol: 1-17 males, 1-17 females, 18-99 males and 18-99 females. Overall winners got awards – the guy who was first did it in 19-something, good grief.  I was 47^th overall.

Epilogue:   A very nicely organized event at a nice location. I like running at Schnabel Park because there is a YMCA location in this park; as a member, after the race I can go over there and take a shower and change clothes, so don’t have to drive home all wet and sweaty; very convenient. Besides the paved trails there are also several off-road trails to run or walk on; and the park also is adjacent to some pretty nice neighborhoods, so you can get in a really nice outing on mixed surfaces if you so desire; also a great place to do hill work…one of the nearby neighborhoods has some pretty challenging hill.  This 5K is a fun little event, very nicely organized, for a very worthy cause; very nice quality race t-shirt too; indoor restroom facilities, always nice; and the park also has water fountains at various spots around the park. I will definitely do this one again and would recommend it to others. Mark December 9^th for next year on your calendar for this one.  Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants, including the Humane Society, Athlete Guild, the Park Police officers out there for our safety; all the many volunteers and all the sponsors – and Buddy, the mascot of H-E-B who was out there too – and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all!

Photos are here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/CsYz8PX2GDPFVA7z7

Before The Start : Held on December 3, 2022, Jingle All The Way 5K was my 60^th of the year. There was also a 10K. Hosted by Tusculum Brewing, this event was held in Boerne, Texas, starting and finishing on the brewery ground, the 10K started at 8 a.m., with the 5K following at 8:15 a.m. I arrived with with about 30 minutes to start time, got my packet, and then got just a few pre-start photo before we were off-and-running…literally!  I saw my friend Rick who had planned to do the 5K, but was having some hamstring issues and did not want to push it, so he probably wisely decided to forego the event.  Weather was not too bad for us at all.  It was very humid (92%) with temps in the upper 50s, and dark cloud cover, but never did rain on us. I felt quite comfortable out there, even with the humidity; but then, I am one of those crazy runners, lol, that like it hot better than cold.

On The Course:   Top-notch company Athlete Guild did the race setup, timing, and results, so they probably had a hand in laying out the course. Whoever laid it out did a nice job selecting the route. From the brewery grounds, we went directly onto a portion of the Boerne Riverwalk. The first part of the course took us over to the Boerne Town Center, where we did a turn-round and then went back the way we had come out. We then passed by the start/finish line and continued on the Riverwalk to another turn-round point. Back the way we had come, and then crossed a bridge over the river.  This took us into a really nice neighborhood with very wide streets and some nice homes.  We went down this street to our last turn-round point (thank goodness, lol) and then back the way we had come out.  After re-crossing the bridge, we got back onto the river path and then went to the finish line.  The 5K folks only had to do all this once; the 10K folks twice, so they had lots of out-and-back.  I admire their fortitude, lol.  I ended up with  41:18 chip time, averaging 13:18 per mile, and had a negative split for Mile 3, very nice. My friends tell me if would quit stopping to take all those on-course photos, I probably could do 11-minute miles or faster; maybe, but because of my spinal arthritis, I can’t do non-stop running anymore – unless I don’t feel like being able to get up for about the next  2 days, lol –  so have to take my walk breaks; and I enjoy doing my reports and sharing with my fellow participants, etc., so it’s all good.

After My Finish: Got some water and did a short cool-down walk, relaxing a bit, and then enjoyed interacting with other participants, volunteers, and supporters.  Super nice people at this event, enjoyed chatting with them and making new friends.  Dog-friendly event too, so the dog-treats I carry were gone pretty quickly; had to get a few more after I finished. I got quite a few more photos after my finish than I did before my start. Small world too; I met another veteran there and we discovered we both had been at the same Air Force base at the same time during our careers.

Epilogue:  This is a smaller event – 27 finishers, runners and walkers, for the 10K and 154 finishers, runners and walkers for the 5K – and with all these very friendly people I encountered, it felt more like a neighborhood get-together social run than a race, which I thought was great. I think I made a few new friends. Nicely designed course and Tusculum Brewery refreshments available post-race. I met the owners and they are super-nice people operating a really nice establishment; check it out if you are ever in Boerne. This event supported Transformation House, which offers services and transitional housing for women and children who have experienced domestic violence, so a very worthy cause.  Finisher medal for all finishers, age group award to Top overalls, and a nicely designed race shirt. This is the first time I’ve done this event but will not be my last. I certainly recommend this event to others. MUCHO thanks to all those who made this one happen for we participants; Tusculum Brewing, Athlete Guild for the timing, results, etc; the many volunteers out there for us, as well as the police officers on the course for our safety at a couple of road crossings; all the event sponsors; and anyone else involved I may have missed mentioning; thank you all!

Photos are here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/z5RZKetVUE2voej26

Before The Start:  My 59^th race of 2022 was the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day.  This event supported the San Antonio Food Bank. I chose this event to do because the Food Bank was the favorite nonprofit of my late friend Bernadette Beck, who sadly died of cancer on Dec 5, 2021. Bernadette loved the Food Bank and would often go down there to help out. Bernadette was one of the first people I met through running when my wife and I moved to San Antonio, after I got reassigned to Lackland during my last Air Force years right before I retired. Bernadette and I became buddies and did so many of the same races over a period of more than 20 years.  After my wife, she was the woman I loved the most in the world, my best friend Bernadette.    After she passed, another friend of mine who knew our history found an old photo of the two of us after a race we had done. She had a friend of hers make this photo into a button which she gave me as a gift so I can still run with Bernadette. I wear that button at the races I do. The 5 started and finished near the historic “Commander’s House” at the H-E-B headquarters downtown. This is a very popular Thanksgiving Day event, so there was quite a large turnout. Someone told me there were over 3,000 or so participants registered. I don’t know if that is correct, but it may be; there sure were a lot of people there.  8:30 a.m. start for the majority of the 5K participants, with the ‘speedy runners’ – which is definitely not me, lol – going at 8:15 to avoid the majority of the pack.  I arrived about an hour before start time.  I had picked up my packet the day before, so after arriving, I chatted with friends and other participants and got a few pre-start photos.

On The Course:   We started on South Flores just outside one of the HEB headquarters gates and the route gave us a nice little tour of downtown San Antonio as we went onto Presa Street, then South Alamo, then into the King William District for a short bit, followed by a turn onto Arsenal Street near HEB headquarters and then back onto South Flores to return to the start/finish line. Weather guys had predicted some possible rain/thunderstorms for race day, but that never happened. It was cloudy and overcast with a temp of 61 degrees, no wind, and over 90% humidity, so very muggy.  I was quite comfortable in my shorts and singlet.  About 5 minutes after I started, I had the pleasure of encountering my friend Jaqueline, up from Florida, visiting her family and friends here; one of my favorite people and like me, an Air Force person. Not only did I get to see her, she decided to just stay with me for through the whole course, even doing my walk breaks with me when my watch beeped for me to take them and also get some on-course photos , so we got to chat as we went along, and she kindly did my slow pace, lol, which must have been tough for her as she is a much faster runner than I am. I was feeling pretty good and ignored my last walk break and Jaqueline and I ran nonstop nearly the whole last mile to the finish. My garmin showed 41:10 for me, gun time, but the timer told me my chip time was 40-something; and I had negative splits too, nice. One of the most enjoyable 5Ks I have done this year, thank you Jaqueline!

After My Finish: Jacqueline had to take off to get back to her family. I got some post-race hydration – it really was muggy out there – and some post-race goodies and wandered around the post-race area – mainly the grounds of the Commander’s House – chatting with other friends there that I knew and also other participants, making new friends, and getting some post-race photos.  I knew at my pace I had not won anything, lol, so I had plenty of time.  Finally left around 10:30 a.m. and headed to Fort Sam Houston, where I took advantage of being retired military to stop at the base gym and take a nice hot shower so I did not have to drive home in my sweaty, wet running gear.  That shower felt great, lol.     

Epilogue: This is a very well-done event for a great cause and is very popular with the local community, so it always gets a super turnout. Really nice quality race shirt and finisher medals to all finishers. Age group winners got an additional medal for placing in their categories. The water stops on the course – there were two – were well organized and there were even two spots where they had musicians playing for us as we went along, very nice.  The course is flat as a pancake so if you are one of those speedy runners who gets that 15-minute head start ahead of the main pack, good course to shoot for a PR if you are so inclined. Very nice after-party, which included this giant balloon turkey that was very popular for photos. This is also a dog-friendly and stroller friendly course. I will definitely do this one again and would recommend it to others. Mucho thanks to all the people who made this one happen for us, including Soler Sports – my friend Lisa Soler and her crew – who did the course setup, arranged for packet pickup before and on race day, and sent out race info messages to all participants; all the many many many volunteers there for us; all the sponsors that helped make this one happen for us; medical staff there (thankfully not needed); all the police officers on the course for our safety; and, of course, H-E-B for the use of its grounds, and the staff of the Food Bank who were also out there supporting we participants. My apologies to anyone involved I may not have mentioned;  thank you all!

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UveBw1GCz96iFG8J9

Before The Start:  My 58^th race of 2022 was the Boerne YMCA Turkey Trot 5K held on Nov 19, 2022 at the Town Center in Boerne, Texas.  There was also a 10K, a 1-Mile Trail Walk that went along part of Boerne’s paved Riverwalk trail, and a Kids run. This was the 11^th year for this event and so far I am on a streak for this one, having done 11 out of 11.     Pretty nice turnout considering the weather forecast predicted a temp for this day at 41 degrees, wind and rain, and a ‘feels like’ temp of 37 degrees.   The results show 384 finishers for the 5K and 85 finishers for the 10K.  When I left home in San Antonio it was coming down pretty good.  When I got to Boerne it was cold and a tad windy, but no rain at all upon arrival.  I had gotten my packet the day before so went around and got some pre-race photos.  As I really HATE cold weather – 55 and up is my perfect running temp, lol, and I’d rather run in 90 degrees than in temps below 55 – I felt pretty comfortable as I was layered out with a base layer of some men’s running tights; then a pair of my running shorts with all my pockets – have to be able to carry the dog treats 😉 – then a pair of nice warm running pants.  I had an Under Armour winter singlet base layer shirt, then a long-sleeved Rockface gear winter shirt – I love these Rockface shirts they are SO warm and also have wick-away properties -and then my race shirt. Two pairs of socks to help keep my feet dry; my winter knit cap and a pair of sturdy winter gloves I’d gotten from a camping store. I was quite comfortable, layered up like Charlie Brown, lol, in the Peanuts Christmas show – except I was actually able to move. 

On The Course:  The course was a loop course, one loop for the 5K, two loops for the 10K.  The 1-mile walkers started first, followed by the 10K folks, and then we 5K folks started about 10 minutes after the 10K.  Right before we started, it did begin to rain, but did not last that long, maybe about 10 minutes. We started in front of the Bank of America building by the Town Square, made a short loop around part of the square, then through a nearby parking lot and then onto paved streets.  Although it did not rain on us during the race – at least it was not raining where I was on the course the whole time – you could tell Boerne had gotten some rain because there were quite a few places along the way that had large areas of water covering the streets.  The course was mainly on paved roads in some very nice Boerne neighborhoods.  Mostly flat, with 2 inclines along the way, one just past the halfway point, and the other one as we came back to the finish line. I tried to run on the paved streets as much as possible, but at various places the standing water on the street was pretty large, so, for safety’s sake, we had to sometimes move up onto the neighborhood sidewalks to bypass these very large puddles.  I don’t like cutting courses, as it does not give you the full 3.16 miles, so during my walk breaks, I often ran BACK a little bit to get some photos, and then moved forward again, so I would get the complete distance.  I think I may have overdone it, lol.  After I finished, my Garmin showed I had done 3.3 miles.  As I headed to the finish, the two lead guys doing the 1OK passed me. I jokingly told them their 10K time is better than my 5K time, lol. Out of the 6 people in my 65 – 69 age group, I ended up dead last – nothing less than I had expected at my pace, lol – with a chip time of 42:26, averaging 13:39 per mile.  Yes, I am slow, but for this one I was also one happy dog, being able to still run after just finishing the week before 15 months of treatment for prostate cancer and finding out at my last treatment appointment on November 9 that I now have a CLEAN bill of health and beat my cancer.  YAY!  Still dealing with some side effects – my running pace going way down from what it used to be is one of them but, hey, I’m still out here! – which doc told me can possibly last up to 2 years – but overall, annoying, and sometimes uncomfortable as they are at times, they are pretty mild for most of the time, so I am pretty lucky, and still running and doing races.

After My Finish:  After I finished, I got a few photos of some others coming into the finish, and got some photos with friends, and took one of the official photographer too.  They take all these photos of us, so I took one of her so she could have her own.  I wandered around post-race chatting with other participants and getting some more photos.   It did start raining on us again after the finish, and the wind picked up a little and I finally started feeling the cold a bit.  Our MC and announcer gave us the news that because of the crazy weather and to get everyone out of the cold – especially the kids, probably – that the awards would be mailed to the winners – awards given to the Overall winners and the first overall in each age group.  So everyone started packing up and leaving.   I got back to my car, got out of my wet top-layer stuff and changed into warm dry shirts I had brought.  Then, since I am a member of the Y, I drove to the Boerne YMCA – with my heat on full blast, which felt great – and took a nice HOT HOT shower….oooh that felt so great! – then got into the other dry, warm clothes I had brought for the drive home. Before I left, I enjoyed chatting with the two very nice YMCA employee ladies at the front desk for a bit. I really like the Y and membership allows me to visit different YMCA’s all over the place and run a whole lot of various running routes, and then be able to shower and change without having to drive home wet-and-sweaty. Very convenient and my personal experience is the Y staff at all the ones I have visited have always been helpful and friendly.

Epilogue:  11-for-11, my streak for this one continues! I even did it last year –  #10 was a bit tougher as I was still being treated at that time – and I plan to continue doing them for as long as I can. It really is a quality event. Outstanding race management company iaap does the course setup, timing and results; really nice quality long-sleeved race shirt; dog-friendly event; very nicely thought-out route; and plenty of post-race goodies from the vendors/sponsors, including draft beer; sausage wraps; cowboy breakfast (not sure if they had that this year, but it’s good) and lots more. Check out my blog – use search term Scottydog Reports – for the photos I took of this event; and no, I get nothing for this; I just do it fun so people can save their photos if they want to; no ads or annoying popups on the site; just my race reports. Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants:  The Boerne YMCA staff and all their race volunteers; the police officers on the course for our safety; all the many vendors and sponsors; the patience of the residents along the course as we invaded their space; and iaap for what they do; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned.  Thank you all!

Photos are here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/UGCdTqm7moEZeRK56

Before The Start: My 57^th race of 2022 was the Endeavors Veterans Day 5K, held on Saturday, Nov 12, 2022. There was also a 2K walk and a 10K. This event was held at HemisFair in downtown San Antonio.  The race supports the Endeavors Veteran Wellness Center which provides a variety of services for veterans and their families. It currently serves 105 countries via 11 center locations, including one in San Antonio on De Zavala Road, which is the corporate headquarters. This event had a nice turnout on a cold-and-windy day -by South Texan standards anyway – with 121 finishers for the 5K and 58 finishers for the 10K. Race start time of about 8:30. I am so thankful I picked up my packet earlier in the week, because race day dawned with a temp of 37 degrees – feels like 34 – and the wind was blowing like crazy, making it feel even colder.  I am a cold-weather wimp, lol; when it gets below 50 degrees I layer up. This morning I was wearing 3 layers, a warmer pair of gloves, and a cold-weather cap, which is saying a lot for what the weather felt like for me because I absolutely hate wearing hats. I arrived with about 45 minutes before start time and got a few pre-start photos.

On The Course: The 5K started on Alamo Street in front of the entrance to HemisFair.  After going down Alamo Street for a bit, then turned onto South St. Mary’s Street.    A right on Eagleland Drive took us onto a bridge that got us on the San Antonio Riverwalk heading in the direction of the Blue Star Arts complex. We stayed on the Riverwalk, going past King William District; behind the H-E-B headquarters area (what used to be the old San Antonio Arsenal) and then up from the Riverwalk to Nueva Street and began heading for the finish. A turn onto Presa Street and then turn onto a shorter street that took us back to Alamo Street for the final turn that took us to the finish.  Nicely laid-out course with some nice views along the Riverwalk.  I ended up finishing the dreaded 4^th in my 60-69 males group, chip time 42:21, averaging 13:38 per mile.  Mile 3 was a negative split for me as I did that mile almost nonstop all the way, something I have not done in a while. Yay for the end of my prostate cancer treatment, which I finished on the Wednesday before this race. 

After My Finish: Got some water, did a short cool-down walk and got some photos around the start/finish area. We gathered in the HemisFair area for the awards being given out and also heard a pretty motivating talk from retired Major General Al Flowers (over 46 years of service) and another motivating chat from an officer who was injured in an IED incident and went through one of the Endeavors program; he was quite inspiring, surviving what he went through. Enjoyed the awards ceremony, as many of my friends placed, and continued to get a few more photos post-race. Lots of military-associated people at this event and we all had a story. It was interesting to hear some of the personal military-life experiences of the participants with whom I chatted – wow, just wow – and it was nice being with a group of people who know exactly where you were coming from and can relate to what you experienced.

Epilogue:  Very nice event – aside from the weather, but I don’t think we can bribe Mother Nature, lol, she’s definitely into doing her own thing – with great participants. Very nicely laid out course; really nice quality race shirt; nicely designed finisher medals to all finishers; and lots of post-race goodies available – some for purchase – as the Veterans Day Parade was happening later in the day so there were several nearby food-and-drink booths. I am definitely going to put this one on my race calendar as “Keeper” and do it again.  I most certainly would recommend it to others.  The people I personally met who were affiliated with the Endeavors Wellness Center were all great, and you could tell they really cared a lot about what they do, helping veterans and their families. Mucho thanks to all involved who made this one happen for we participants: Lisa Soler and her crew from Soler Sports; iaap for course setup, timing, and results; all the many police officers along the route for our safety; all the event sponsors: Loyal Source; Visionlink.org; Target Hospitality; Sendero; Securitas; USAdvisors; Victory Supply; and any others involved I may not have mentioned.  Thank you all!

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ShsPeHL51Q6uiToZ6

Before The Start:   My 56^th race of 2022 was Trails Fur Tails 5K, held on Sunday, November 6. This was my 2^nd race of the weekend after doing the Battle of Leon Creek 5K the day before. Trails Fur Tails was held at McAllister Park, starting at 9 a.m.  With the time change for the year, I got nice little sleep-in on Sunday morning, as the McAllister Park race location is only a 15-minute drive from where I live. This event supports Alamo Area Partners for Animal Welfare (AAPAW), which supports funding for animal rescue groups and veterinary costs in the San Antonio area. This was a fairly smaller event with 54 finishers.  I arrived a bit past 8 a.m., got my race packet, and then got a few pre-start photos.

On The Course:  Start and finish line was near the youth baseball field, just up from the lower soccer field in the park. The course was on a paved park road and off-road paved park trails. Our route took us from the baseball field onto the park road and then onto an off-road trail that took us past the Police Substation near the park. After passing by the substation, the trail continued on a trail that took us near Becken Pavilion in the Park.  We turned right onto another trail  – with Becken Pavilion behind us – which took us back to the park road. Back at the road, we then proceeded to the finish via the same way we had come out from the start. I ended up with a chip time of 44:22; 25^th overall, 3^rd in my 60 – 99 males age group, and 11^th male overall.  I felt pretty good overall, but my legs for this 5K were feeling that Scallywompus race the day before, lol.  I still placed, as there were only 3 in my age group, and the awards went 3-deep for each age group; nice for a smaller event.  

After My Finish:  I got a few photos after my finish of some of the happy finishers – a couple of them a bit blurry with my great camera skill, so apologies to those folks – and enjoyed some post-race treats – NOT dog biscuits by the way, lol; although AAPAW did have several types of dog treats available and some of them actually did look like they’d be pretty tasty.

Epilogue:  Although a smaller event, this one is nicely done. Very well organized; nicely laid out course; nice quality race shirt; some nice post-race treats – including lots of coffee, which my coffee fanatic friend Woody would have loved –  and a nicely designed age-group medal for the award winners. Also, of course, a dog-friendly event. I would definitely do this one again and would recommend it to others. It is really a great cause too, so I hope this one grows more in the future.  Nice, also, that is done on Sunday, so not competing with the other umpteen races that were held the day before this one.  Y’all come on out next year and do this one!  Mucho Gusto thanks to  AAPAW and all the people that made this one happen for we participants; Race Director; all the volunteers and race sponsors; park police out there for our safety; Athlete Guild  race management company for the course setup, timing, results; and personally from me, all the dogs out there, I love meeting the dogs, lol.  Personal thanks to a lady I met on the course who ran with me a bit; she is originally from England and I lived in England for 4 years, so we had a nice chat.  Also thanks to my friend Albert for running with me – until Mile 2 when he left me in the dust, lol; and to my friend Eli – 2^nd overall  finisher –  who came back onto the course to pace me in.  My apologies if I missed any others involved; thanks to all of you!

Photos are here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/Tk6qBLZce2Nsm3VR8

Before The Start:  my 55^th race of 2022 was the Battle of Leon Creek 5K held on Nov 5 starting and finishing at Hill Country Place apartments just off of UTSA Boulevard.  This event was the 4^th event in the Hill Country series of races leading up to the San Antonio Rock n Roll events.  Put on by Scallywompus, a top-notch company that provides series of races over the year, this event had 4 races: 20 miler; 10 miler; 10K; and 5K.  I did the 5K, which was the last one to start, at 8:45 a.m. I arrived with just under an hour until the 5K start and got to see the 10K folks get started.  The 20-miler and 10-miler participants had a way earlier start and were already out on the course.  Found some parking and then got a few pre-start photos.

On The Course:  All event started in the apartment complex area, then went onto the nearby greenway trail.  The trailhead and apartments are about a half-mile down from the upper parking lot of the UTSA Campus and also from Valero Energy Corporation headquarters on Valero Way. Scallywompus events are popular so usually get a very nice turnout.  For the 5K alone there were 281 finishers, per the results list of iaap, who did the course setup, timing and results.  All the courses were out-and-back.  The 5K started right on time.  The course was mainly flat, with a few inclines along the way; nothing major that you could really call a hill. I felt pretty good for this one as I did my usual run/walk thing, taking photos during my walk break. After making the 5K turn-round, I still felt pretty strong, so for the last mile, I ignored my walk break and went all the way to the finish. I ended up 2^nd in my 65 – 69  5K age group – there were only 4 in that age group, lol –  with a chip time of 38:59.  This is nice progress, as, since I started my cancer treatment back in Sep 2021, my times really got longer – darn cancer can wear you out at times, for sure – with me finishing in the 42 – 44 minutes range.  Makes me feel like I am finally starting to get back to my former runner self. One more treatment to go – my last treatment is Nov 9 and then I am DONE.  Yay.

After My Finish: Got a few photos of other folks finishing, then went to get some water and some food.  The motto of Scallywompus is “Come for the race. Stay for the party.”  They are not kidding either.  All kinds of stuff at Scallywompus events, including sausage-on-a-stick, Alamo Beer , of which I enjoyed one, margaritas, bloody mary’s, Force Water (good electrolytes water to help you rehydrate; had a couple of those too) and lots more.  There was also a post-race raffle – I did not win a thing, darn the luck – and all kinds of vendors/sponsors giving away freebie things like hats, pens, buttons, and lots more. I just kicked back, enjoying it all while I wandered around chatting with friends and other participants – and making new friends – and getting some post-race photos.

Epilogue:  Bart (co-owner of Scallywompus) and Tony Garcia (Race Director) really throw a great event with some, ummm,   at times, “challenging courses”, lol, but they are all well-thought out and the participation for these is great.  No matter which distance you choose, because the majority of these events are all out-and-back, you get to see participants and friends from all the events ‘in passing”, as participants come and go.  The encouragement participants provide to each other as we all go along is great. And then when you finish, you have that great party waiting for you, sweet. Definitely will continue to do these events and certainly would recommend them to others.  Mucho thanks to all the people who made this one happen for we participants; all the sponsors and vendors;, the many many volunteers; the apartment management for allowing us use of the venue; the patience of the residents living in the apartment complex; UTSA for allowing us use of one of its parking areas; my friend Anthony for doing his usual entertaining and great job as our MC; and my friends Bart and Tony who are the primary ones getting these events all together. If I missed anyone, my apologies, thanks to all who were involved!

Photos are here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/mDCMho83RKyDW9Up9

Before The Start:    My 54^th race of 2022 was the Now You See Me Foundation Monster Dash 5K Run, Walk or Wheelchair.  This was my second event of this weekend after doing the Harp & Shamrock 5K the day before. Events for the Monster Dash included a 10K and a 1-mile event.  held on Sunday, October 30 at Eisenhower Park in San Antonio, this event raises funds for critically injured athletes and spinal cord research. I chose this one to as I can somewhat relate to being disabled. I was born a March of Dimes baby with dislocated hips wearing braces on my legs for a short time and then a pair of shoes held together with a bar in-between them. I lived a pretty normal life – even did 24 years in the Air Force – but can never sit or stand perfectly straight due to a curvature in my spine from all this.  When I was in my 50s, my spinal arthritis flared up – arthritis and spinal disc disease at 6 levels in my back – so per my doc’s recommendation, I began to use the run/walk method, which has worked very well for me. Of course, I have nowhere near the damage a critically injured athlete has, but I can empathize maybe a tad with what they may deal with. Also, I am a cancer survivor twice over, colon area and currently prostate cancer.  So when I choose my races to do, ones that support funding for cancers and disabilities are high on my priority list.  This event had a late morning start time of 9:30 a.m., so got to sleep in a bit. Weather was perfect.  Sunny skies, but not hot at at all, with a nice temp in the 50s, very low humidity, and no wind. I arrived with about an hour to go to start time and got a few pre-race photos.

On The Course:  The course started and finished at a small compound at the park that included a pavilion, several other structures, and some supply sheds and so forth. After we exited the compound, we proceeded on asphalt trails near the parking lot area and then onto the nearby concrete Greenway trails.  All courses were out-and-back and, no matter what distance you were doing, all participants started together. The paved trails inside the park were fairly flat. Once we hit the greenway trails, the hills began.  These were no baby hills either; we climbed and climbed for most of the way, both uphill and downhill.  My friend Jose from iaap was the one who laid out this course. As I went along, I kept thinking “After I finish, I don’t know if I should kiss Jose for giving me a really good workout; or kick him in the butt for all these darn hills!” lol. And I only did the 5K; my friends who did the 10K had even more hills, as they went out almost to The Rim area nearby before their turn-round. Well, I was out here now so just had to get it done. I plodded along at my two paces of slow and slower and took some photos during my walk breaks. As I was heading back to the finish, the speedier 10K folks started passing me, good grief; their 10K time is better than my 5K time, lol.  I finally did finish, chip time 42:25, 4^th out of 6 In my 5K 60-69 males age group, averaging 13:39 per mile. I ran most of mile 3 nonstop, so had a negative split for that one, nice.  My walking friend, Patrick, was 4^th in our age group.  He walks almost as fast as I run, lol.

After My Finish: Lots going on post-race. There was a costume contest for the female kids and then the male kids; and a costume contest for the women and the men. There was also a raffle  – I won Nada, but my friend Carolyn got a prize – and all kinds of post-race goodies including water, breakfast tacos, lots of types of fruits, and more.  Lots of places to relax post-race after that hilly route; the pavilion had a whole lot of seating. I got some water and  banana, relaxed and rehydrated and sat for a while, just chatting with other participants. After that, I was out-an-about getting what I call “Happy Finisher Photos” since more people seem to be smiling after they are done than before and during, lol. 

Epilogue:  Total of 168 finisher for the 5K and 71 for the 10K, per iaap results. This one is a keeper, and it is nice that it’s done on Sunday morning, giving it just about no other race competition for the day, as most of the local races are done on Saturdays – this weekend there were TWELVE total races in the local area on Saturday, good grief. This event is very well organized and very well done, with nice facilities; a course that is wide enough to accommodate all; very good quality tech tee race shirt; finisher medal to all finishers; and the goody bag was nice too, with coupons for free stuff from sponsor Chik-Fil-A, and other various sundries. Challenging course, but it really was a good one, well thought out for what iaap had to work with, as Eisenhower Park is not one of the largest parks in San Antonio. DJ playing music for us, and our MC, Jason – a friend of mine – was his usual crazy and entertaining self, doing a great job for us.  I would definitely do this one again – hills and all, lol – and would recommend it to others.  Much thanks to Now You See Me Foundation for giving us this event; and thanks to all the sponsors, vendors, park police out there for our safety, the many volunteers doing things for us (packet pickups, water stop, etc); iaap for the course setup, timing, and results; and anyone  else involved I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all so much!

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hCEPtcPeSvZgK6wa9

Before The Start:   My 53^rd race of 2022 was the Harp and Shamrock 5K, which had originally been scheduled in March 2021, but the Pandemic pushed it back a couple of time and those of us who kept our original registration finally got do to this event on October 29, 2022.  Event was held at Southside Lions Park East. RunSignUp showed 114 participants registered. Results for actual race day showed 58 total participants finishing.  With a start time of 8:30 a.m. I got to sleep in a tad more and arrived at the race site around 7:30 a.m. on a brisk morning.  Temperature was in the mid-50s. I picked up my race packet, got myself ‘arranged’ and then got a few pre-start photos. Lots of people there that I personally knew, so this event was like a really nice ‘get-together’ of family members and friends, something nice about doing these less-populated races at times.

On The Course: For those familiar with this park, for this one we did not start and finish at the main pavilion.  We started and finished at the pavilion closer to the park’s playground and indoor-restroom building. We went along the park’s paved trail for a bit, then crossed a park road, proceeded across a bridge in the park, and then headed for our turn-round point, which was on a trail that would have eventually taken us to Comanche County Park if we had stayed on that trail.  We came back the way we had come out from the start, with the exception that this time when we went back onto the trail that circles the park’s nice man-made lake, we made a left turn and went on a trail that gave us a nice view of the park lake – which I stupidly did not take photos of, duhh…I think mainly because I could ‘smell finish line” now and just kept going  until I was done..  I passed by the park’s main pavilion on our right and then after a slight curve in the trail, there was the finish line ahead.  My friend Terri came out to run in with me a bit and then went back again to run in another friend, so nice of her.  After she left, my very speedy friend Sammy – who had finished way ahead of me, lol –  ran in with me, veering of just right before I crossed the finish line. I ended up 6^th out of 7 in my 60 – 69 males age group, chip time 40:12, and I had negative splits too, nice.

After My Finish:  Got a banana post-race, did a short cool-down walk as I ate that and drank some water, and then I enjoyed a post-race Guinness; I don’t know which ‘flavor’ it was, but dang that thing was really good; going to have to get some of that. Of course, as I usually do, I also wandered around chatting with other participants and friends and getting some post-race photos. This was a smaller event, but a very enjoyable and fun one. 

Epilogue: Very nicely done, and I much like this course a lot better than the one usually used, that brings us back exactly the way we had come out.  With this course, you get to see a bit more of the park and also have a nice lake view. Very nice quality race shirt for participants, and a small, nicely designed finisher medal to all finishers.  There was also a post-race raffle – I didn’t win a thing, darn the luck – and some nice post-race goodies too.  Some of the volunteers were also in various costumes too. Very nice weather for this one too – a bit brisk before we started, but once we got going, very nice, cooler with less humidity.  One of my favorite events, from the time when this event used to be done in Brackenridge Park and always had a huge turnout.  Hope this one grows again for next year, it really is an enjoyable one. Mucho thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers, organizers, park police out there for us, Harp and Shamrock Society of Texas that puts this one on, and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here  Thank you all, so very much!   

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TXU63GPX2a8ymP3U7

Before The Start:  My 52^nd race of 2022 was the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) 5K held on October 22, 2022 at 5 pm. in McAllister Park, San Antonio.  This was my 2^nd event of the day after doing a 5K in the morning. This is a very popular annual 5K put on by top-notch race management company iaap. This year the event had 333 finishers, which is half of 666…spooky, huh?  The weather was cool for my morning 5K, but by 5 pm our Texas warmth had come back with a temp in the 80s, humidity climbing, and plenty of sunshine.  I arrived with about an hour to go to start time and enjoyed chatting with friends and other participants and getting a few pre-start photos.  Lots of participants and supporters dress up in all kinds of really imaginative Day of the Dead themed costumes.  There was also a Kids Race.

On The Course: iaap is really good about laying out courses that often help the runners and walkers.  This course was laid out so along the route we had abundant shade as we went along. Mcallister Park is full of shade trees that go alongside the majority of the trails there, making for some very nice running and walking. We could still feel that warmth but from what I saw, I think most of the participants were fairly comfortable as they went along. I did my usual 8 minutes run/2 minutes walk intervals, taking photos during my walk intervals. After we came off the trails, we then had to do an out-and-back portion on one of the park roads and then headed for the finish.   I jokingly told iaap that the final out-and-back was a bit annoying, lol, as when you get to the end of the trail, mentally you just want to turn left and go to the finish, but you have to do that out-and-back first, darn the luck.  Even so, the course is very nicely laid out by iaap to accommodate all the runners and walkers, trying to make us feel as comfortable as possible and give us maneuvering room. Iaap did very well with this. I ended up with a finish time of 44:25 chip time, averaging 14:18 per mile – I was trying to take this one a bit easy, after pushing myself a bit at my morning 5K – and, surprisingly, I did end up with negative splits doing Mile 3 in 12 minutes, jeez; guess I was ready to be done, lol.  

After My Finish:  Fun times.  This is a really nice after-party event, with grilled Kiolbassa sausages, Alamo Beer, ample water, and various other goodies.  I enjoyed some of the goodies as I went around post-race getting photos I call “Happy Finisher Photos” as more people seem to be smiling after they are done than before-and-during, lol.  Stayed until just about everyone else had left, that is how much fun this event can be.  I’ve done this one often in the past and will continue to do it in the future – and especially now, as my cancer treatment is almost done and I am feeling stronger and better a little bit more every day, thank the Lord and my great oncology doctor and staff members taking care of me.

Epilogue:   One really fun and very imaginative event put on excellently by iaap. DJ music and sound from friend Paul;  a really fun MC, my friend Anthony, who keeps everyone entertained; one of the best-ever MCs I have ever encountered, and the is quite the runner too in his own right, very speedy and talented; really nice quality and unique race shirt and the finisher medal for all finishers is quite unique too; very nice course at a great venue; nice post-race goodies; and very entertaining participants too.  I definitely recommend this one to others. Much thanks to iaap;, our MC Anthony and DJ Paul; the park police officers out there for our safety; all the sponsors that made this on possible for we participants; and on a personal note: thanks so much to my iaap friend and co-owner of iaap, Cecilia, who put on the race bib the name of my very best running friend, Bernadette, who passed away of cancer on Dec 5, 2021. When I picked up my packet, pulled out the bib and saw that….I admit the tears flowed for a while, bringing back so many memories of the race times we had together.  Every race I do, sometimes I still find myself looking around for her.  I took an old race photo of her and me together and had some buttons made up with that photo on the buttons. I took some to the race to let other people have one if they wanted it; and every button was taken, that is how popular and so well-known Bernadette was in our running community.  I was so touched about how her fellow runners responded…I admit the tears flowed again before I went home.  I miss her every day, at every race I do,  and carry her with me on the button…and sometimes I think I can almost ‘feel’ her with me as I run. Thank you, Cecilia, for the bib, and thank you, my running community members and supporters for your respect, love and friendship for my late friend.