Scottydog Reports

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z5ynpjhJcSaMzA9Y8

Before The Start: My 44^th race of 2022 was the CBC (Community Bible Church) 5K held on Saturday, Sep 10, starting and finishing at the CBC campus, which is a huge place. This event raised fund for Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) and the Harlandale Alumni Basketball Fund Scholarship. Lots of CBC members were volunteers, course marshals, etc.  Start time of 8 a.m. I arrived about 6:45. Even though it was early, the place was already humming, with lots of volunteers setting things up, doing race day registration and packet pickup and sponsors/vendors also getting their areas set up.  There was also a firefighter truck with crane, that was there flying Old Glory. There were quite a few flags posted around the area too, flying at half-staff, in remembrance of the late Queen Elizabeth. Events included a 1-mile walk, the 5K, and a 5K ‘ruck’ , in which participants carried a pack as they went along the course.  Split Second Productions, affiliated with the great local running store iRun Texas, did the course setup and the timing and results for this one. I had pre-registered and already picked up my race packet a few days before race day, so when I arrived on site I got a few “before the start” photos.

On The Course: Challenging, but well thought-out and well laid out.  I suspect my friend Mitch from iRun had a hand in this, lol, giving us not one hill to climb, but two. We started in one of the campus parking lots and then proceeded to make almost a full loop around the CBC building.  This brought us onto one of the CBC ‘access roads’ for entry and exit from the CBC campus. As we passed an intersection road on the campus, the Mile 1 participants went left to do a 2^nd loop around the building.  5K folks went straight, coming to our first hill, a road that led up to East Sonterra Blvd.  After reaching the top of the hill, we turned right onto East Sonterra and went to Ridgewood Parkway, which was a loooooong downhill on the way to the turn-round. This took us to Dry Creek Way, where we made a right and then proceeded to the turn-round – which was 1.7 miles, not 1.6.  I thought maybe my Garmin was off, but 2 other folks there who also had garmins told me no, they had 1.7 also.  Darn Mitch, giving us “extra course”.  He really does like to challenge us, lol. All good though.  After the turn-round, we went back to the finish the way we had come out, for the most part. Of course, this meant that long downhill on Ridgewood Parkway was a long uphill on the way back.  East Sonterra was flat going back to the campus, and then we went downhill on the campus access road. To finish up, we made a a right turn onto an access road that goes in front of the CBC Building, and then made a right turn to head to the finish line, with 3.4 miles done.  Per my garmin, I ended up with a finish time of 44:14 chip time, 16 in my age group. I actually had positive splits, with Mile 1 being my fastest and Mile 3 my slowest. I am no speedster, lol, and I met my two primary race goals:  Finish Standing Up and No Ambulance waiting specifically for me at the finish.  Good goals, lol, especially as I am being treated right now for prostate cancer, and am doing very well too, thank the Lord – and thanks to my lovely wife too, my #1 support crew person who helps me keep focused.

 After My Finish: First thing: water and a banana!  Sat at one of the picnic tables in the recreation area of the campus, drank my water, ate my banana, and just rested a bit.  After that, I enjoyed walking around the finish are chatting with friends of mine who were there, and also other participants, volunteers, etc, and got a few post-race photos. I think I was one of the very last people to finally leave, but it’s all good, I enjoy the post-race activities.

Epilogue:   This is the first time I’ve done this event but certainly will not be the last.  This is really a well-thought-out event with a very good route – challenging, as noted before, but with lots of room for everyone to maneuver around.  The course marshals and course volunteers were all awesome, cheering everyone on, providing water/Gatorade – what, no beer? 😉  just kidding – at 2 water stops on the course, ringing bells, showing funny signs and so forth. Mitch and the iRun crew did their usual awesome job with course setup, timing, results, etc. The two MCs – I talked to them for a bit – were lots of fun.  Pretty nice quality race shirt and nice medals for the age-group placers – not me, at my pace, lol.    All kinds of vendors and sponsors with a whole lot of different services and some free give-away stuff. Kid friendly event too.  Some of those kids run really fast too, a lot of them left me in their dust, lol.  This is most definitely an event I will do again and would recommend to others.  Thanks to CBC for putting on this event; Split Second Productions/iRun Texas for their usual great job; all those many many many volunteers that had to be out there WAY early, I am sure, to get everything ready; the San Antono Police Honor Guard for the presentation of the colors, and the lady who so beautifully sang The National Anthem; our two MCs; the medical staff people that were there for us; the police officers along the course for our safety – I chatted briefly with one of them on the course; as you can tell from that, I am really concerned about what my finish time will be; not! lol – and of course all the sponsors that made this one happen for we participants.  Apologies if I missed anyone.  Thank you all! See you next year, God willing.

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ortEe3VocxccVVGw8

Before The Start:   My 43^rd race of 2022 was the Boerne Sunrise Rotary 5K for Labor Day held on August 3 at Boerne City Park with an 8 a.m. start time. The Boerne Rotary chapter raises funds for a variety of causes in the local area. I’ve been to Boerne several times but never to this park.  There is some ongoing construction on some of the Boerne roads so my directionally-challenged-self missed a turn or two and it took me a while to find this park.  Finally did arrive with plenty of time to spare – good think I got an early start from home – got my packet and then got a few pre-start photos.

On The Course:  There was a kid’s run that was done before the main event, a ½ mile distance if I remember correctly.  Then we lined up for the 5K.  One of the race directors noted to us that the timing for this one was ‘old school’:  no chip timing, just a simple time clock in the start/finish area. As a participant came to the finish/he she noted the clock time and gave the finish time to one of the volunteers who wrote it down. Made me think of my early running days when I was just starting. Yes, I am older than dirt, lol.  The course was out-and-back.  We started near the park’s tennis courts, then went out onto a concrete Trail called “Old No. 9 Trail” which is about 1.5 miles out and 1.5 miles back – but not quite, so that is why we initially started back from the time clock a bit, by the tennis courts, to make sure we got in 3.1 miles. The course is a mostly flat concrete one, with just a couple of small inclines and a few bridges to cross with some metal on it that sure makes a racket when you cross those. The trail runs adjacent to some of the Cibolo Natural Trails that were on our right going out, on our left coming back.  There were a few people out there hiking on the trail and also some walking their dogs, so I diverted once in a while down to the trail to give a dog a treat – yes I carry dog biscuits with me when I run – and then get back on the course at the same spot I got off it.  Killed my finish time, of course, lol, but what the heck, I had fun.  Our turn-around point was a dead-end small circle area where there was a course marshal ut there for us.  I don’t wear my glasses when I run so with my near-sighted eyes I can see in front of me far enough not to fall over something but I can’t see distance. When I approached the turn-round and I was still a bit away from it, I could just barely see what I thought was a white shirt on a post, so thought that must be our turn-around marker.  Then when I got there, I saw it was an actual guy wearing a white shirt.  Lol. Ok, turn around now, and back the way I had come, with a couple more dog-treat stops.  My Garmin time was 43:11, averaging 14-something minute miles, my clock time was a minute or so longer than that.

After My Finish: Walked around a bit sipping some water, ate a banana, and then got some post-race photos.  The event gave out overall and 1^st, 2^nd, and third age groups in 5-year increments, nice, so for this one I was not in a 55-99 age group, lol, like some of the bigger events have.   Overall male and female and master’s male and female got medals too.  I was 2^nd in my 65-69 males age group. Epilogue:  This was my first time doing this event.  There were maybe about 50 to 60 participants, plus the Kid Run participants. Small event but very well done at really nice venue with indoor restrooms, water fountains, picnic tables, tennis courts and soccer fields.  Since this park is adjacent to the Cibolo nature area, between the park trail and the nature area trails, you could probably get in a really nice long run if you are so inclined. When I was leaving I noticed there was also some kind of carnival area across the street – rides, booths, etc – so I guess you could make a day of it after the event with your family, friends, etc. Post-race goodies were water, bananas, and a few other things, very simply done.  As noted, ‘old school’ running race, but very enjoyable.  I’d do this one again and I would recommend it to others. 

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hWBJKDBALXeW7sAW8

Before The Start:  My 42^nd race of 2022 was the Uvalde Strong 5K held on Sep 28 in San Antonio at South Side Lions Park East in San Antonio.  This event was a fundraiser for the victims and families of the tragic elementary school shooting In Uvalde, Texas.  There were no awards of medals, as all proceeds went for the cause, but the Overall male and female finisher did get a free race entry to a future race, if I remember correctly. There was also a 1 mile walk or run, held right before the start of the 5K.  Start time of 8 a.m.  This event ended up getting over 300 registrations. The original course was to be 3 loops around the 1.1 mile trail by the lake, but with all those registrations, iaap, the company managing the race, thankfully changed it to an out-and-back course on the park trails, thinking of the safety of the participants. As it turned out, the 5k ended up with 195 finishers, which is still quite a few people that would have had to go around the narrow lake trail.  I arrived onsite with about an hour to go to start time, found some fairly good parking close to the start-finish, and then wandered around chatting with friends and other participants and getting a few photos.  This is also a dog friendly event, so the doggies were very happy to take treats from me – with the permission of their humans, of course.  Before we started, we had a moment of silence for the victims and then a young person sang the National Anthem just beautifully.  The 1-mile event then took place and then the 5K started after that, with a bit of a short delay, as we waited for all the 1-milers to get done.  No big deal.

On The Course: We did a short route on part of the trail that goes around the park lake – about just under a half-mile – and then crossed over one of the park roads to get to a trail on the other side. This trail, if you stay on it long enough, eventually connects with Comanche Park, but we did not go that far, thank goodness. It was pretty warm – 81 degrees at start time – and humid, but this particular trail did have a lot of shade along the way. We crossed over a pedestrian bridge, then proceed up a winding incline – not too steep, but still a climb – and then the trail became flat for a while. We eventually came to a downhill, went under an overpass, then down another hill; after going around a bend, we had another short climb to the turn-round point that had a hydration stop with water and Gatorade.  After doing the turn-round, we proceeded back the way we had come out, to get to the finish line. Although there were no age group awards, iaap kindly listed the results by age groups. I was really slow today – taking it easy after having done a 3.2 mile run/walk the day before this event and my outing including climbing Gorilla Hill, a fairly steep hill near the San Antonio Zoo So I goofed around on this one, stopping to take a few more photos; run with some friends, give some dogs a treat, and so forth. For this event I was 11^th out of 13 people in my 60-69 age group, finishing with a chip time of 44:04, averaging 14:23 per mile. All good, and I met my two primary race goals: finish standing up and have no ambulance waiting specifically for me at the finish.

After My Finish: I got a bit dizzy right after I finished, but I think that was because I stupidly did not hydrate enough before the start – you’d think I’d know better by now,, lol, being a runner for 39 years – so first thing I did was go back to my car and sat in that with the a/c running as I sipped some Gatorade Zero I had brought with me. Felt better after that.  Next it was off to get some post-run photos.  My friend Ed came along with a handful of bananas and let me have one and that hit the spot too, very helpful.  I also made sure to sip my bottle of water regularly as I went along; it really was humid out there.  All kinds of things going on post-race; there was a group photo of finishers; volunteers were also cooking up sausage wraps; selling event shirts, and more, with all the proceeds going toward the cause. There were also some free post-race nutrition bars, and a few other goodies, and plenty of cold bottled water.  I think they also had coffee too. Did not see any beer, but they might have had that too somewhere.

Epilogue:  Very nice turnout for this event and, if I remember correctly over $5K was raised for the cause.  Very sad that this tragic event even happened. My heart goes out to all the families of the victims. Our running/walking community really came together for this one.  I don’t know if they will make this an annual memorial event but if so, I would do this one again and would recommend it.  I think you can also do It virtually and/or simply just donate to the cause on the race website.   Pretty nice quality race shirt with a very simple design that gets the message across, and chip timing bibs for the event too, so you can get your posted results.  Nice park to run in, but if this event grows in the future, might have to be moved to a bigger park – like Comanche park, which has a whole lot more parking space, bigger pavilions, etc.  I’m sure the organizers will figure it out.  Good event for a good cause, well worth doing.     

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4twqFLL6aSr9E3CT7

Before The Start: My 41^st race of 2022 was the Remember The Alamo Beer 5K held on August 6 at The Den in La Vernia, Texas.  The main event was a half-marathon and half-marathon relay and there was also a 10K. This race is part of The Alamo Beer Series put on by top-notch racing company Scallywompus, with sign up available for all 4 races with a nice discount, or one can sign up for each individually. The series is an 18-week long building up for people training for half and full marathons. The events started progressively, with the half and half relay beginning at 6:30 a.m., the 10K at 7:15 a.m., and the 5K at 7:55 a.m.  I had a few issues on race morning (my annoying cancer), so started out a bit later than I had planned but arrived in time to see some of the 10K folks heading out onto their route. The half folks were long gone. Thankfully I had picked up my packet the day before, so was able to get a few photos before the 5K start.

On The Course: 5K started right on time. Scallywompus is pretty good about this, very prompt with their events getting started when posted, unless there is some reason for a delay beyond their control, like a medical emergency or something like that.  Mother Nature continued her Texas Baking Session, with a temp already in the high 70s by the time we 5K folks started.  I have not run this course in a while, so found out the route had changed since I had last done it.  A much better change, too, well thought out, and very superior to the previous 5K course. The old 5K course was more of an out-and-back, but this one was more of a loop course – my personal favorite type of course – with lots of room for everyone.  Course was done on paved asphalt, with accessibility to nearby sidewalks too. Any traffic near the course was pretty light, and the drivers I encountered at any given point were all pretty polite about us being out there.  I did my usual run/walk thing, taking photos during my walk breaks, and going pretty much way slower than I normally go (stupid cancer), but all good, just happy I was still able to be there. I ended up with positive splits – which I expected – finishing 5^th out of 8 in my 65-69 males age group, with a chip time of 42:48.  

After My Finish: One funny thing, lol; got my finisher medal and put it around my neck and was walking around chatting with other finishers when our MC and my friend Anthony, announced only a very few minutes after I finished about the medals that they were magnetic. Uh oh, and here I was wearing mine right near my pacemaker. People with pacemakers should not have magnets near their pacemaker, as magnets make the pacemaker slow your heart-rate down. This was drilled into me by my doc after I got my pacemaker implant. So I quickly found a couple who had a stroller -the guy pushing his child and the kid in the stroller each got a medal – so I donated my medal to “Mom’ so each member of the family could have one. I also told Anthony about this, since I have a few other runner friends with pacemakers, and he kindly made an announcement about that, so thank you Anthony. I was not upset about the magnet thing, I thought it was kind of funny, and told one of my friends, now I have a really good excuse for being so tired post-race, lol.  I did get a few munchies, but had to behave myself – no beer, no sausage, etc – as I have a procedure coming up on Tuesday and the prep for it is the same as a colonoscopy, so am on a limited diet until after that.  Too bad, because Scallywompus throws one heck of an after-party and it included Alamo Beer, sausage wraps, and more.  Our host company, The Den, also has a fantastic breakfast menu, so I missed out on that too. However, it is what it is, so just had to deal with it.

Epilogue: Very well-done event, as all the Scallywompus events are.  And they are not kidding with their motto “Come for the race. Stay for the party.” They throw one heck of an after-party. All kinds of goodies, including various fruits and veggies, bloody mary’s, the mentioned sausage wraps, and more.  There was also a self-serve photo booth thing; and the staff of The Den, bless them, served up the beer and more. I chatted with the manager, Jennifer – who I found out is also a cancer survivor; God bless all we survivors – and thanked her profusely for some personal assistance she had given me. Very nice lady, with a great sense of humor.   Very nicely designed finisher medal – even though I can’t have one; joking, Bart and Tony, joking, no big deal – and very nice quality race shirt.  Scallywompus events are very popular, so got to see lots of friends at this one, both human and canine. Yes, these are dog-friendly events. They let me in, didn’t they?  Mucho thanks to all who had a part in getting this one done for we participants: all the many sponsors, volunteers, all the staff of The Den; officials and people of La Vernia for allowing this event to be on their turf; any police officers out there for us; Race Direct Tony and MC Anthony, who did their usual great jobs; and, although I missed it by arriving too late, I assume there was a Color Guard for The National Anthem, which is usually done for all Scallywompus events, so thanks to those folks too; and anyone else I may not have mentioned here.  If you have never done a Scallywompus event, you are missing out. Give it a try!      

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/M2s7iYotNcbWSWC7A

Before The Start: My 40^th  5K race of 2022 was the JBSA Fort Sam Houston Freedom 5K hosted by the Jimmy Brought Fitness Center.  This is a free event for DoD ID card holders. Start time of 0700., with show-and-register time between 0630 and 0700. I arrived just before 0630 and got signed up.  Nice that we could use the fitness center facilities – indoor restrooms, which this old dog was grateful for.  The running pack was pretty small – we had maybe 40 people or so, if that many.  This event is also dog-friendly and stroller friendly, so I did give away a couple of treats – to the dogs, not to the stroller kids, although one kid wanted to try one, lol.  I got just a couple of photos before the start, and then we were off.

On The Course:  The course was on some of the paved roads on the post.  We started in the parking lot behind the base post-office, which is right behind the fitness center.  Out of the parking lot we made a left turn, went to a nearby intersection and then straight across Wilson Street.  This put us into an area near the Fort Sam family housing area that is near the fitness center. We went up an incline on Hill Street – with the housing area on our left – then turned right onto New Braunfels Ave.  This took us behind part of the historic part of Old Fort Sam – which Is a museum now – and then back to Wilson Ave.  Left on Wilson Ave., and then another left turn as we headed to the post Quadrangle area, going in front of the other side of the museum. Around the Quad we went – some really nice family housing in this area – and then turned left onto Stanley Road. Down an incline – the mapper of this course really likes hills, lol –  then across Wilson Street,  staying on Stanley – and up yet another long incline. After peaking the incline we stayed on Stanley Road, going past a large parking lot and the Boy Scout area on our left and then passing in front of the base Post Office.  Right turn into a parking lot area past the Post Office, then a small route that took us to the parking lot where we had started. Whew!  I pretty much just took it really easy for this one, stopping on the course to get some photos, chat with some of the volunteers and even treated another dog I saw walking his human. My Garmin showed the distance as 3.2.  I finished in 43:54, averaging 13:44 per mile, with positive splits, and lots of fun.

After My Finish:  Did a short cool-down walk and then chatted with some of the other participants and got a few photos. Post-race goodies included a few nutrition bars, and some other small items and also 3 kinds of water, which was interesting. They were pitchers of water with the first one have cucumbers in it; the second one had apples in the water; and the third one had lemons.  I liked the lemon water best. The volunteers were taking a survey to see which water was liked best, so when you told them which one, they dropped a piece of paper into a small box by the water pitcher to get the count about which one would be most popular. I never did find out, but I’m guessing the lemon water, it was really good.

Epilogue:  A very nicely done event with a 7 a.m. start time – reminded me of my friend Erik’s events that he puts on – so although it was warm, it was not too warm.  Also, with several buildings and trees along the way, there were quite a few shady areas.  Nice that it was at the fitness center too because after the finish I then was able to take a shower and change into dry clothes, so did not have to drive home all sweaty and funky.       This is a fun event with a well-thought-out course – in spite of all those up inclines, lol – and lots of nice people participating. Definitely good camaraderie at this event, especially as we are all somehow military-related. I would definitely do this one again and would recommend it to others.  The next free event like this will be the Superhero 5K on August 27; costumes encouraged.    

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kS8s5mMifRegfJR8A

Before The Start:   My 39^th race of 2022 was the Winter In July 5K, held on July 23 at Martin Luther King Park in San Antonio.  This event featured a 10 miler, a 10K, a 5K, and a Kid’s Run. Start time of 7 a.m. for the 10-miliers, followed by a 7:30 a.m. start for the 10K and 5K.  Early start time appreciated as Texas has been having one heck of a heat-wave this summer; we’ve already had over 30 days this Spring and Summer where the temp has been over 100 degrees for the high.  I do this event a lot, not only because my friend Rebecca puts this one on but lso because is raises funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN.  Back in my Air Force days when I was stationed near Memphis I did some part-time volunteering with St. Jude’s; some of the most courageous kids I’ve ever seen. These days, being treated now for my own prostate cancer, when I get a bit frustrated with it, all I have to do is think of those kids to get myself remotivated to keep carrying on.  I had picked up my packet the day before so when I arrived at the course site with just under an hour to go I had plenty of time to chat with friends and other participants and get a few pre-start photos.

On The Course: All the courses were out-and-back. The 10-milers were already on their course as we 5K and 10K participants lined up for our start. Temp was around 75 degrees already. One nice think about MLK Park is the trails are pretty flat and there is a lot of shade along the way. It’s a very nice park in which to run, walk, or bike. At my slow pace, I lined up way in the back where I belonged.  I did my usual 8-min run/2 min walk pacing, taking some on-course photos during my walk breaks.  Even before I neared the 5K turn-around some of the speedier 10K and 5K leaders were already heading to the finish; some of those folks are really speedy!  I just took it easy, enjoying myself and interacting with other participants on the course, and with one of the water-stop crews on the course. A very pleasant outing. I was 5^th out of the 7 men in my 60-69 male age group with a chip time of 41:28, averaging 13:27 per mile, and met my two primary goals:  finish standing up, and no ambulance waiting for me at the finish.

After My Finish:  Did a cool-down walk back to my vehicle, then sat in it for about 10 minutes with the a/c one while I sipped my electrolyte water and munched on a protein bar.  Ahhh, much better. Then it was back to the race area to partake of some post-race goodies – including one Shiner beer, very nice – and enjoyed chatting with friends and getting some post-race photos; what I call my ‘Happy Finishers” photos, lol, because people are smiling a lot more after they finish than before the start and on the course. There were some really nice post-race goodies too; the beer, various fruits, lots of water and a few other types of nonalcoholic drinks, Kiolbassa sausage wraps, and some of the vendors had a few goodies too like nutrition bars and various snacks. Wolfpack Running, a local running group, also had some really nice running shirts/singlets for sale too.

Epilogue:  This is a very-well done event started by Race Director Rebecca, with timing done by local top-notch race management company iaap and help from e-Dragon Productions, another top-notch local race company. Great job done by them and our music/sound man Paul; our MC Tony, and the professional photographers on the course whose photos I am sure are a lot better than mine, lol.  Thank you all for what you do so we participants can have this event. Also thanks to Burleson Beer Garden managers for allowing the pre-race day packet pickup to be held there. Nice quality race shirt, and a finisher medal to all finishers; a really nicely designed finisher medal.  Mucho thanks to all the many volunteers, sponsors, vendors, all the people mentioned above, and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. I try to do this one every year and will continue to do so.  I’d certainly recommend it to others.    

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2G37vvvuqiCw49h39

Before The Start:  My 38^th race of 2022 was the Walk, Run, Have Fun BryceStrong 5K held on July 16 at the D. W. Rutledge Stadium in Converse, Texas. Put on by the Bryce Strong Foundation, this event is named for Bryce Wisdom, a young man and former Judson football player, who sadly died of kidney cancer at age 17.  He fought courageously and really touched the hearts of several people during his battle. Being a UTSA staff member, I knew of Bryce from his association with his brother, Rashad, a member of the UTSA football team. I also had the pleasure at packet pick-up of meeting Bryce’s oldest brother, Sean, a really great guy, and ended up staying at the pickup for a while as we chatted.    The stadium is an athletics/events facility of Judson Independent School District.  Nice early start time of 7:30 a.m.  Weather actually cooperated for us a bit and was a little cooler on this race-day than a few previous races I’ve done this year during a very very hot Texas spring and summer – we’ve already had over 35 days this season where the temp has been 100+.  I had picked up my packet the day before so after arriving, I wandered here-and-there chatting with other participants and getting a few pre-start photos, including one with my new friend, Sean.

On The Course: Start/finish was on school grounds, just outside one of the stadium access gates.  This was the 2^nd year of the event. Considering, this was on the same day as the very popular San Antonio Road Runners women’s 5K and 10K, a pretty nice turn-out with 102 finishers.   Our route took us out to the front parking lot of the stadium,, then to the side parking lot, and then we proceeded on sidewalk off the stadium grounds.  We went up a long incline, then into another parking lot, circling around another building – which I think was a school property building, but not sure of that – and then back down the sidewalk the way we’d come out. Right turn back onto school grounds, putting us behind the stadium. This road took us to the course water-station and the halfway mark.  After passing the district buses parking lot, we went down another road that brought us to the soccer fields. This part of the course was natural grass, as we wound around the fields, which brought us back to a concrete walkway that took us back to the stadium.  We then entered a stadium gate to do one loop around the stadium track that surrounded the football field– really nice track, by the way – and then we took an exit gate – which was where the 3-mile marker was – and that put us back onto the stadium parking lot for the last short bit to the finish.  I was first in my 51 – 77 age group with a chip time of 41:49. I think all the others in my age group were walkers.

After My Finish:  Did a short cool-down walkabout and then went around chatting with other participants and friends and event supporters and got a few after-my-finish photos, including some of others coming into the finish.  My friends from Athlete Guild did the course setup, timing, and results.  It was nice to see them on this race day.

Epilogue: This is a smaller event right now – hopefully it will grow in the future – and very well done.  Easily accessible packet pick -up area and race area with plenty of parking for both – the stadium grounds are really large, which makes sense as Judson ISD is the 4^th largest school district in Bexar County. The course was well thought-out, with both route and the safety of participants in mind. Really nice quality tech-tee race shirt. Lots of parking and great facilities with the use of the stadium – indoor restrooms, yay! I will definitely do this one again and certainly would recommend it to others. As a cancer survivor myself, and someone who is currently fighting a bout of cancer, I sure hope this one does grow.  It is a very worthy cause and the foundation makes a real effort to help those in need. Sean was telling me after the race about some of the things the foundation does to help people and it really is amazing how they try to connect and reach out to people in need. Give this one a try, I bet you will not regret it. Much thanks to all those who were involved in giving we participants this event; all the volunteers, Judson ISD authorities, Athlete Guild race management company, and of course, all the many sponsors; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Also a huge thanks to the Wisdom family and the Foundation-associated people who founded this event.  My heart goes out to the Wisdom family for their loss and my admiration goes out to them for turning this sad happening into something positive to help others. I bet Bryce in Heaven was right here along with us in spirit, cheering us all on.  Thank you all!           

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rVYUMaojbhSooMe1A

Before The Start:    My 37^th race of 2022 was the Texas Too Hot 5K held at Boerne Lake Park on July 10, 2022. There also was a 15K.  Put on by Mitch and Michelle Allen’s iRun Texas, a very popular local running store, that also puts on group runs, coaching, training, etc., this is a very popular event that has gone on for more than 10 years. The 5K had 243 finishers and the 15K had 209 finishers. I initially thought this was my 40^th race of the year, but apparently my old-man brain has trouble remembering, lol. When I checked my log, it was #37 for the year.  Still not too bad, though. Very nice race venue too, with beautiful lake views, lots of shade trees to sit under post-race, and a small pavilion too.

On The Course:  Both events started together at 7:30 a.m.  Thankfully, Mitch starts this one early, which helps with the heat, but even so, this is Texas summer, so already at start time it was climbing towards 82 degrees. The course was a mix of an off-road trail and asphalt pavement.  After just having a colonoscopy on the Friday before this event, I rested all day Saturday and decided just not to push it for this one, go at a nice-and-easy pace, walk more, take a few more photo stops and just relax with it and have fun. We started near one of the park picnic areas and almost right off the bat climbed a fairly steep hill – but thankfully short, for the most part – which put us on top of a kind of tall flood-control embankment, upon which we proceeded down a fairly rocky dirt trail.  I’ve done this race ever since it started, and for this year’s event it seemed to me it was a lot less rocky than I remembered for the past events, as if the park officials had groomed this trail a bit, which was all right with me, made for much better going. Along this part of the course we got some beautiful views of the lake, and also a nice cooling breeze coming off the lake. It was still warm, but the breeze did help.  Right after we hit Mile 1 on this trail, we then proceeded onto asphalt pavement.  This took us past a water stop – and the Mile 8 marker for the 15K folks on their way back to the finish. After passing this we turned onto a public asphalt road that was open to traffic.  We all climbed a long up incline.  The 5K people turned around on this road, while the 15K people headed for the hills farther on; and from what my friends who did the 15K told me post-race, these were no baby hills, either. One guy told me the darn turn-round hill was worse than some of the hills at the Texas Tough 10-miler, jeez; tough course!  Meanwhile…after making our turn-round, we 5K folks went back to the finish the way we had come out.  As noted previously, I just took it easy and kept on moving. My garmin told me I was averaging 14:30 minute miles and finally showed me a finish time of 46:50. However, when I looked at the official results, my chip-time was 43:48, averaging 14:01 per mile, so I did better than I thought.  I’ve had this Garmin for a while, so may be time to go see Mitch and get a new one.

After My Finish:  Always a nice touch with this event, the iRun folks have cooling towels on ice at the finish for we participants to drape on our head, neck, shoulders, etc., which felt great after this course. Plenty of bottled water on ice too, right there at the finish line so you don’t have to go looking for it. Very nice finisher medal handed to you after you crossed the line.  Very nice finish line process.  I went and found a seat in the shaded pavilion for a few minutes and just relaxed for a bit, sipping my water and enjoying a post-race protein bar.  Then it was off to chat with friends and other participants, supporters, volunteers, sponsors, etc., and getting some post-race photos. The Village Idiots – that is their team name – kindly invited me to share their picnic area and enjoy some of their food, thank you very much. Awards ceremony done nicely by Mitch and Michelle – although they really need to start with we older folks first; we need to get home to take our nap! 😉 – and very nice award medals.  There was also a bib-number raffle – I didn’t win squat – and Shiner was there with their very good beer; I enjoyed one – my limit at a race since I was driving.  After things began wrapping up, it was nice to be with The Village Idiots Group and just relax by the lake for a while with good company.

Epilogue: This is a really well-done and well-organized event put on by iRun Texas.  I will continue to do this one in the future and would certainly recommend it to others. Yes, it is a warm one but one worth doing.  The race ‘shirt’ is actually a very nice quality singlet, which you don’t get from most races; the finisher medals are nicely designed; and there are all kinds of sponsors and vendors at this event, including Brooks running shoes guy; a company – I think it was Promotion Physical Therapy – giving post-race massage-and-stretches; PhotoWolfe had one of those selfie photo cameras you could use; and SplitSecond Timing did the timing and results.  Mark Purnell – in my opinion, the best race MC ever, followed as a close second by my entertaining MC friend, Anthony Zamora  – did our announcing for us in his usual superb manner. Local race company eDragon Productions – who put on pretty darn good events too – was a sponsor as was PawBasics, a pet nutrition and supply center. Maybe I should get some dog biscuits from them.  😉  All-in-all one very nicely done event.  Thank you, Irun Texas people and all the volunteers, sponsors, and anyone else involved putting this one on for we participants.    

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EM9q1ZJt2xLWAaPD7

Before The Start:   My 36^th race of 2022 was the Schertz Jubilee 5K held on the 4^th of July, 9:15 a.m., in Schertz, Texas.  This was my 3^rd 5K of the 4^th of July weekend, after doing a 5K on Saturday and one on Sunday. The late start time for this one allowed me to sleep in a little longer, with me arriving at the race site about 40 minutes before start time.  Having previously picked up my race packet, I spent the time before the start chatting with friends and other participants and getting some pre-start photos.  San Antonio – which is known as Military City – has several 4^th of July events around the local area, including races; considering that, this one got a pretty nice turn-out with 188 finishers, runners and walkers.  Course set-up, timing and results done by top-notch race management company, Athlete Guild.

On The Course:  The course is a loop course, starting near the city’s community center and going along the city’s 4^th of July parade route. Many parade spectators were already positioned along the route.  We began the 5K before the parade started, running in front of hundreds of cheering spectators. Pretty cool.  As this was my 3^rd race of the weekend, I mainly just took it easy for this one, chatting with spectators along the way and, with a pocketful of dog treats, stopping on occasion to hand give a treat to each doggie I saw – with the permission of its human, of course. The humans thought this was quite humorous and lots of laughs and nice chats ensued along my way. After leaving the two primary streets the parade would be on, we entered a really nice neighborhood with wide streets and lots of shade. Texas July 4^th can get pretty warm – 81 degrees at start time – but a lot of cloud cover and a pretty nice-blowing wind made it actually feel not too bad at all. I ended up running into the finish with a fellow veteran and his grandson, finishing with a chip time of 43:05, averaging 13:52 per mile. I was dead last out of the 4 people in my 65-69 Males age group, and thoroughly enjoyed myself on the course; lots of interaction fun with the crowd and other participants.

After My Finish:  First, a cool-down-walk. After that, enjoyed a banana and some water and Gatorade Zero to rehydrate a bit.  I then got some post-race photos of happy finishers, supporters, Team Athlete Guild, etc. Very nice quality race shirt.  There were also some very festive participants, decked out in various holiday attire. Dog-friendly 5K too; I saw a couple of dogs on the course.

Epilogue: This isa fun event which I have done in the past and will continue to do.  Yes, a later start than most 4^th of July races, but going along that parade route is quite a rush and a lot of fun. Lots and lots of smiles at this one.  Post-race goodies included hot dogs, various fruits and other treats, and more. Our MC, Mark Purnell – in my opinion the top race MC for our local races and beyond; he MCs quite a variety of events – did his usual great job, as did the Athlete Guild Team. All the volunteers too were great.  Thank you to all who were involved in making this event happen for we participants: sponsors; Athlete Guild; Mark, and his dad John, who started this one way back when; all the police officers, EMTs, and firefighters who were out there for our safety; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all!      

Photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MscimADGUHthVsCw6

Before The Start:  My 35^th race of 2022, and the 2^nd of the July 4 holiday weekend, was the 4^th race of the 5K Summer Series, a series of 4 events held at different San Antonio public parks. Today’s 5K was held at Martin Luther King Jr. Park with a start time of 7 a.m. Nice turn-out with 155 finishers.  Funds raised from this series provides a scholarship to a local-area athlete. The series is put on by e-Dragon Productions, owned and operated by the Burciaga family, with friend Erik Burciaga acting as Race Director for the series.  Top-notch local race management company iaap provided course setup, timing, and results for the series. Being Texas summer, nice to have an early start time, but even at that time of day it was pretty warm, with the temps already in the mid-70s.  

On The Course: The course was out-and-back.  We started at the front of the park and went onto the park’s off-road paved trails. MLK park is a very nice park with lots of shade along the trails, which was much appreciated on a warm morning.  The course has virtually no hills at all, just a couple of mild inclines Turn-around point was very well-marked and there was a water station along the way.  I slogged along at my usual two running speeds – Slow and Slower – but somehow managed to do fairly well for me.  I hit the first mile in 13 minutes; relaxed a bit for Mile 2, done in 13:38, and then pushed myself a bit more for Mile 3, done in 12:46.  Per the official results, ended up with a chip-time of 40:29, averaging 13:02 per mile.  This was 4 minutes faster than the 5K I did the day before, nice.  Got 2^nd in my age group, as there were only 2 in my age group, lol.  The other one was my good friend Woody who finished in 25 minutes and change, about twice as fast as me, lol.  All good, I enjoyed myself and did take photos on the course during my walk breaks.  

After My Finish:  After crossing the finish line, I slowed myself easily down, and then did a cool-down walk for a few minutes.  It was pretty humid so I went and sat in my car for about 10 minutes with the a/c on while I drank some of my ‘fortified’ water, with electrolytes, etc, and ate a protein bar. Felt much better after that and then it was off to chat post-race with friends/other participants and get some more photos. Nice awards ceremony done by Erik – although, in my opinion, he really needs to start with the Old People first; we need to get home to take our nap! 😉   The award ‘medals’ were unique e-Dragon coins with a number on the back of them that can be used for a discount when you register for an e-Dragon upcoming race, very nice.  There were also finisher medals for participants at this last event of the series.

Epilogue:  This is a fun series of events that gives you a look at various San Antonio parks. I signed up for all four, but did 3 of the 4, missing one of them due to some issues/side-effects associated with my current cancer treatment. Thoroughly enjoyed the ones I did complete and certainly would recommend this series to runners/walkers.  They are also dog-friendly if you want to run or walk with your dog. Nice quality race shirt too. You can purchase a shirt for each event – all the money raised goes toward the scholarship – and the shirt color choice is different for each 5k in the series.  The race entry fee is VERY reasonably priced too. Mucho thanks to all the people involved in providing this one to we participants; all the sponsors, volunteers, park police officers that were at these events for our safety; our Music-and-Sound Man, Paul; iaap for all the course setups, results, etc; and, of course the e-Dragon Burciaga family who organize all these events. Apologies if I missed anyone, thank you too if you are involved.