Scottydog Reports

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PPynviT4CQBGhdBf8

Before the Start:   My 48^th 5K of 2025 was the Mindful Reboot 5K held on August 9 in San Antonio, starting and finishing at The Rim Trailhead off of Vance Jackson Drive in San Antonio. Mindful Reboot is an immersive program focuses on mindfulness training, destruction therapy, and mindset transformation. Athlete Guild did the timing and results for us, which is good as they are a very good and dependable race management/timing company. This felt to me more like a group of running/walking friends meeting up for a friendly outing, as there were only 25 total finishers for this one.  Start time of 8 a.m. I got my race bib and race shirt and then got a few pre-start photos.           

On the course:  We started just a tad after 8 a.m.   The weather was clear, with a very slight wind, cloudless sky and a temperature already at 78, with 86% humidity. The course was and out-and-back on paved trails of the San Antonio Greenway System. The course took us in the direction of Eisenhower Park which, if you go far enough, connects to this trail system. Thankfully, we did not go that far. For the first half-mile or so, the course was fairly flat, and then we began to climb. The hills were not all that steep, but they  kept going and going, so it was a pretty good workout. As usual for the Greenway trails, the course was open for non-participants too, walkers, other runners, and cyclists. These trails are pretty wide, so I never saw anyone being ‘interfered with” during the time we were out there. We also got a lot of call-outs from others using the trails. As usual, due to my spinal arthritis – and I also am currently dealing with a recurrence of my skin cancer, which will be treated at the end of August – I did my 8-minutes running/2 minutes walking and took some on-course photos during my walk breaks.  Since I also carry dog treats when I run, I handed out a few to the dogs that were walking the trails with their humans; I was very popular with the dogs, lol. The climbing continued right up to the turn-round point. Thanks to the volunteers there who had water for us.  I looked at my watch at the turn-round point and it was right at 1.5, so I suspected this course was going to be a tad short, since a 5K is 3.14, so the turnround should have been back just a bit more. After the turn-round, we went back to the finish the same way we had come out; this time downhill, which I am not fond of, as downhills are actually harder on my spine than an uphill is; never-the-less, I felt pretty good overall and got a few more photos during my walk breaks. When I hit Mile 2, then went non-stop to the finish. When I crossed the line, I saw the course was a bit short, so I just kept going, down to an overpass a bit beyond the start/finish area, then turned around and went back to the finish line.  I was still a little short – my garmin had 3.07 miles, but I’ll take it. My finish time was 43:08, averaging 14:06 per mile; and my last mile was a negative split of 13:12. 

After My Finish:  I got a few photos of some others coming into the finish; and then went to my nearby vehicle to get some water and Gatorade I had put on ice, and relaxed a bit with my car a/c running, cooling me down a bit.  After that, it was back to the start/finish area, getting a few more photos, and then headed over to the packet pickup/registration area.  The race director lady – her name went right out of my head, sorry – led us through a ‘mental relaxation’ mind exercise, which was pretty interesting.  I also chatted with other participants and got some more “after” photos. After that, there were drawings for give-away items.  As she noted:  “We don’t give race medals, but our goal here is that everyone leaves with something”, which is pretty nice, and the items were pretty darn nice too; I ended up getting a really nice Black-and-Decker ice crush blender, which I gave to my wife after I got home. There was lots of other things too…coffee makers, juicers, etc., some really nice things.

Epilogue:   This is the first time I’ve ever done this 5K – I don’t remember if this is the inaugural one or if it’s been done before; but it is really nicely done. The race shirt is very nice quality; and the prizes are very nice;  there was also a couple of tables full of various snacks and treats, such as crackers, a variety of fresh fruit, Powerade, a long cloth-thing that you can get wet and/or ice it down and then use it to put on your neck, head etc. to help cool down post-run, and lots more. There was also a DJ there, playing some tunes for us, and who also played The National Anthem for us before the start.  The only ‘down-side” I incurred here was that there were no porta-potties or nearby restrooms; we were directed to use the restroom at Target across the street from the race location, but they don’t open on the weekend until 8 a.m., which was start time; the organizers kindly did delay the start for a bit, so those who needed to use the facilities could do so.  After the event, one guy and I noticed the building behind where packet pickup and post-race events were done is a Wal-Mart; so we told her, ummm, Wal-Mart is open 24 hours, so if the event is held here again, you might want to direct participants to THAT building, as they can literally “go” there any time, lol.  We did get a laugh from her, lol; she’s a good spirit.  I certainly would do this one again and would recommend it to others, and hopefully it might get a lot more participants, although I kind of liked this ‘friends and family” participant thing with the smaller crowd.  We had lots of post-race joking, smiles, and laughing, all good.

Much thanks to all who made this one happen for us: Athlete Guild for the timing and results; our music-and-sound-guy, who did a great job; the patience of all the non-participants on the trails, as we invaded their space for a while; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all!  OK, it’s nap time for me now…l have another 5K scheduled the day after this one.

Photos are here:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/NsrDb1ipynWzpnBM9

Before the Start:  My 47^th 5K of 2025 was the Remember The Alamo Beer 5K, held on August 2^nd at Tuscany Venue in San Antonio, just off of 1604 frontage road at Old Fredericksburg Road. This was the 12^th year of this event being put on, if I remember correctly, and it was the first event of 5 for The 2025  Alamo Beer Series of races put on by Scallywompus.  Participants can register for each race individually or register for all of them at one time and get a registration discount. I usually register for each individually, and especially now, as I just found out I have a recurrence of my skin cancer, so will be getting treated for that very soon, so didn’t want to register for all of them at once, and then maybe not be able to show up for one of them. For this event, there were several distances to choose from:  half-marathon; half-marathon relay; 10K; 5K; and 5K competitive walk, in which walkers don’t have to compete against the 5K runners to get age group award. The races were delayed from the original start time, so we all got pushed back a bit; the half started first, followed by the 10K, and then those of us doing the 5K run/competitive walked started at 7:51, if I remember correctly. Scallywompus events are very popular, as their motto is “Come for the race. Stay for the party.”  They are not kidding;  they throw one heck of an after-party.   I arrived well before the start time – as did just about everyone else for their start times, since we were all going by the original start times posted.  I found some parking in a lower lot adjacent to the race start/finish area, got my packet, and then got some pre-start photos. There were a lot of people there, with all the participants; volunteers; supporters; vendors, etc. The half marathon had 117 finishers; there were 45 doing the half-marathon relay, which consisted of 3-person teams; the 10K had 242 finishers; and the 5K had 402 finishers; so, as you can see, a very nice turn-out. Since the start times had changed, I had plenty of time to wander here-and-there, chatting with friends and other participant; volunteers; vendors, etc., and get a few pre-start photos.

On the course:   The National Anthem was played before the half-marathon starts and then they were off.  The 10K folks went next, followed by us 5K participants. We started on the grounds of Tuscany Venue, making a left turn onto Old Fredericksburg Road and going down a short hill, after which we turned left onto an off-road paved trail that is part of the Leon Creek Greenway System. It was nice and flat for the first part of the course, for about a quarter mile, lol, and then we began climbing.  The hills are not super-steep; it’s a gradual up-climb, but some of these climbs were pretty long. As we 5K folks progressed onward, we started seeing some of the participants from the 10K – and maybe some o the faster ones from the half – coming toward us as they headed for their finish; some of those participants were moving pretty darn quick too, so I assumed the first ones we saw were the speedy front-runners. As all of us went along, and passed by each-other going and coming, lots of shout-outs to each other of encouragement;  I did my usual 8-min-run/2 min-walk since I can’t run non-stop anymore for any great length of time; darn spinal arthritis and degenerative disc disease, which docs told me all my life I would get someday, since I was a March of Dimes baby, born with a birth defect; and it did arrive when I was in my 50s. During my walk breaks I took some on-course photos until my watch beeped at me to run again. When I got to the Mile 1 marker, I got ambitious and just kept running, ignoring my beeping watch for a bit, and got to the 5K turn-round sign feeling pretty good overall. I took a couple of very short photo stops on the way back to the finish, and then for the last mile ran that nonstop to the finish. I ended up with a chip time of 41:44, averaging a pace of 13:26, and I had negative splits too, nice;  13:23 for Mile 1; 13:20 for mile 2; and 13:08 for Mile 3, sweet. There were only 4 in my 70-74 age group, and I was dead last of that group, but knew I’d get an award as Scallywompus goes 4-deep for age group awards, nice.   

After My Finish:  I got a few photos of some others finishing, including my friend Rick, who’s been dealing with a knee issue  but still walks about as fast as I run, lol.  His knee is improving, thank goodness, to today he was allowed to run a bit, and he was not all that far behind me, so glad to see he is gradually getting back to his old self. After getting those photos, I then went to my vehicle for about 15 minutes, where I had put some Gatorade and water on ice, and sat there with the a/c on full blast, drinking those, and cooling down a bit, as the temperature for this even was around 78 degrees at start time, and the humidity was crazy. Felt much better after that, so back to the venue area to chat with friends and other participants and get a few more photos of participants, supporters, vendors, volunteers, etc. Also sat a bit with my friend Gilbert, one of the vendors, who always has for me post-race at the same events he and I are at, a fresh banana, and a chair for me to relax a bit in. After chatting with him a while, I was then out-and-about again, getting some after-photos; handing out treats to the doggies there – yes, I carry dog treats whenever I run, lol, which his how I got nicknamed Scotty Dogg by a friend – and enjoying some more of the variety of goodies some of the sponsors/vendors had. Awards ceremony was nicely done by our MC, Anthony Zamora, and Pushbutton Photography got a photo of all the placers. Finally headed home and after that very humid outing, a nice shower felt pretty darn good.

Epilogue:  Scallywompus always puts on some really nice events; and their after-parties are really huge, with all kinds of things available, such as Kiolbassa sausage; beer and other adult drinks – I think there were even margaritas if I remember correctly – and there was a vending truck on site, that had a variety of stuff – even donuts – and lots more. Scallywompus does not mess around, lol, when it comes to the after-party.  The race shirt is very nicely done, and the finisher medals are huge, and also nicely done.  If you do all 5 of the races, there is a ‘letter’ on the back of the finisher medal – this race’s finisher medal had the letter “A” on the back of it- and after you get all 5, it spells out “ALAMO”.  I will definitely continue to do Scallywompus races in the future and certainly would recommend them to others. Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants, including iaap for the timing and results; our music man Paul for all the tunes; all the many volunteers for packet pickup, water stations, course marshals, bike leads, etc.; Tuscany Venue for the use of its grounds and facilities; the law enforcement officers on the short road part of the course, for our safety; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.   Whatever your exercise passion is, may you always have success doing it, and forever stay safe, uninjured, etc.  Maybe I will see you at a future event sometime.

Photos are here:    https://photos.app.goo.gl/kwATDEeJbSaZxjWx6

Before the Start: My 46^th 5K of 2025 was the e-Dragon Summer Series 5K, Race #5, held on July 27^th at Pearsall Park in San Antonio. The Summer Series had a total of 5 races – all 5Ks –  over June and July, each one held at a different park in San Antonio different, giving participants a nice look at these parks,  which are all part of the San Antonio Greenway Trails  system.  Events were held on Sunday mornings, with packet pickup from 6 to 7 am, and the races starting promptly at 7 a.m. I completed 4 of the 5.  For this one at Pearsall Park, since I am ‘directionally challenged” lol, my wife ran map-quest on her phone and gave me the directions to get there. I live near the airport, so mentally it seemed ‘forever’ to get there, since I had to go all the way down Loop 410 in San Antonio; the directions were spot-on, though, and I found the park, got my packet, and then got a few pre-start photos, and handed out a few dog treats, as this is a dog-friendly event.  There were 118 finishers for this event.

On the course:   The National Anthem was played, and we started right on time. The course was mostly paved concrete trails, with just a bit of off-road gravel-and-dirt trails, which, lol, made me silently swear at my friend who had assured me this would be all paved trails, since I am not supposed to run ‘offroad” trails because of my spinal arthritis, unless they are really mild trails; thankfully this did turn out to be the case for the off-road parts, they were pretty mild; the majority of the course was on paved trails. I did my usual thing of run-8-minutes/walk 2-minutes and took some on-course photos during my walk breaks. The course connected with another part of the park, where we got onto some very wide trails and also had a few hills to negotiate, but nothing really extreme;  a couple of them were long ups-and downs, but not really all that steep.  After the water station on the course, I headed for the turn-round, and people coming toward me called out there was no turn-round sign on the course, so turn-round at “the stick’ that had been put onto the trail by a runner. I found this kind of hard to believe, as my friend, Erik – Mr. e-Dragon, co-owner of e-Dragon Productions – is really good about marking the course; never-the-less, I followed these shouted-out instructions from the runners already heading for the finish and turned around at that stick. My friend, Rick, coming behind me, told me I had not gone far enough, and it turned out he was right.  I ended up running nonstop most of the way back to the finish, with just a few quick photo stops, and then got to the finish. When I crossed the finish line, my garmin had my distance at 2.68, not 3.1, so shoot. I did chat with Erik after I finished and said, yes, there is a turn-round on the course, I just did not go far enough out to get to it; darn the luck; I should have just followed my gut feeling and kept going, since I have never known Erik NOT to have a turn-round sign at any race he marks out, but no, I just followed the crowd, as most of the participants did. I ran really well, and felt pretty good the whole way, so that was nice, considering it was my 2^nd 5K of the weekend.  Overall, I ended up being 4^th in my age group.

After My Finish:  I got a few photos of some others coming in and then got some water and a banana and did a short-cool-down walk.  I had also put some Gatorade and water on ice in a cooler in my car, so got that, and sat in my car for a few minutes with the a/c  on, enjoying those on this very humid morning, and then it was back out to the race area to chat with friends and other participants; hand out more dog treats, and get some after-photos.

Epilogue:  I like e-Dragon folks; they put on some really nice quality events; have some very unique age-group awards – a large ‘coin’ for the placers that has a code on the back of it that one can use to get a discount when registering for a future e-Dragon event.  The race shirt is very nice quality and there are also very nice quality finisher medals for all finishers; and even the race bibs are designed very nicely. I will definitely continue to do e-Dragon events – unless it’s an off-road trail run, lol, and e-Dragon certainly has some very challenging events in that area – and I certainly would recommend their events to friends and fellow runners.  Walkers are also welcome at their events.  Mucho thanks to all who helped make this race series happen for all we participants, e.g., e-Dragon staff; all the many volunteers; vendors, and supporters; our MC, friend Anthony Zamoroa; the e-Dragon mascot – the guy in that Dragon costume must have really been QUITE warm on some of those summer days the events were held – and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.  I am NOT a fan of getting up so early, lol, but the cause is good – awarding a scholarship to a local student – so I probably will continue to do this series in the future. Whatever your exercise passion is, may you always stay healthy and happy doing it and have success in reaching all your personal goals. Maybe I’ll see you at a future event.

Photos are here:     https://photos.app.goo.gl/CJqoqNLZVQYTD6Gk9      

Before the Start:    My 45^th organized 5K of 2025 was the Spurs Nation 5K held on July 26^th at Olmos Basin Park in San Antonio.  There was also a 10K and a half-marathon.  Put on by Best Races, this was more of a fun run, than an actual race. You registered for the event and your race shirt was mailed directly to you – I opted to donate mine to a disabled kid. You then showed up at the location – for this one it was Olmos Basin Park in San Antonio – picked up you bib on race day and then started at your selected start time. There were quite a variety of start times – I chose the 7:30 a.m. start time.  I freely admit I was not expecting much of a turn-out for this one but upon arrival at 7:15 a.m., I saw the parking lot was very full, and participants who had chosen a couple of the earlier start times were already on the course. I went to the registration table and got my bib and also noticed there were quite a few fellow participants I recognized from having done several of the same previous events they also did. This is also a dog-friendly event, so I handed out a few doggie treats too. I got just a few pre-start photos, since I had arrived quite close to my chosen 0730 start time. One of the registration/packet pickup volunteers came over and gave us our instructions for the course, and then we O730 folks got started.  For the 5K, the course was two out-and-back loops; 4 for the 10K and 8 for the half-marathon participants, good grief. I think most people were doing the 5K and 10K.

On the course:  All the events  started on the paved trail by the Olmos Basin Park’s parking lot that was across the street from where a track, soccer field, and baseball fields were located. I did my usual run/walk thing of 8 minutes running/2 minutes walking – can’t run nonstop anymore for any great length of time due to some spinal arthritis now – and taking some on-course photos during my walk breaks and also handed out some more doggie treats to any dogs nearby at any given time on the course.  This trail gave us a nice “tour’ of most of the park. It took us across a couple of bridges and then toward the direction of where The Alamo Quarry Market is located.  We did not go all the way down to the road; our turn-round point was a bit before that. After the turn-round, we went back to the start/finish area, turned around and started our 2^nd lap for the 5K.  We also crossed two bridges in the park and the first thing I noticed about that is these bridges did not shake at all as we crossed them – unlike the ones at Comanche Park that shake like crazy when an event is going on and lots of people are crossing their bridges; so my second though was Comanche Park folks need to come out and see how this bridge is done and then do theirs right, lol.  Overall, I was feeling pretty good and actually picked up the pace for my second lap, ending up with a negative split for my last mile. My finish time was 42:36, and my fastest mile was mile 3, with a 12:50 pace, which is pretty speedy for an old run/walk beat-up dog like me, lol.  I was pretty happy with my results.

After My Finish:  Got some water and relaxed, and enjoyed chatting with other participants, friends, supporters, volunteers, etc., some fellow veterans too, and getting a few post-race photos.  I forgot, however, to fill out the results card, so Best Races probably will not have my results posted, when the finally post the results somewhere, but it’s all good. I am terrible at remembering names, too, so apologies to my friends if I don’t tag you in photos I took; however, I’m sure you will recognize yourself, lol. Also, I used an old-time push-button Canon Power-Shot camera, so I got you in an on-course photo and you look a bit blurred, it’s because you were moving so fast and my old camera has no ‘stop-action” thing; so it’s you, not me.  😉

Epilogue:   Again, my apologies to Best Races for my misconceptions about this event. This is really a well-done event, with a nice race shirt, a very nice course, and some nice-and-simple post-race goodies of water, bananas, some various candies, and so forth. It was actually a very enjoyable experience, and I had a lot of fun with it. I would definitely do this one again and recommend it to others. I also like the location. Since I am a member of the YMCA, I was able to head down to a Y that is near the park and take a shower and get into some dry clothes, so didn’t have to drive home all wet and sweaty; very convenient.  Much thanks to Best Races folks; the volunteers that were on the course for us; the two water station volunteers on the course; the packet pickup folks; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all!  Now it’s relax time for me; I have yet another 5K on this same weekend, one on Sunday morning. May all of you stay happy and healthy, enjoy whatever exercise passion you have, and reach all your personal goals.  Maybe I’ll see you sometime at a future event.

Photos are here:        https://photos.app.goo.gl/2beB2E9R4ZK3ekqX6

 Before the Start:   My 44^th race of 2025 was the Stars & Stripes 5K on July 19^th. Put on by Athlete Guild, this event was held at the Stars & Stripes Drive-In Movie Theater in New Braunfels, Texas.  There was also a half-marathon and a 10K, and a competitive 5K walk.  The half-marathon started at 6:30 a.m., the 10K at 7 a.m., and the 5K run and 5K competitive walk at 7:15 a.m.  There was also a Kids Run at 8 a.m.  I got up around 4:30 a.m., had some breakfast, and left a bit early at 5:45 .m.  Good thing too, as that darn I-35 North traffic was really backed up as the construction crews were moving barriers off the road. I thought I was going to end up being late but somehow managed to arrive just a bit after 6:30 a.m., in time to see the last of the half-marathon folks heading out onto their course. I picked up my race packet, got my bib on, and then wandered around chatting with friends/participants/supporters/volunteers, and getting a few pre-start photos. This event is a very popular one each year, and especially this year, as Athlete Guild had announced 100% of monies raised/donated would go to support the families of the recent Hill Country flooding. The 5K had 227 finishers; the 10K had 121 finishers; the half marathon had 122 finishers; and the competitive 5K walk had 11 finishers.

On the course:  The start for all events was on the movie theater grounds. I did my usual 8-minutes-running/2 minutes walking – have to take walk breaks these days due to my spinal arthritis – and took some on-course photos during my walk breaks. We went through the exit gate of the movie theater and proceeded up the entrance/exit road of the theater. The online course description notes:  “The course is a fast and flat course…”  Ummm, NOT, lol.  At the end of theater entrance/exit road, we made a right turn and proceeded up a fairly long incline, not too steep, and then moved to the left, went onto another road, and kept on climbing. After cresting this climb, we then made a right turn and went down a long hill – again, not too steep, just long; sorry, I don’t recall the street names.  I was about halfway down when some of the speedier 5K folks began showing up on this road, already heading to the finish. After getting down this hill, we then climbed another hill – this one very short – and then made a left turn onto a road that took us to the 5k turn-round. After making the turn-round, we then went back to the start/finish the way we had come out, so that long downhill was an uphill for us on the way back, but after cresting that, then it was all downhill, until we turned back onto the theater entrance road and that was flat up to the finish line. In spite of having my every-6-months skin cancer checkup the day before and having a bandage on the back of my neck, I was feeling pretty good and was going along pretty well. Normally, I try to run the last mile in non-stop, but my doc the day before said not to do that for this one, because of the procedure; take all my walk breaks, so I did. With about a quarter mile to go, I was ahead of my friend Sherri, but then my darn drawstring on my running shorts came loose, so I had to hold onto one side of my shorts, lol, so other participants would not see the moon coming out early; this slowed me down a bit, and Sherri passed me as we were on the theater entrance/exit road going to the finish. I ended up with a chip time of 42:05, averaging 13:33 per mile and somehow ended up first in my 70-74 males age group. My garmin had me at 42:10, with splits of Mile 1, 13:30; Mile 2, 13:14, and Mile 3: 13:30; I am pretty consistent, lol.

After My Finish:  I stood near the finish line getting a few photos of others coming in, and then headed to the medical tent to have my bandage checked, which my doc had told me to do, in case it needed changing after the 5K.   It is one of those waterproof, nice-fitting bandages and my wife had changed it for me the night before the race.  The EMTs checked it and told me there is nothing to do because Gail had put the darn thing on so well, it was completely fine, so very nice. I then wandered around the area, chatting with friends, other participants, and supporters and getting some ‘after’ photos.

Epilogue:  I’ve done this 5K in the past, so kind of knew what to expect. It really is a nice venue, and the theater folks kindly opened their lobby doors to have access to indoor restrooms, a water fountain and a place to sit and relax in bit in the lobby area booths; also, after the race, all participants who wanted it got a plate of a burger and fries, very nice.  There is also plenty of parking for everyone.  All finishers got a very nice finisher medal, and the age group award medal is very nice too.  Athlete Guild folks – most of whom I know – always do a very nice job with their events; I have never had an issue with their races that I’ve signed up for.  The camaraderie between all the people attending this one – both participants, volunteers, and supporters – is really nice.  This is also a dog-friendly event, so I was popular with the dogs there, lol, as I carry dog treats when I go running. As noted, I’ve done this one before and I will continue to do it in the future. Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants:  Athlete Guild staff; all the many volunteers; the EMT folks there for us; the staff of the Stars and Stripes Drive-In; our MC, Mark Purnell doing his usual great job; the bike lead volunteers for the courses; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all!   Hope to see you at a future event sometime. Whatever your passion is, may you always stay healthy and safe; enjoy it; and meet all your personal goals. 

Photos are here:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/kqbLpQ8wLYKpEXgk8

 Before the Start:    My 43^rd race of 2025 was the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) Back To School Drive 5K, held at the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) Sports Complex on Edwards Avenue. Hosted by the SAPD, this was the first race of its kind in the country, with a goal of supplying SAISD students with various needed school supplies. It’s free to sign up for the race but at packet pickup each participant had to bring a bag of needed supplies in order to receive his/her race bib. The various needed/recommended supplies were put onto the registration site. Race bibs were limited to 500 participants.  I found and registered for this event after that limit had been reached; however, one of the organizers told me I could still participate in the run, but just would not be timed, which was okay with me. On race day, I arrived around 6:30 a a.m, got some nice parking gave the race day packet pickup folks a bag of supplies.  One of the ladies helping with registration told me she had friend who was not able to be there, so she called this friend, and that person said it was okay if I used her race bib; thus I was able to then go to the start/finish area to see my friends of iaap, who were doing the timing and results, and they then updated the info into the computer with my name for the bib, so I got to be timed after all. I asked the registration lady to please sincerely thank her friend for me.  I then wandered here-and-there, chatting with friends, other participants, vendors, police officers, EMTs, etc., and getting a few pre-start photos of participants, volunteers, vendors. Right before we started, a police choir beautifully sang the National Anthem; a prayer was delivered – I think by a police chaplain, but not sure about that – and Police Chief McManus gave us a few short words and wished us all good luck.

On the course:   We started on the grounds of the Sports Complex, making a path past where the vendors were located and then proceeding along the perimeter of one of the parking lots of the complex. We exited through a gate on that side and that took us onto the streets of the neighborhood areas near in the Sports complex. The course, for the most part was pretty flat, and we did several out-and-backs on the course, which was okay with me; it gave participants passing by each other the opportunities to cheer each other on. The majority of the course was pretty much flat, with just a few minor up-and-down inclines, until we got to the street where the Mile 2 marker was, and that had quite an uphill climb; not super-steep, but it was fairly long. Volunteers and police officers were all along the way as course marshal. As I passed by one of the police officers, I jokingly told him “I have a complaint….I’m old..I stuck my thumb out to get a ride from that bike police officer, but he just ignored me and kept on going.” Lol. As usual, I did my 8-minutes-running/2 minutes walking and took some on-course photos during my walk breaks. After I got to the Mile 2 marker – which was on that uphill – I then went nonstop to the finish for the last mile. I ended up with a chip-time of 41:48, good enough for 3^rd in my 70-99 males age group, and my last mile was a negative spilt; so….super-thanks to that lady who let me have her bib number.

After My Finish:  I stood near the finish line for a bit, getting some photos of others finishing, including my friend Carolyn and her service dog, Lucy, and my friend Ralph.  Carolyn placed in her age group. Lucy knows I carry dog biscuits with me when I go running or racing so if one chases me I toss it in the other direction and it chases the biscuit instead of me;  when Lucy  saw me at the finish, it looked like she sped up a bit, lol, to get to me and get a treat.  After taking those finisher photos, I then went to find some water, which I did at one of the police tents set up, and the also kindly gave me a banana too. I found a nice shady spot and just relaxed for a bit, drinking my water and eating my banana. After that, I wandered around, chatting with people again, and getting photos of happy finishers, volunteers, vendors, the band that was playing – and really well, too, primarily some oldies and classic rock.  They were playing one song by Brian Adams and I heard one young guy say “What song is that?” I jokingly told him “You had not been born yet when that song came out.” Another thing I found amusing was my bib number turned out to be 222, which I found humorous because when I was growing up, there was a TV show about school and the show was titled “Room 222” and here I was doing a school event with the Room 222 bib, lol.

Epilogue:  This is one of the friendliest and nicest events I have ever done. The course, as noted was well-thought out, with streets wide enough to accommodate all; it’s dog-friendly and chair/stroller friendly; it’s mostly flat, with just that one hill going toward the Mile 2 marker; and lots of out-and-backs, so a lot of camaraderie at this on, with participants cheering each other on with shout-outs as they are passing by each other. Given who puts on this event, there are a LOT of law enforcement people out there, so it’s probably one of the most safe events ever. I also saw an EMT cycling the course; I assumed he was one of the medical volunteers, so participants are being looked out for in that area too. There also are a whole LOT of vendors at this event, so there is quite a variety of items offered, including food and drink; some really nicely designed head bananas featuring dogs, cats, and a whole bunch of other designs; and a whole lot more. The awards ceremony was nicely done, with the top 3 in each age group getting a very nicely designed award medal.  The only thing I would recommend changing here is, instead of starting with youngest to oldest, go with oldest to youngest; start with we senior people first because….we’re old, and need to get home and get our nap after an event, lol.
This event will definitely be a KEEPER on my race calendar – reminder to myself: register right away when it first is announced, you old goat, lol –  and I definitely would recommend this to others.  Much thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants:  all the law enforcement and medical folks; the many vendors and volunteers; SAISD for the use of their facility; to the residents of the neighborhoods we went through, for their patience during the time we invaded their space; to iaap for the timing and results; to the folks who set up that well-done course for us; not sure if it was iaap or some of the law enforcement folks, or both but, either way, thanks; our MC who announced the awards; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all!  Hope to see you next year at this event, the Lord willing.

Photos are here:     https://photos.app.goo.gl/tVv3rykzUVky7wPq5     

 Before the Start:   My 42^nd race of 2025 was the e-Dragon Productions Race 4 of its Summer Series 5Ks This one was held on July 6^th at McAllister Park in San Antonio. This was my 3^rd race of the 4^th of July weekend, after doing a 5K on the 4^th of July and another one on the 5^th of July. e-Dragon Productions is a family owned running-related business that puts on events, is a vendor various running, walking, and other products, and also does printing jobs for various events and for shirts too; e-Dragon is the primary company I used to have my “self-motivation” slogan printed on my running shirts.  This series of five races, held at various parks of the San Antonio Greenway Trails system, raises scholarship funds for a San Antonio Student. Participants can sign up for each race individually or sign up for all five. Race 4 was held at McAllister Park, with a packet pickup time of  0600 to 0700 on race day and a start time of 7 am. I arrived at McAllister Park about a half-hour before packet pickup began, with things being set up by race day volunteers, e-Dragon folks, and iaap, another top-notch local race company that does race timing and results, as well as putting on their own events. After things got going, I got my race packet and then wandered here-and-there, getting a few pre-start photos and chatting with friends, volunteers, etc. There was a total of 108 finishers for this 5K.  

On the course:  The normal course for a 5K in this park is usually a loop course starting on paved road near some soccer fields, then going up one of the paved roads of the park, and then onto an off-road paved trail, upon which we do a loop that brings us back to the street, and then we return the way we had come out. However, because  of some pretty heavy rain in the area for a bit, and standing water on certain trails, for this event the course was changed to an out-and-back. We began the course the usual way, but instead of diverting onto a trail that would take us past a police substation, we continued farther on and then went onto a trail that took us past Becken Pavilion in the park. We continued on this trail until we came to a turn-round point and then went back to the finish in reverse of the way we had come out. It was a nicely thought-out course that provided for the safety of participants. As usual, I did my 8-min-run/2-min-walk thing and took on-course photos during my walk breaks. After getting back onto the road, we headed toward the finish. I took a few more photos and then, for the majority of the last mile, went non-stop to the finish. I ended up with a chip time of 41:20, averaging 13:15 per mile. This was good enough for 3^rd in my 70-99 males age group, which is what I about expected as I knew before the start the other two in my age group are pretty darn speedy; they both averaged 8-minute-miles-and-change for the course.

After My Finish:   I got some water, did a short cool-down walk and then got a few photos of others coming into the finish. photo of others coming into the finish. After that, I wandered here-and-there, chatting with other participants, volunteers, and supporters, ate a banana and drank some gatorade, courtesy of my good friend Gilbert, a supporter of amy local races, and got a few more photos, including some at the awards ceremony; several of my running friends placed. Finally, it was time to go home with me planning just to relax and be lazy on this Sunday, after doing 3 races over the weekend. Epilogue: e-Dragon does an excellent job with its summer series, and I would recommend it to others, although I admit to not being a fan of that 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. early packet pickup time since I’m kind of lazy on the weekends, lol, and would like to sleep in a little bit anyway, but I’ll deal with it. The age group awards are very unique; a large coin that has a code on it that can be used for a discount when you register for upcoming e-Dragon events. The race shirts are very nice quality too; and if you do all 5 events, you get a nice “tour” of several of the local San Antonio parks. These events also for a good cause, helping a student get education via an awarded scholarship. I most certainly would recommend this series and will continue to do some of the races in the future, the lord willing and my health stays stable. Mucho thanks to all who make this series possible for we participants, e.g., e-Dragon (the Burciaga family); iaap for the timing and results; all the many volunteers and the many vendors who support the events; and anyone else involved whom I may not have mentioned here; thank you all for the support. May you all stay healthy and happy and achieve all you want from life. Before the Start:   My 42^nd race of 2025 was the e-Dragon Productions Race 4 of its Summer Series 5Ks This one was held on July 6^th at McAllister Park in San Antonio. This was my 3^rd race of the 4^th of July weekend, after doing a 5K on the 4^th of July and another one on the 5^th of July. e-Dragon Productions is a family owned running-related business that puts on events, is a vendor various running, walking, and other products, and also does printing jobs for various events and for shirts too; e-Dragon is the primary company I used to have my “self-motivation” slogan printed on my running shirts.  This series of five races, held at various parks of the San Antonio Greenway Trails system, raises scholarship funds for a San Antonio Student. Participants can sign up for each race individually or sign up for all five. Race 4 was held at McAllister Park, with a packet pickup time of  0600 to 0700 on race day and a start time of 7 am. I arrived at McAllister Park about a half-hour before packet pickup began, with things being set up by race day volunteers, e-Dragon folks, and iaap, another top-notch local race company that does race timing and results, as well as putting on their own events. After things got going, I got my race packet and then wandered here-and-there, getting a few pre-start photos and chatting with friends, volunteers, etc. There was a total of 108 finishers for this 5K.  

On the course:  The normal course for a 5K in this park is usually a loop course starting on paved road near some soccer fields, then going up one of the paved roads of the park, and then onto an off-road paved trail, upon which we do a loop that brings us back to the street, and then we return the way we had come out. However, because  of some pretty heavy rain in the area for a bit, and standing water on certain trails, for this event the course was changed to an out-and-back. We began the course the usual way, but instead of diverting onto a trail that would take us past a police substation, we continued farther on and then went onto a trail that took us past Becken Pavilion in the park. We continued on this trail until we came to a turn-round point and then went back to the finish in reverse of the way we had come out. It was a nicely thought-out course that provided for the safety of participants. As usual, I did my 8-min-run/2-min-walk thing and took on-course photos during my walk breaks. After getting back onto the road, we headed toward the finish. I took a few more photos and then, for the majority of the last mile, went non-stop to the finish. I ended up with a chip time of 41:20, averaging 13:15 per mile. This was good enough for 3^rd in my 70-99 males age group, which is what I about expected as I knew before the start the other two in my age group are pretty darn speedy; they both averaged 8-minute-miles-and-change for the course.

After My Finish:   I got some water, did a short cool-down walk and then got a few photos of others coming into the finish. photo of others coming into the finish. After that, I wandered here-and-there, chatting with other participants, volunteers, and supporters, ate a banana and drank some gatorade, courtesy of my good friend Gilbert, a supporter of amy local races, and got a few more photos, including some at the awards ceremony; several of my running friends placed. Finally, it was time to go home with me planning just to relax and be lazy on this Sunday, after doing 3 races over the weekend. Epilogue: e-Dragon does an excellent job with its summer series, and I would recommend it to others, although I admit to not being a fan of that 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. early packet pickup time since I’m kind of lazy on the weekends, lol, and would like to sleep in a little bit anyway, but I’ll deal with it. The age group awards are very unique; a large coin that has a code on it that can be used for a discount when you register for upcoming e-Dragon events. The race shirts are very nice quality too; and if you do all 5 events, you get a nice “tour” of several of the local San Antonio parks. These events also for a good cause, helping a student get education via an awarded scholarship. I most certainly would recommend this series and will continue to do some of the races in the future, the lord willing and my health stays stable. Mucho thanks to all who make this series possible for we participants, e.g., e-Dragon (the Burciaga family); iaap for the timing and results; all the many volunteers and the many vendors who support the events; and anyone else involved whom I may not have mentioned here; thank you all for the support. May you all stay healthy and happy and achieve all you want from life.

Photos are here:       https://photos.app.goo.gl/N9UBr457WT7qxx1x5

 Before the Start:  My 41^st race was the Chasing Dreams 5K held on July 5^th at Greenline Park located on Brooks City in the San Antonio Area. There was also a 10K. This was my second race of the weekend, having done the Let Freedom Run 5K on July 4 in Schertz, Texas, which was the route of the 4^th of July Schertz Parade, with participants getting cheered on by the spectators. Brooks City was previously Brooks Air Force Base before it closed in 2011. It was taken over by the city and became Brooks City Base and then ultimately Brooks City, a mixed-use community of businesses, housing, parks, etc. This event supports Running Down A Dream – also the name of a Tom Petty song. The organization provides running shoes, health education, and training to kids, including a weekly Run 4 Life program, to promote a healthier lifestyle. There were 220 finishers for the 5K and 141 finishers for the 10K, so a very nice turnout.  I had previously picked up my race packet so upon arrival enjoyed interacting with friends, other participants, volunteers, sponsors, etc., and getting a few pre-start photos.

On the course: The 5K and the 10K started together. There was a slight delay with the 8 a.m. start time, so we all started at 8:15 a.m. The course was a mix of paved running trails, off-road running trails and a short distance in two places on paved asphalt roads. The course was mostly out-and-back, with a couple of short loops. The majority of the course was pretty flat, with just a few short inclines to negotiate. This course gives you a nice tour of the running/walking/cycling area in and near Greenline Park. The course was open to non-participating patrons, so on occasion, we did encounter some cyclists and non-participating walkers and runners, all of whom, from where I was on the course at any given moment, were pretty patient about our being out there. With my spinal arthritis and degenerative disc disease, I can’t run nonstop anymore for any great length of time, so I did my usual 8-min-run/2-min-walk and got some on-course photos during my walk breaks. After getting to Mile 2, I then ran the last part of the course nonstop to the finish.  I ended up with a chip time of 42:23, averaging 13:39 per mile, and my last mile was my fastest at 13:10.

After My Finish:   I got  a few photos of others coming into the finish and then found the water area and a place to just sit and relax for a bit, while I got some liquid into me. After that, I wandered around getting some post-race photos and chatting with other participants, supporters, sponsors, etc. and also handing out some doggie treats to the dogs that were there; yes, this is a dog-friendly event. I was very popular with the dogs, lol.  The awards ceremony started, and I was surprised to find I had placed first in my 65-74 males age group for the 5K, mainly because I was the only one in my age group, lol, so I jokingly asked one of the awards people since I was the only one, I did not get 3 medals for being 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd? Umm, that would be a big no, lol. I stuck around for a while, getting more photos and watching some of my friends who placed get their awards. Finally, it was time to go so, since I am a member of the YMCA, I headed to one on the way home – a pretty short trip – and got to shower and changed into dry clothes so I would not have to drive home all sweaty; very convenient. Epilogue: This is the first time I’ve ever done this event, but it won’t be the last.  I don’t remember if this was an inaugural 5K for the Running Down A Dream 5K or if it’s been around for a while. Either way, it is very well organized and has a really nice, well-thought out course. We also got lucky with the weather; it was around 78 degrees and humid, but we only got some spitting rain and that was pretty brief, so I was very thankful for that, especially after the news of all those people affected by the flooding farther upstate, just really sad for them and their families. This race includes a really nice finisher medal for all participants, and the award medal is pretty nice too.  There was a shipping problem with the age-group award medals, so we got word they would be mailed out to us upon arrival. I told them when mine came, just to keep it and give to one of their kids in the program. I do so many races over the year, I always end up with a boxful of medals, so once I get enough of them I usually donate mine to the disabled kids at Morgan’s Wonderland – I was a March of Dimes baby, born with dislocated hips – or to the kids with cancer at Children’s Hospital, since I am also a 3-time cancer survivor; so I did not mind one of their kids getting this one. Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants, including iaap for the course setup, timing, results and being the bike leads; our MC, and my friend, Anthony Zamora, doing his usual great job; all the many volunteers out there for us, as well as the EMT folks and the police officers there for our safety; our music-and-sound guy; all the sponsors/vendors supporting this event; the patience of non-participants using the course too, as we invaded their space for a while; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all!  Good luck to all my fellow runners in whatever your personal goals are. May you always stay safe and healthy, and achieve what you want to in your personal programs.  Next up for me: my third 5K of this weekend, on Sunday, July 6^th, the e-Dragon Summer Series 5K #4 at McAllister Park. I live very close to this park so can sleep in a bit tomorrow, lol

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

Before the Start:  My 40^th race of 2025 was the Let Freedom Run 5K on July 4^th.  Held in Schertz, Texas, this event was put on by Athlete Guild Productions, a very high-quality race management company. Race start time was around 9:15 a.m. For this event, as well as the regular age groups, there was also a Military Active Duty/Veterans Category, with age group awards given in that division. That category usually has some pretty darn speedy people, and had a total of 95 finishers, 60 male and 35 female. I just signed up for the “regular” 5K, in my age group of 70-99 males. For the 5K, there were 267 finishers, 115 male and 152 female. The weather was pretty bleary and pretty humid, with some very light rain,  a temperature of 82 degrees, and the humidity was 82%. Because of the local 4^th of July Schertz Parade, the roads of the parade route were being closed, so participants pretty much had to come down Schertz Parkway and then turn into the parking lot of the Community Center Area where the start and finish was located. I arrived around 8:20 or so, got some pretty good parking and then got a few pre-start photos.

On the course:  The course was on the route of the 4^th of July Jubilee Parade in Schertz.  We started at 9:15 a.m., with the parade starting at 9:30 a.m. The 5K started behind the community center building on a paved road, went past the parking areas, did a short bit in the lot in front of the community center building parking lot and then entered onto Schertz Parkway heading down the street in the direction of FM 78, a road that goes in the direction of Randolph Air Force Base.  By the time we got to this point the rain had stopped, but that darn humidity sure did not let up.  We turned right onto Main Street before the FM 78 and headed down this wide road going in a direction that would take us past Pearsall Park on our right.  After passing Pearsall Parke, we made a right turn on Aero Drive, which took us past the 2-mile mark. We then proceeded all the way up Aero Drive. This brought us back to the Schertz Parkway, where we made a left turn, and proceeded back to the start/finish line the way we had come out.  Well, most of us anyway, lol. After getting closer to the Community Center, I was following a few runners in front of me and we all went past where we were supposed to turn back into the Community Center Parking area and go back the way we had started out. Instead we kept going down this road, past the Community Center area, until we got to one of the Parade volunteers at a corner, and he told us we were going the wrong way, we had to go back to the Community Center Parking lot.  Well, shoot, I never saw a sign about ‘finish this way” – maybe I just missed it – and volunteers – I think they were volunteers – didn’t shout at us to come back, so I thought I was going the right way; of course, “Directionally Challenged” me does this a lot on training runs, too, lol; I probably need a guide dog, lol. Anyway, after the parade volunteer got us going back, I ended up running along the road by the fence-line, with parade vehicles on my left. This actually turned out to be pretty cool because I could see on the parade vehicles all the displays on the back of the trucks and on trailers the vehicles were pulling.  Well, shoot, I knew I was going to be over 5K distance from coming down this way, so I just kicked back and walked a few extra times and took photos of some of those parade displays – and all the parade participants on the trailers and displays were cheering me on, lol, which was pretty cool.  Per my Garmin, I ended up with a total distance of 3.96 miles in 54:08, ending up 4^th out of 4 in my 70-99 males age group.  Not exactly sure what my chip time was, as Athlete Guild results only list the Top 3 in each age group. Per my Garmin, however, mile 2 – 3 for me was my fastest mile at 12:34. I told my friend Sherri, I didn’t see any sign such as ‘this way” to the finish, and the volunteers at that corner – if they were race volunteers; I don’t know for sure – never called out to us to come back. Well, what the heck; I really am not upset about it; with me, stuff happens, lol, and hey, I got some nice parade photos out of it too, and see some of the parade displays, cool.

After My Finish:  I got a really nice finisher medal and then got some water and then did a short cool-down walk. After that, I found a nice flat, tall rock to sit on and just relax a bit. Then I was up-and-at it again, getting some more photos, chatting with friends, and enjoying some of the post-race goodies. I also wanted to thank my friends of the Athlete Guild, as I had a low tire-pressure warning on my vehicle just before I left and they kindly took care of that with one of those automatice tire-pump things.  

Epilogue:  I do this event just about every year, so you’d think I’d know which way to go to get to the finish, but sometimes my old-man-brain doesn’t kick in, so I end up having ‘adventures’, like the one for this event; but hey, it sure keeps my running life from getting boring, lol. I did tell my friend Sherri – one of the race organizers – that I didn’t see anything telling me which way to return to the finish, but I hope I did not come across as upset about it; if so, my apologies to her; I ended up having a pretty nice outing with my mistake, seeing that part of the parade. This event is very well done by the Athlete Guild crew, and our MC, Mark Purnell, did his usual great job as our MC. There were also some very nice post-race goodies – beer included – and the finisher medals are really nice. After I got all my post-race photos, as I was getting ready to leave, I gave my medal to a kid – his mom took it for him. I do so many races in a year, I often just throw my medals in a bag and when I get enough of them, I donate them to either Morgan’s Wonderland kids, whom I can relate with, as I was a disabled kid too (March of Dimes baby) – or to the kids with cancer at the San Antonio Children’s Hospital, since I am also a 3-time cancer survivor.  Mucho thanks to all who made this event happen for we participants;  The Purnell family and all the other Athlete Guild crew members there; all the many volunteers out there for us; law enforcement and EMT folks out there for our safety; all the race sponsors; Shirtz Creek Bier Garten for being the pre-race day packet pickup location; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.

Next up for me: Chasing Dreams 5K on Saturday, July 5^th at Brooks City; and e-Dragon Summer Series 5K, Race #4 at McAllister Park.

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/kamGuNcBP5DT4Ndp7

Before the Start:  My 39^th race of 2025 was Race 3 of the e-Dragon Productions Summer Series 5K held on Sunday, June 29^th. This is a series of 5 races that raises funds for a scholarship for a deserving local student. This was my 2^nd race of the weekend after completing the day before the Big Red and Barbacoa 5k at Comanche Park in San Antonio. This Summer Series 5K event was held at Lady Bird Johnson Park, which is about 5 miles from where I live, so a nice, short drive. Start time was at 7 a.m., with packet pickup from 6 to 7 a.m. I arrived at the park around 6:10 am, and there were very few people there, so I thought maybe I had gone to the wrong park; but then I saw some of the packet pickup volunteers there, and they told me the equipment truck was running a tad late; ok, then, whew, I’m in the right place after all, lol. The truck did arrive just a few minutes after that, and packet pickup began after the registration sheets and race bibs were unloaded. Got my packet pretty quickly and as I was getting myself together, one of my friends came along and told me the darn park port-potty had not toilet paper.  This seems to be a trend with this park, with only one porta-potty near the park trails. Quite frankly, I don’t understand why San Antonio Parks & Recreation won’t just build a darn restroom near the trails, since they are used quite a bit.  The nearest indoor restrooms in this park are up near the soccer fields, which is a bit of a walk.  Thankfully, I keep rolls in my vehicle, just in case, so that came in handy; I took a few of them and put them into the porta-potty for my fellow runners to use as needed. After that, I enjoyed chatting with fellow participants, volunteers, etc., and getting a few pre-start photos.

On the course:  There was a kid’s race first, and then the colors were presented, and The National Anthem was played.  The 5K started right on time, so kudos to the volunteers and e-dragon staff for getting everything set up to keep on schedule. At start time, the temp was 78 degrees, with 87% humidity.   The course, as usual for races held at this park, is an out-and-back. We began by doing a loop around the park’s traffic circle, going past the dog-parks and the park pavilion on our left. We then proceeded down a short hill and made a left turn onto the park’s paved greenway trails, heading in the direction that would take us past the Los Patios Shoppes, which is where our turn-round point was. I did my usual run/walk thing, taking photos during my walk breaks. I made the turn-round in good order and then started back for the finish, when I had a wardrobe malfunction as the tie-string on my running shorts came loose; so, before continuing on, I had to stop and take care of that issue so my fellow participants would not see the moon coming out early, lol. After that, I went non-stop to the finish, running for a bit with a very nice young lady.  I managed to almost catch up to a couple of friends I’d been chasing since the start; my amazing and Texas-famous friend Mary Kaplan – she has completed a race in EVERY Texas county – that’s 250 counties –  and my friend  and fellow vet Ralph.  I never did catch them, but did manage to keep them in sight all the way to my finish. I ended up with a chip time of 41:02, averaging 13:13 per mile, and had a negative spilt for mile 3. My result gave me 2^nd in my 70-99 males age group as, lol, there were only 2 in my age group. My speedy friend Jim was first with a speedy chip time of 27 minutes flat.

After My Finish: I got a couple of photos of others coming in and then went and found some cold water, and just sat for a bit, relaxing and drinking my water. Also, a nice touch by e-Dragon is that they have these iced-down small towels, so got one of those too and put that on the back of my neck….very refreshing. After that, I got a couple more photos and then went to sit with my friend, Gilbert, one of the vendors/sponsors who, if he is at a race I am doing, always has for me after I finish, a chair and a banana. I just relaxed for a while chatting with him, enjoying that banana and some Gatorade he gave me. After that, I was up and going around again getting some post-race photos of the finishers; their friends/family members; some of the vendors; and also handing out more doggie treats. After the awards ceremony, we began to leave the race venue and head home.  After I got home and got a nice hot shower, my wife and I then went to have a nice lunch at Applebee’s in celebration of our Meet Day.” June 29^th is the 41s anniversary of the day we met in Hawaii – and eventually got married there too. Within 10 minutes of talking with her, I just knew she was the one for me. It took me a little longer, lol, to convince her of that, and we’ve been together ever since.

Epilogue:  This is a nice series of a total of five 5Ks put on by e-Dragon, culminating after the final race of the series with a local student being awarded a scholarship.  You can sign up for all 5 – I signed up for 4 of them – or each one individually.  Age group award for the placers at each event is a very nice e-Dragon medal that has a code on the back that can be used to get a discount when you register for a future e-dragon event. I would definitely recommend this series to others. The series gives you a good look at several local-area parks of the San Antonio Greenway Trails system, with the races being done on the off-road concreate trails of the parks. The only thing I’d personally change is to make the start time 8 a.m. instead of 7 a.m.  I’m an old dog, lol, I need my sleep!   Mucho thanks to all who have have helped make these races possible for we participants, e.g. e-Dragon Productions (Erik and Kristine and their family members); all the many volunteers; the vendors/sponsors; iaap for timing and results; all law enforcement  and EMT folks who were out there for our safety, and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all! Next up for me is the Let Freedom Run 5K in Schertz, Texas, July 4^th,  which goes along the Schertz 4^th of July parade route, so you have all these people cheering you on as you pass by, very nice.  Nice little after-party too. Whatever your exercise passion is, may you all be successful with your personal goals and always stay safe.