Scottydog Reports

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.

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qXoQ1kXy1SurV9r77

Before the Start: My 37^th race of 2025 was the Big Red and Barbacoa 5K held on June 28^th at Comanche Park in San Antonio, Texas. The race start time was 8 a.m., with a kid’s race before the main event started. There were 267 finishers for this event. I arrived about an hour before start time, picked up my packet, and got a few pre-start photos and also handed out treats to some dogs that were there. This is a dog-friendly event. The weather was, as usual for Texas summer, already quite warm, with a temperature in the upper 70s and the humidity at race start time was 85%, with very little/no wind. The course was off-road paved trails in the park.

On the course:  There are two different courses that can be used for a race in this park, both out-and-back. One  was on a trail that took us down a long hill and up another couple of hills and underneath and overpass  before getting to the turn-round point, which was the course for my 5K last week. For this 5K, we used the other course that took us on a trail, where we could see from the park, Rigby Road on our right. This course had a couple of hills – more like long inclines –  but nothing like that other course; so I was glad to find out this race used that second course. One thing about Comanche Park, it does have a lot of shade trees, which is nice, so we were only in direct sunlight for very short periods of time. The course did have us cross over two bridges – one which was really ‘bouncy’ on the way to the turn-round, with all those people crossing it – and go beneath one overpass. I did my usual run/walk thing, taking photos during my walk breaks. There was a down incline before getting to the turn-round point, and that leveled off just before we got to the turn-round point, where the was a water station, which I took advantage of, getting some more water in me before heading for the finish. There was also Gatorade at the water stop. After the turn-round point, I pretty much ran nonstop to the finish, with only a couple of short stops to get a photo here and there. I’ve been ‘practicing’ during my training runs to do the last half of a 5K non-stop, and it worked pretty well.  I was also surprised that I was pretty much in the same proximity as my friend, Ralph, a talented runner who is usually pretty darn quick and leaves me in his dust. I never did pass him, but did keep him in sight all the way to the finish. He’s been having a foot issue, so I think that was probably the reason I was able to be not too far behind him. When the finish line came in sight, he picked up the pace a bit, and pretty much left me way behind him, even though I still had him in sight. I crossed the finish line with a chip time of 41:27, averaging 13:21 per mile, and mile 2 to mile 3 was a negative split for me, nice. I was 4^th in my age 70 – 99 males age group out of 8 people. I knew before the start I would not place as my speedy friend Jim was there (8:31 per mile pace), and the first two finishers in my age group were even faster; never-the-less, at my age I met my two primary race goals: finish standing up, and no ambulance there specifically for me, lol; anything I get after that is a bonus.

After My Finish: I got my very nice finisher medal, got a couple photos of others coming in, and then went to my vehicle for about 15 minutes, sipping my cold Gatorade I had put on ice and running the a/c at full blast..ahhh, felt much better after that.  I then returned to the race area to watch the awards ceremony and get some ‘after the finish’ photos of participants, supporters, etc., and, of course, handed out more doggie treats. Epilogue:  This is really a nicely done event put on by iaap, a family-owned top-notch San Antonio-based event management company, and probably is #1 in San Antonio in its category in my opinion. They are ALWAYS busy with a variety of events and always do a great job. The finisher medal is very nicely done as are the age-group awards. The race shirt is very nice quality – although I did not get one, since I do so many events, I am running out of drawer space, lol – and really nice post-race goodies, including Barbacoa – which I can’t eat, since it’s spicy; yellow mustard is the spiciest thing I am allowed to eat, as a result of my digestive system being a bit screwed up from my first cancer (I’ve survived 3 different cancers); but they did have this really nice electrolyte drink – very cold, and delicious too, which was really great; there was also plenty of bottled water too, and popsicles – now that I can eat, and enjoyed one – and some other items.  Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants: Big Red and Barbacoa, the primary sponsors, and all the other sponsors/vendors; our MC Anthony Zamora for doing his usual great job; all the many volunteers doing duty for packet pickup, course marshal, bike lead; the official race photographers; the law enforcement folks out there for our safety; the patience of the park patrons also using the park who were not race participants, as the park trails were still open for general public use; the EMT that was there for us; and anyone else I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all!  OK, time for me to rest; I have another 5K the day after this one, as also do many of the participants I chatted with.  Runners, golfers, soccer players, I think, must be some of the craziest people around, lol, when it comes to their sports. God bless us all. BTW, I used to golf a lot…but gave it up because those darn windmills kept knocking the ball into the water.

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/kjgsebDCepD4mX4bA

Before the Start:  My 37^th race of 2025 was The Texas Tough 5K held on June 22 at Eisenhower Park in San Antonio, Texas. This was my 2^nd race of the weekend, after having done The Longest Day 5K the day before. Texas Tough, put on by local race management company e-Dragon Productions, and timed by iaap, another local race management company, included three events:  10-miler, 10K, and 5K. There were 48 finishers for the 10-miler; 84 for the 10K; and 109 for the 5K. Start time was 7:30 a.m., with the 10-milers going first; followed by the 10K folks, and then the 5K was the last event to start. This being Texas summer, race morning temp was 82 degrees, with some pretty high humidity. I had gotten my race packet the day before, so after arriving I got wandered here-and-there chatting with other participants, volunteers, vendors, etc., and took a few pre-start photos. This is also a dog-friendly event, so, with permission of their humans, I handed out a few dog treats, making new canine friends, lol.

On the course: The National Anthem was played and then the 10-milers started out, followed by the 10K participants. We 5K participants started out last. We 5K folks got lucky with our course, as ours was all on the asphalt-paved trails within the park grounds. All the courses were out-and-back. I did my usual run-walk thing and took photos during my walk breaks.  This course took us up some winding hills with some pretty good climbs, occasionally steep, but not too bad, and then around a flat circle at the top that took us past an observation tower on the top. We then went back down the way we had come up, then passed a water station, and then wound around another asphalt-paved trail that took us back to the original path we had started on after crossing the finish mat, and then back to the finish. The 10-miler and and 10K folks, because of their longer distances, had to go another way and ended up with part of their courses included being on the nearby Greenway Trails – and from having run their before, I knew the were going to have some SUPER-long up-hills-and-down-hills.  I’ll tell you what…when I crested the top of the 5K course by that observation tower and looked at the distance on my Garmin, at that moment I KNEW we would not be going on those greenway trails because that would have made the 5K distance long. I was so happy about that, lol, that after I got back down to the part of our course where the water station was, Erik, our Race Director and the guy who laid out the courses for us, was there and I stopped to him a huge hug to thank him for not putting my arthritic back onto the concrete.  I’ve done a couple of 5Ks here on that greenway trail, and some of the uphills on that thing are a HUGE climb; and very steep downhills too, which really annoy my arthritic spine.  After thanking Erick, I was off and running again. We had one more paved trail that we did a lap around – with more hills, of course, lol, but not bad at all, and then we went back to the finish line in reverse of the way had come out at the start.  I ended up with a chip time of 43:28, averaging 14:21 per mile, which was good enough for first in my 70-99 males age group, as the only other person in my age group, lol, was my friend, Keyes.  

After My Finish:  I got a couple of photos of others coming in, then got my finisher medal and some water, and then went over to sit with my friend, Gilbert – one of the vendors – who, when he is at the races I do, always has a chair and a banana waiting for me after the race. After relaxing and rehydrating a bit, I then wandered around chatting with people, treating some more dogs, and getting some post-race photos.  I had several friends who were doing the other distances, so hung around quite a while after I finished the 5K to see them come in and get more photos. I also enjoyed chatting with others and getting more photos of volunteers, vendors/sponsors. I had friends doing the 10-miler and 10K, so waited for them and watched all the award ceremonies and got some more photos after all the top 3 in each age group of those two events had finished.  Finally, it was time go to, so I headed over to Joint Base San Antonio Camp Bullis, since I am retired military and have access to the gym there, and was able to take a nice hot shower and change clothes so I didn’t have to drive home all wet and sweaty; very convenient. Epilogue: Eisenhower Park, in my opinion, is not a great park of the Greenway System or San Antonio Parks system, but it has its advantages too, depending on what you want from it; a pretty good off-road trail system from what my trail-running friends tell me; and that climb to the observation tower on the paved trail does give you some nice hill work. It does have nice “presentation’ area for the races, with a very nice covered pavilion and also indoor restrooms, water fountain, etc. This event used to be held in Helotes, Texas – a route I hated, lol, but each to his/her own – so glad they moved it here, at least for the 5K anyway. There is also a Greenway trail right across the street from the park entrance; I’ve never been on that trail, so don’t know what that is like; and the closeness to Camp Bullis is a big plus for me too, since I can use the gym showers. I think the race organizers did pretty great with what they had to work with.  The race shirt is REALLY nice quality, with a unique design; the finisher medal is really nice too and the age group and overall award medals have a code on the back that can be used for a discount when you register for another e-Dragon race. Post-race treats included Shiner Bock Beer, breakfast tacos, various fruits, coffee (BLECH!..can’t even stand the smell of the stuff, lol) and breakfast tacos.  I would definitely do this 5K again and would recommend it to others.  The 10-miler and 10K…well, I’ll let the ones who actually did that advise you on that.

Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants: e-Dragon Productions/the Burciaga Family and the guy in the Dragon Costume for age group award photos- it must have been pretty warm in that thing; iaap for the start/finish line setup and all the results; all the many volunteers and vendors; law enforcement officers out there for our safety; our MC, Anthony, and our music and sound guy, Paul, doing their usual great jobs; my friend, Gilbert for giving me a nice shady seat to relax in for a while after I finished; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all. Next up for me: Big Red and Barbacoa 5K on June 28.    

Photos are here:        https://photos.app.goo.gl/5gG8A1ZoZktFS7yo8

Before the Start: My 36^th race of 2025 was The Longest Day 5K held on June 21 at Comanche Park in San Antonio.  There was also a 10K and, after the main events finished, a 0.5 beer run, and a Kid’s Run before the start of the main events.  Fund raised from this event go 100 percent to the Alzheimer’s Association. Start time for the 10K was 7:15 a.m. The 5K started at 7:30 a.m.. I arrived very early; around 6:30 a.m., got some close-by parking and then got some pre-start photos. I was early enough that the iaap folks who were doing the timing and results were still setting up the start/finish area and preparing their equipment.  For a humid and warm day, a pretty nice turn-out with 231 finishers for the 5K and 78 finishers for the 10K. It was sunny, with a few clouds, a them of 84 degrees at the start times, and very humid, with just a bit of wind. I had picked up my packet the day before, so after arrival chatted with other participants, got a few photos, and handed out a few dog treats as this is a dog-friendly event.

On the course: The National Anthem was played and then the 10K participants started first, with we 5K people going about 15 minutes after the 10K entrants. The courses started with us going onto the park road that gave access to the parking areas. We turned left going out of the starting chute, wound our way around this road and then went onto one of the park’s off-road paved trails. It was pretty warm, but the route did have a lot of shade for almost the whole way. The course was flat for a while, and then we went downhill; not a steep hill, more like a looooong downhill incline. We crossed over 3 very short bridges on this course and could see parts of Salado Creek as we went over. After crossing the third bridge, we then climbed up a fairly long hill, going underneath an overpass, then went up another incline, shorter than the previous one and got to the 5K turn-round.  The 10K participants, of course, passed this turn-round and kept going on their course; I don’t know how far out they went, but this trail does connect with South Side Lions Park; I don’t think they went quite that far out.   Of course,  as the 5K course was mostly down on the way out, after going back across Bridge 3 as we returned from the turn-round point on the way to the finish, we then had a long climb up on the way to the finish. We finally crested the last up part near a children’s playground at the park and then returned to the start/finish line in reverse of the way we’d come out. I did my usual 8-min-run/2-minute-walk-thing, taking photos during my walk breaks, and also did a couple of quick stops to get a photo here-and-there. For the last ½ mile I ended up running with friend Terry and then when I could see the finish line again I was like, ok, I’m ready to be done and took off for it, with Terry pretty close behind me. I ended up with a chip time of 40:14, averaging 12:57 per mile, and my last mile was a negative split too, of 12:46, which I was happy with, since I usually do 13 – 14 minute miles. This was good enough for being second out of 6 in my 70-99 males age group.  My running friend, James, was first, finishing 4 minutes ahead of me.

After My Finish: I got a photo of Terry coming into the finish – she was only 26 second behind me – and a few photos of others coming in. After that, I grabbed some water and went to sit with my friend Gilbert, one of the event vendors, who always has a post-race banana and chair waiting for me – and sat in his tent shade, cooling down a bit and enjoying chatting with him. After that, it was wandering time here-and-there, chatting with others and getting some post-race photos, and also getting my second-place age group award, a nice medallion.  

Epilogue:  This is a very well done event that has been going on for quite a few years. It was founded by brothers Matt and Miguel who started this event after having family members who suffered from Alzheimer’s. Started in 2017, there is a series of two races, with Matt hosting one and Miguel hosting the other; if I remember correctly, whomever raises the most funds at his event, then the other brother has to meet some kind of challenge from the winning brother. 100% of all proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Association in the hope of helping to find a cure and help those with this disease. Matt and Miguel, whom I am proud to call friends, are two of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet and go all out with their challenge events, keeping a great sense of humor about it all. Their events have a very nice finisher medal; nice quality race shirt; post-race Kiolbassa sausages; various drinks, including water and beer; and several vendors with all kinds of good items.  These Alzheimer events twice a year are a keeper for me, I will continue to do them as long as I am able – especially as I’ve had family members affected by it, and I myself am also having some current testing done. Mucho thanks to all who made this one possible for we participants, e.g., all the many volunteers; the vendors and sponsors; park police officer there for our safety; or MC Anthony and our music guy, Paul, doing their usual great jobs- they do this for a lot of events over the year; the bike lead guys; the iaap crew for timing and results; e-Dragon Productions aka the Burciaga family, for course setup and other assistance; and anyone else involved I did not mention here. Thank you all so much! Hope to see you at an event sometime.  Now I need to get some rest, I have another 5K the day after this one. Yes, I am a crazy person….but aren’t all we runners and walkers a tad touched in the head, lol. Whatever your exercise passion is, may you always stay safe and healthy doing it. 

Photos are here:    https://photos.app.goo.gl/2dAKd3wMePymE2gJA      

Before the Start:  My 35^th race of 2025 was the San Antonio Road Runners (SARR) Texas Sun Showdown 5K held on June 15^th at McAllister Park in San Antonio. This was my 2^nd 5K of the weekend, after havind done the day before the Y’all Means All 5K.  For this Sunday event on Father’s Day, there were 3 races for this event: a half marathon; a half-marathon relay with teams of 4 members and teams of 2-members; and the 5K. I signed up for the 5K that had a listed start time of 7 a.m.  I had picked up my race packet the day before, so after arriving at the race site, I got a few pre-start photos.  An announcement was made that start times would be moved back a bit since, due to all the rain San Antonio had a few days before, parts of the courses had water over them, so the courses had to be re-routed for the safety of participants.  After this got done, the events started, with the half-marathon relay and half-marathon starting first, followed by the 5K. The turnout was quite nice, with 204 finishers with the 5K; 49 for the half-marathon;  112 for the 4-person relay half marathon; and 22 for the 2-person half marathon relay; so 387 total participants; along with the many vendors, sponsors, volunteers, etc., there, so it was quite a crowded area. I had arrived about an hour before the original 5K start time of 7 am., so had plenty of time to wander around, chat with friends, volunteers, other participants, and get some pre-start photos. This is also a dog-friendly event so, as usual with me, handed out treats to the doggies.

On the course:   All the courses started and finished across from the lower soccer fields at the park. It was a pretty warm event too, with a temp in the low 80s, and the humidity was a whopping 82%. If I remember correctly, all the courses were mostly a kind of loop course that included one of the park’s  paved roads, and then some of the off-road paved trails. We started across from the lower soccer fields in the park, passing by a baseball field, and then onto one of the park’s paved roads.  As we went along we could see the relay team members coming and going, carrying their batons as they did their thing. Our 5K route wound around this road, heading in the direction of Becken Pavilion in the park. About ¼ mile before getting to Becken Pavilion, we turned off the road and went onto a paved trail that took us toward a police sub-station near the park. After that passing by the sub-station, we continued on the trail that brought us around to a part of the course that showed the paved road on our left. We went toward the place where we had first come onto this trail but then made a right turn onto another paved trail. This was another short loop that brought us back to the paved road, farther up from where we had exited it. After getting back on the road, we then proceeded to the finish line the way we had come out.  Because of the re-routing that had to be done due to the water on the original course, we ended up doing a total of 3.5 miles. When my watch beeped 3 miles and we weren’t near the finish line yet, I thought my old-time garmin watch might finally be going whacko, lol; but a few other participants near me told me yeah, they too, had the same mileage, so ok then. I ended up 4^th out of 5 in my 70-99 males age group with a chip time of 46:54, averaging 15:06 per mile, with taking some extra photo-stops. The guy who finished 3^rd was only 4 minutes ahead of me.

After My Finish:  I got some water, did a short cool-down walk and then  got a few photos of other finishing, and some of the relay people coming and going, and then got some water and walked back to my car and sat in it with the a/c on full blast to cool down a bit and drank some Gatorade I had put on ice. It was VERY humid and pretty much all participants were pretty sweat-soaked.    Felt much better after my short respite, so I went wandering around again to chat with others and get some post-race photos. Also, I found where my friend Gilbert was located and went to sit with him a bit.  Gilbert always has a chair and a banana waiting for me, lol, in cool shade of his tent. That was a nice little relaxing time.  After that I went back out-and-about, chatting with others and getting some more post-race photos of happy finishers, supporters, vendors/sponsors, and handing out more dog treats.

Epilogue: This is a very well-done event. Kudos to race Director and friend Erik Burciaga who laid out the news courses very nicely for us to avoid any water on the course; the 5K course was well-thought out; lots of room for everyone, and a water station that we passed by twice. Finisher medals to all, and they are really nice medals, one of the best I’ve ever seen; I opted not to get a race shirt, but after seeing them at the event I might get one if they maybe have some for sale; really nicely designed. Lots of post-race goodies, including C-Force water; a plate of Texas barbecue with sides; Shiner Bock beer; various fruits and drinks from some of the vendors/sponsors; and a nice shaded pavilion to sit in and enjoy it. This event is definitely a re-do for my future races calendar; I certainly would recommend it to others.  Much thanks to all those who made this one happen for we participants, e.g., all the sponsors/vendors; the many volunteers for packet pickup, water-station, race day registration, etc; Push-Button photography for their professional-grade photos; our MC, Anthony Zamora – who was also the MC for my Saturday race the day before this one – doing his usual great job; law enforcement folks there for our safety; our music-and-sound guy, friend Paul; and anyone else involved not mentioned here. Thank you all!  Whatever your passion is, may you always stay safe and stay healthy; maybe I will see you sometime at an upcoming race.    

Photos are here:       https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZLKFqfbHKygykXNt8

Before the Start:   My 34^th race of 2025 was Ya’ll Means All 5K, held on June 14^th at Ladybird Johnson Park in San Antonio, with a race start time of 8 a.m. I did this one in honor of my daughter. This race, originally started to support those with AIDS, is now a race that supports community diversity.  The proceeds for this year’s race supports The Alamo Area Resource Center. There were 476 participants for this event, so quite the nice turn-out.  This is a Pride Race put on by the Loop Crew, with timing done by Split Second Timing, and the course set up by local race management and running gear company iRun Texas, which also hosted the pre-race packet pickup at one of its local San Antonio stores. Race start time was at 8 a.m.  I live only about 5 miles from this park, but arrived about an hour before start time, so I got some nice parking. iRun and the vendors/sponsors for this event were still setting up their areas. I wandered around chatting with various people, sponsors, iRun folks, etc., and got a few pre-start photos and, living up my name, lol, handed out treats to the doggies there.  San Antonio had some torrential rain on the Wednesday night before and early Thursday morning the week of this 5K, so there was quite a bit of flooding and still lots of water around,  even on race day. iRun folks checked the course and, thankfully, for the direction we were heading, it was all clear. In the opposite direction from which we were going, one of the park bridges was still under water. Glad we did not go that way; I am not into Steeple-Chase races, lol; me and water don’t get along so well when running; I’ve run off the Riverwalk once; in England, hit a root and fell into the River Cam – much to the amusement of all the Cambridge University students around at the time, lol – and going over a creek on bridge made of board, the darn thing cracked and I went into the creek. 

On the course:  We started right on time. This was a very humid outing with the temp around 78 degrees, and the humidity was something like 82%. It had been mostly cloudy when I first arrived, but that fickle Mother Nature brought the sun out just before we started.  Thankfully, the paved trails in this park are very well shaded by lots of trees, so it was not too bad. LBJ Park has a small traffic circle which we proceeded around and then went down a short concrete paved trail down to the main paved trails in the park. We made a left turn – going away from that flooded bridge – and headed in the direction that, for those of you familiar with the park, would take us to a turn-round within the Los Patios shoppes area. The majority of the course was pretty flat with just a few up and down inclines; nothing you could really call a hill.  I’ve done this course several times on my own and with other races, so I knew what to expect. Because of my spinal arthritis, I did my usual run/walk thing of 8 minutes running/2 minutes walking and took some on-course photos during my walk breaks. My first mile is usually my fastest as this is the one I do non-stop until my watch beeps for my walk break.  My time for getting to mile 2 and the finish line is always slower, as those miles are when I am usually taking my on-course photos, so I usually end up with positive splits and today was no exception.  I finished with a chip time of 41:48, averaging 13:27 per mile. This was still good enough for 1^st in my 70-79 males age group as I was the only male IN that age group, lol.  I’ll take it.

After My Finish: I got a few photo of others crossing the finish line, and then got a few more photos of other participants, supporters, etc., and handed out some more treats. I then made my way over to the park’s pavilion, just sitting and relaxing post-race and chatting with a very nice couple. The guy was a fellow Air Force veteran, so we had a nice chat about some of our experiences; I think I talked the poor guys’ ear off, lol, with my 24-years-service and all the crazy things that I went through, as I was overseas for 18 of those 24 years and everywhere I went something happened. None of my fellow Air Force friends wanted to be stationed with me, lol.  We did enjoy some laughs, though, so hope I did not bore that couple too much. There was also a raffle drawing for everyone who had purchased a ticket, and some nice prizes were giving away. There was also this cool thing that you could stand on, and these cameras went circling around you taking your photo – or maybe it was a video, I don’t remember exactly – but lots of people were having fun with that.  I did not partake, because that spinning thing would have kicked up my vertigo, but it sure was fun to watch. Epilogue:   This is a very well done event, and the camaraderie for this one among the participants, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, supporters, etc., is truly wonderful. This is one of the nicest events I’ve done, with a lot of great people there; and also dog-friendly, which I also like. I certainly will continue to do it in the future, and I definitely would recommend it to others. Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants; all the sponsors/vendors; our MC, Anthony Zamora doing his usual great job; our lady DJ playing the tunes for us; iRun Texas for packet pickup location, course setup, and checking the course for our safety; Split Second Timing for the results – which you can find on RunSignUp website, by the way; the police officers that were out there for our safety;  and thanks to all the folks who brought dogs so I could hand out treats; even though my wife and I have 6 cats – all rescue – I still love dogs too, and interacting with them.  Whatever your exercise passion is, whether it be running, cycling, yoga, or anything else, may you always stay safe, happy, and injury free. Next up for me: I have another race the day after this one, on June 15^th – San Antonio Road Runners Showdown 5K at McAllister Park.  See you there, if you will be doing that one.