Scottydog Reports

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. 

Photos are here:         https://photos.app.goo.gl/ACWExGWozq7FUoC89   

 Before the Start:  My 33^rd race of 2025 was Aid The Silent held in Boerne, Texas on June 7, 2025 with an 8 a.m. start and race day packet pickup at 7 a.m.. This event supports the Aid The Silent organization which provides support and services to the deaf-and-hard-of-hearing in its local communities. There is an Aid The Silent office in San Antonio also.   Race start time was 8 a.m.  Since I am often ‘directionally challenged”, lol, I left around 5:30 a.m., and arrived at the Boerne Main Plaza about 6:15 a.m. After finding  some really good parking, I saw that they were already doing packet pickup, so got my race packet and then wandered around chatting with others and getting some pre-start photos. There was a really nice turn-out for this one with a total of 718 finishers, runners & walkers.  My friends from iaap were doing the timing and results for this event. They’ve been quite busy lately, doing the Beach2Bay Relay event last week in Corpus Christi, and then The Big Run in San Antonio on June 4^th.  Prior to the start, The National Anthem was played, and two deaf/hard of hearing ladies were on the stage in front of the plaza’s Gazebo, ‘signing’ The National Anthem; it was very cool and very moving to see. A local Reverend than gave us a prayer, speaking and signing, also cool. There was a teleprompter near the stage, so all those who didn’t know sign language – like me – could read the words they were signing.

On the course:  We started right on time, lining up on a street near the plaza Gazebo, which was to our right of our start area. I had noticed that my age group was males 60-99, wow, and so I knew I was not placing today, lol, so I just took my sweet time for this one and didn’t push it. The course was done on paved roads. After crossing the timing mat, we almost immediately went down a short hill, and then leveled out on a street going through a nice neighborhood area. We went straight out on this street to a turn-round point, and then headed back in the direction of the start/finish line. This road was open to traffic, so lots of calls of “Car Back!”, and so forth; the drivers were pretty patient about it all, driving carefully. We did not go back to the finish line, of course; we made a right turn to leave this road and then ran through a really nice neighborhood area, with pretty flat streets; at least, flat until we got to a water station; then some hills started.  We went down one short but steep hill; crossed over a short bridge and then climbed up a short but very steep hill. After getting to the top of this, we then had some flat for a bit; we got to another turn-round, came back the way we had come out, and then made a turn into another really nice neighborhood.  The first part of it was pretty flat, and then after we turned onto another street, we went down a steep hill, crossed over a second bridge on the course – with some nice water views from this bridge, and then went up a short hill. We turned left and there was a short climb there too, and then we went onto an off-road paved trail that wound us around as we went toward the finish line; and this trail had a short climb on it. After exiting this trail, we were then back on a street by the Plaza, and in front of The Kendall Hotel, which is right near the Plaza. We proceeded on the road in front of the hotel, then made a left turn – the hill we had gone down at the start was behind us – and this took us back to the finish. Out of the 48 in my 60-99 males division, I finished 28^th with a pretty slow time of 46:56; I also had “killed” a bit of my finish time, when there was a lady on the course pushing a stroller and it tipped over and some of her stuff came out of it; thankfully, her son with her was not in the stroller at the time; so I stopped to help pick some of her stuff up, which cost me a few minutes, but hey, people are more important than finish times, so it’s all good.

After My Finish:  Hydrate!  Aid The Silent folks smartly put bottled water and Gatorade and some food goodies right by the sidewalk near where we exited the start/finish area; the liquids on our right and some food goods on our left. I grabbed Gatorade and water and then went and found a shady place to sit and just relax for a bit. My friend, Alan, was there too, so we sat and relaxed for a bit and chatted. There was also a couple there with a sweet dog, so I got a photo of them as I was sitting there. After that, felt much better, very relaxed, and then wandered around the Boerne Main Plaza grounds chatting with others and getting some post-race photos and watched some of the awards. The overall and top 3 in each age group got an award. There were several people that I recognized from doing same races with them – although with my idiot old-man brain, could not remember some of their names, lol – but enjoyed chatting with them, and making new acquaintances, and getting some post-race photos.

Epilogue:  This is a very well-done event, one I try to do as much as I can, since I am a bit hard-of-earing in my left ear due to some surgery I had on it during my Air Force career – and there’s a story behind that, but too detailed to tell it here.  The event is really well done by the organizers and all the volunteers – packet pickup, course marshals, water station folks, etc. – were all great. We had two MCs, one who did the talking and another who signed everything. The race shirt is very nice quality. Since I do so many races and am running out of race shirt space, lol, I got a youth medium and would like to give it to one of my friends who maybe has a deaf child.  Several post-race goodies that included the Gatorade and water; cupcakes and various chips, etc. and there was also a company that prepared tacos that you could purchase, with some of the funds they raised going for the cause, if I remember correctly. You could also purchase “Hank The Dog” – buy one and then one free one would go to a deaf child. Since I already have a Hank The Dog at home, I did buy two and told the lady to give one each to a deaf child.   I will definitely continue to do this one as long as I am able and I would certainly recommend it to others. Just keep in mind how many participants do this event and that if you are not one of those speedy runners, you may not place in your age group, so just have fun with it. Much thanks to all who made this one happen for us: Aid The Silent, of course; all the many sponsors and vendors; all the volunteers out there for us;  the local police officers on the course for our safety; the patience of all the residents of the neighborhoods we passed through; our MCs who did a great job for us; iaapweb for the timing and results; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all! God willing and the creek don’t rise, I will most assuredly be doing this one again.

Photos are here:         https://photos.app.goo.gl/WSicTGSY6dMTndRv9

 Before the Start:   My 32^nd race of 2025 was The Big Run held on June 4 primarily in Brackenridge Park in San Antonio. The start was on Avenue B in a playground-and-restrooms area next to the Shake N Shack restaurant. The Witte Museum staff kindly let us use their parking garage for the event, which was nice of them. It was a warm ½ mile walk to the start area, as this event began at 7 pm, so the temp was around 92 degrees, and it was very humid. I had already picked up my packet, so after getting to the start area I got a few pre-start photos as I chatted with other participants, volunteers, friends, etc.  There were 253 finishers for this event, so this little park was quite crowded with all those participants, the volunteers, the vendors/sponsors, etc.

On the course:  We started on Avenue B, heading in the direction of the Witte Museum parking garage. After passing that by, we then made a left turn, going into Brackenridge Park. At the first intersection, we could see the train tracks for the Zoo Train. We made a right turn at this intersection, going past the Zoo Aviary area on our left.  After rounding  a curve in the road, we then crossed the park’s Wooden Bridge and then went past a baseball field on our left. This took us onto a sidewalk, which we looped around, now with the water on our right. This loop brought us back out to where we had started the loop. We went back over the Wooden Bridge, this time with the aviary area on our right, returning to the intersection. We turned right and headed in the direction where the front entrance of The Zoo would be. We then rounded a curve and took the park road that headed us in the direction of Mulberry Avenue.  Just before getting to Mulberry, we turned off the road and went onto one of the park’s trails. The route took us onto a couple of the trails and then back out onto the paved road near the train tracks.  After getting back on the road, we passed the Mile 2 marker and then went back to Avenue B, made a right turn, and headed for the finish. I did my usual thing of run 8-minutes/walk-2minutes  – and took a couple of extra walk breaks because of the heat – and took photos during my walk breaks. I ended up with a chip time of 43:25 and had a negative split for the last mile. This was good enough for 3^rd place out of the 5 guys in my 70-99 males age group.

After My Finish:  Hydrate!  Got some water and found a nice chair to sit on and just sat there for a bit, cooling down and drinking some water and some Gatorade. After that, I wandered here-and-there chatting with others and getting some post-race photos. I also went into the restroom and the a/c’s in the restrooms were on full-blast; wow, it was almost COLD in there, so I sat there in there for about 5 minutes and that really cooled me down, lol. After that I went back outside and enjoyed getting some more photos and chatting with lots of people and also getting my award for 3^rd place during the awards presentation.  I think the first place finishers got a medal, and we 2^nd and 3^rd place finishers got a pair of socks. I gave mine to a friend who loves socks, since I have so many socks at home right now I am running out of drawer space, lol.  I headed out after that, and good thing I did, because I had left a chance of clothes at the nearby YMCA, with plans to take a shower and get into some dry clothes before going home. However, when I got to the Y, I found out they closed at  9 pm – I thought they closed at 11 – so made it just in time to get my stuff out of the locker, whew, and then drove home.

Epilogue: Soler Sports put on this event and for what they had to work with, it was a well-thought-out course with wide streets and trails that had room enough for everyone to maneuver around, and no hills at all; a very flat course with just a couple of very minor inclines.  There was a water stop on the course, and we also passed by one restroom area that had water fountains, so plenty of on-course water, if needed. It was pretty humid, so by the time we all finished, we were pretty much sweat-soaked, but lots of water and other liquid refreshment at the finish area, and a variety of various eats too. The race shirts are nicely designed and good quality. There were also some door prizes and we had our DJ Paul doing his usual great job of giving us some great music.  I would probably do this one again and recommend it to others; although I’d get there way earlier next time, lol, to get closer parking.  My problem is not running, my problem is walking afterwards, with this darn spinal arthritis. It took me almost 20 minutes to shuffle back to the parking garage – like Tim Conway on the Carol Burnett show, lol, for those of you who remember that show.     There were lots of open spaces at various places closer to the start/finish area, but those businesses and apartments are privately owned, so no parking allowed.  Even so, good event; Lisa and her crew did a good job considering what they had to work with. Much thanks to all who made this one happen for us and were out there for us: all the many volunteers; the sponsors/vendors; the park police officers out there for our safety; our music man, Paul; iaapweb for the course setup, timing, and results; the patience of all the other park patrons not doing the event; Anthony Zamora doing his usual great job as MC; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all! Next up for me: Aid The Silent 5K in Boerne on June 7^th.

Photos are here:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/Gswz6aD8noNbZGXs7  

 Before the Start:   My 31^st race of 2025 was the 2^nd event of the d-Dragon Productions Summer Series 5k, a series of 5 races done over the summer to raise scholarship funds for students. Race #2 was held at Southside East Lions Park, located on Pecan Valley Road in San Antonio.  I picked up my friend Carolyn and we headed to the park. After I missed a turn, Carolyn got directions on her phone, which basically wound us around for a while, lol, until we finally found the place. We had started out early, thankfully, so arrived with plenty of time; so early, in fact, – around 5:30 a.m. –  that we beat the packet pickup folks there. We thought we were in the wrong parking area, so search the park some more and finally found the right area…which was verified by the e-Dragon equipment truck arriving shortly after we got there.  After they got set up, we got our race packets, and I wandered here-and-there chatting with friends and other participants; vendors/sponsors; volunteers, etc., and got a few pre-start photos. This was a fairly smaller event with 112 finishers.

On the course:  We started out near the pavilion at the park. The course was done on the concrete paved trails of the park. There was a Kid’s Run at 7 a.m. and then the 5K started at 7:15 a.m.  The majority of the first mile of the course was flat, taking us on a trail that had the lake on our right going out. We then crossed over one of the park roads and went onto another trail that went down a slight incline and then across a bridge over Salado Creek, and at that point we began to climb.  The climbs were not all that steep, but they sure were long. I think my friend, Race Director Erik, went to his dictionary and blacked  out in it the word “flat”, lol. I did my usual thing of run-8 minutes-walk 2 minutes and took some photos during my walk breaks.  After hitting the mile mark and my second walk break, I then pretty much ran non-stop to the turn-round point, with just a couple of quick photo stops along the way, and did the same on the way back to the finish. I ended up with a chip time of 42:01, averaging 13:31 per mile, which was good enough for 3^rd in my males 70-74 age group; especially as there were only 3 in my age group, lol. My very speedy-and-long-legged friend Jim was first.  

After My Finish: A nice touch done by the e-Dragon people is having iced-down small towels near the finish line to help you cool down. This was especially appreciated for this event as our temp was 78 degrees at start time and the humidity was very high. I wrapped one on the back of my neck while doing a short cool-down walk and then got a few photos of other finishers coming in, while enjoying some iced-down bottled water too. I also went and sat in my car for about 10 minutes with the a/c on full blast and that was very cooling too. After that, I wandered around, chatting with finishers, supporters, volunteers, vendors, etc. and getting a few after photos of happy finishers, some of the award recipients, vendors, and more.   The awards started with the younger groups first so, being in one of the oldest age groups, lol, I had plenty of time to get some more photos. The age group award is a very large medal, really nicely designed, that has a code on the back of it that can be used for a registration discount, very nice. The race shirts are really nice too. In spite of those climbs, lol, it really is a nicely thought-out course and well done.  Also, to be fair to Erik, the 5Ks for upcoming races 3 and 4 are being done at parks that have pretty flat terrain – Lady Bird Johnson Park, which has very short incline – you can’t really call the thing a hill – at the start and finish, and a longer incline – again, you can’t really call it a hill – near Mile 1. McAllister Park…this one depends on which trail is used. If it’s the one by the lower soccer fields, that that trail is pretty darn flat all the way; so we get a break for those two, lol; and then the last one is at Pearsall Park…..one of the darn hilliest parks I’ve ever run in, lol, with lots of off-road trails. I cannot handle off-road anymore with this spinal arthritis, so I passed on this one. Even so…these are all quality races, so I would certainly recommend you give them a try sometime. Epilogue:  The course was very well thought-out, with enough room for all to maneuver around, especially as it was a smaller event; it felt more like it was a big get-together of running friends out to enjoy a group run and each other’s company. Very nice race shirts and the afore-mentioned age-group medals are awesome.  I would do this one again and would recommend it to others.  Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for us and were out there for us, e.g. e-Dragon folks and all the race-day volunteers; iaap for the timing and results; all the sponsors and vendors; the guy in the Dragon suit  on this very warm day, getting photos with everyone who asked, and with the award winners; the official photographers on the course; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all! See you at the next one if you’ve signed up for it or if you are a volunteer, vendor, etc.