24 Hour Relay - Awesome and Over
It's 10:40 a.m. and the 24 hour relay is over. Each person ran four legs of 30 minutes through the day and night. It was a warm day, but that did not stop the guys from playing soccer, touch football, and organizing a homerun derby and a field goal kicking contest. But the activity which took up the most time was a game the guys invented called "Brave Heart". It's played by taking the football teams blocking pads, lining up about 20 yards apart facing one another and then running straight ahead into each other when someone yelled,"Freedom!". This went on for hours.
Through out the day video games were being played on several screens in the track shed. Four or five people would play and even more watched. Later some watched videos.
The girls seemed content to play cards until about four o'clock and then Katie set up a slip and slide. Suddenly a big water fight broke out with several squirt guns, water bottles and anything else that could hold water. By the time it was over those that had started the fight were thoroughly drenched.
Around 5:30 Jack Uglick delivered about five donated pizzas which were devoured in two minutes. Russ Lehman brought a salad around 6:30. Finally, at 7:00 the pizza lady arrived with about ten pizzas ordered and paid for by Augie Vega. Thanks you guys!
Around 6:00 a group of guys, helped with some beautification work along the trail. We have much work to do to get ready for the Capital Invite (ontherun.com/capinvite/) on Sept. 9th.
After dinner there was another "Brave Heart" battle and some of the girls joined in. During the day, and until it was dark a steady stream of kids headed to Safeway to buy food and drink. At last report Safeway was out of Gatorade.
At 10:00 any friends visiting were told to leave and the gates to the parking lot were locked. Around 1:30 I looked up to the parking lot and saw a group of guys that I did not recognize and walked up to greet them. As I approached them I began to feel uncomfortable because they had a "gang" look about them. They asked me if there were any problems and I explained what we were doing. They moved on, but remained just outside the perimeter of the parking lot lights for about 30 minutes, even though a security guard talked with them.
Around 3:00 another soccer game sprung up in the dark. A group of guys and girls were listening to a CD in the parking lot. I swear the guys danced vigorously for an hour. Every time I looked towards the parking lot they were dancing to the Techno Beat. I can not get it out of my mind- it was not a pretty sight. At around four people began to settle in and go to sleep.
I was up at 5:50 and did some more trail work. At 8:00 we rousted everyone, cleaned out the Swarthout Shed and moved some high jump and pole vault pits around. Soon everything was looking great and when 10:00 rolled around and our final runners completed our 24 hour commitment and we applauded not only them as they finished, but also ourselves. A great big thank you to all the parents who helped and especially those who stayed overnight - Steve Hall, Russ Lehman and parent Coach Kevin Wright.
As my mind clears I just might have more to say later - much later.
It's later:
We were visited by dogs. The morning began with the Wright's Spaniel, Kramer coming for a bit. Mrs. Miller brought over Achilles twice and he enjoyed fetching the tennis ball and wallowing in the mud hole by the drinking fountain. And last but not least Bryce's Chocolate Lab. Bosco came for awhile to play fetch.
At sometime in the darkness Zach ran a bare foot mile in 5:23 - we are not sure why.
Connor talked a lot and we aren't sure about what - it was pretty random.
Ryan H. left the shed around 3:00 a.m. shirtless and I told him he needed to put on sun screen if he was going out side. He looked at me really funny.
Coach Wright did an excellent job of making sure everyone ran their legs of the relay on time. His voice could be heard intermittently booming out names day and night.
Through out the day video games were being played on several screens in the track shed. Four or five people would play and even more watched. Later some watched videos.
The girls seemed content to play cards until about four o'clock and then Katie set up a slip and slide. Suddenly a big water fight broke out with several squirt guns, water bottles and anything else that could hold water. By the time it was over those that had started the fight were thoroughly drenched.
Around 5:30 Jack Uglick delivered about five donated pizzas which were devoured in two minutes. Russ Lehman brought a salad around 6:30. Finally, at 7:00 the pizza lady arrived with about ten pizzas ordered and paid for by Augie Vega. Thanks you guys!
Around 6:00 a group of guys, helped with some beautification work along the trail. We have much work to do to get ready for the Capital Invite (ontherun.com/capinvite/) on Sept. 9th.
After dinner there was another "Brave Heart" battle and some of the girls joined in. During the day, and until it was dark a steady stream of kids headed to Safeway to buy food and drink. At last report Safeway was out of Gatorade.
At 10:00 any friends visiting were told to leave and the gates to the parking lot were locked. Around 1:30 I looked up to the parking lot and saw a group of guys that I did not recognize and walked up to greet them. As I approached them I began to feel uncomfortable because they had a "gang" look about them. They asked me if there were any problems and I explained what we were doing. They moved on, but remained just outside the perimeter of the parking lot lights for about 30 minutes, even though a security guard talked with them.
Around 3:00 another soccer game sprung up in the dark. A group of guys and girls were listening to a CD in the parking lot. I swear the guys danced vigorously for an hour. Every time I looked towards the parking lot they were dancing to the Techno Beat. I can not get it out of my mind- it was not a pretty sight. At around four people began to settle in and go to sleep.
I was up at 5:50 and did some more trail work. At 8:00 we rousted everyone, cleaned out the Swarthout Shed and moved some high jump and pole vault pits around. Soon everything was looking great and when 10:00 rolled around and our final runners completed our 24 hour commitment and we applauded not only them as they finished, but also ourselves. A great big thank you to all the parents who helped and especially those who stayed overnight - Steve Hall, Russ Lehman and parent Coach Kevin Wright.
As my mind clears I just might have more to say later - much later.
It's later:
We were visited by dogs. The morning began with the Wright's Spaniel, Kramer coming for a bit. Mrs. Miller brought over Achilles twice and he enjoyed fetching the tennis ball and wallowing in the mud hole by the drinking fountain. And last but not least Bryce's Chocolate Lab. Bosco came for awhile to play fetch.
At sometime in the darkness Zach ran a bare foot mile in 5:23 - we are not sure why.
Connor talked a lot and we aren't sure about what - it was pretty random.
Ryan H. left the shed around 3:00 a.m. shirtless and I told him he needed to put on sun screen if he was going out side. He looked at me really funny.
Coach Wright did an excellent job of making sure everyone ran their legs of the relay on time. His voice could be heard intermittently booming out names day and night.
posted by Milldog at 10:44 AM
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