i woke up at 2:30 pm today and only after silvio stood at the bedroom door frame and said, "it's getting late." turning in bed, i felt my first sore muscle. oy. i shouldn't have done that front walk over last night. what was i thinking when i tried to do those aerials? and eww, is that sand i feel stuck between my two little toes? slowly, very slowly, i mustered enough energy to roll myself sideways out of bed.
last night i participated in honest magazine and nike's short film documentary, the shortest race. along with 30+ other contestants i was invited to try my best at crossing the finish line, 39.9" from the start.
entering the armory track and field center i was dumbstruck...a track meet was already underway and the center rumbled with loud cheering. no way. scanning the runners, i asked, "we aren't racing with them are we?" pointing a finger towards the gazelles. fellow shorters (short racers) concerned with the same thoughts convinced me, no. they were right.
a little behind schedule, shorters were meeting and greeting each other during the registration process. everyone was all smiles and no one seemed to be taking this race too seriously. assigned lucky 13, i was herded over to a dressing area where i was told to pick out some free nike gear. stuck to yelling out, "anyone see anything extra small?" i took the few things that i could actually fit: a woman's top, jacket and a pair of small men's shorts. the shoes i supplied myself (or better yet, nike did the last time i was involved in an event with them). the free gear caused normally well behaved people to turn into professional stylists at a barney’s blow out sale. clothes were thrown all over and although the search for goods was controlled, it was definitely a bit chaotic. good schwag will do that to anyone. and it’s not everyday that you get to pull out $120 windbreakers for keeps without paying.
after gearing up, i mingled with my competitors. i started to get my game on snarling, showing teeth (smiling of course) and flexing my ginormous muscles. i rather enjoyed playing mind games with the other shorters pointing two fingers at my eyes and then redirecting them to their eyes…i see you, competitor…you’re mine. if some of the racers got too close to me, i'd lunge at them causing them to jump back a little. after sizing up my new friends i knew, in order to win, i'd have to be mentally ready. so i prepared myself by spending the next three hours fucking around.
the armory track and field center is a beautiful sports facility. it has everything a true track and field requires: a soft sand pit, mats and poles, hurdles and of course, a nice smooth racetrack. in short, a playground for people like me. without supervision and someone to say, "no", my friends, total misfits, were allowed to run around like a pack of wild dogs. doing everything we probably shouldn't have been, like drinking cola on the track or jumping into the sand pit with leather boots, we joust fought with the poles and limbo’d under hurdles! we transformed ourselves from respectable programmers, designers, artists, and suits into elementary school playground kids roaming and exploring the facility for new things to play with.
providing entertainment for shorters-in-waiting, we held our own side races. cartwheel races to leg strength contests i had already won and lost several mini games before i was actually called to race. hours passed and when my heat was finally called, i was already kind of tired. no worries, i could survive the next 39.9", no sweat. the rules were simple, no bent knees, legs facing forward and do what you have to do when the gun goes off to cross the finish line without hurting your fellow opponents. i think i started day dreaming cause when the gun finally sounded, i found myself pausing to leap upwards instead of outward. the three other shorters easily beat me passed the line. i jumped up, they jumped out. i lost my opportunity at my one second of glory and the $700 first prize. but i had a hell of a time participating. after saying good bye and wishing the remaining competitors good luck, i left knowing i had already won. i won the "had the most fun" contest last night.
i was able to convince silvio, hani, siwy, bem, sona, marz, jai, ree, jonathan, miguel and ej to come out in this artic freeze to keep me company. easily recruiting more supporters than anyone else, my get-along gang ended up making the night hilariously fun. heading off to bed at 4 am, the last thing i thought was, thanks people for supporting me when i called you out.
