The Relay

First of all, this post should have happened WEEKS ago, but it got lost in the shuffle.

Second, if you follow this blog at all, then you know the following about the prince:

1. Track is a social sport.

2. He's a thrower, not a runner, and with good reason. When he runs, he's what's known as a "thumper". He does not run heal to toe but rather, thump, thump, thump...

3. He will try almost anything once if it sounds like a good time.

And that's what happened at this meet. Back in the 80's it was politically INcorrectly known as "the fat man's relay". Thrower tend to be a little less lean than runners. Not all throwers, but a lot of throwers. This year the throwing coach did NOT call it "the fat man's relay" but did tell the boys that there were enough of them that they could form 2 teams in this relay (the long one where they each run a lap around the track, though I can't think of what it's called--4 X 1600, maybe?), and the team that didn't come in last (it was a given that they would come in last and 2nd to last) would get to skip conditioning the next week. The prince was all over that because he already had conditioning as a PE class with the HEAD FOOTBALL coach! He wanted that break from a second conditioning a day.

So what follows are the photos. They did get two teams. But each team had to recruit a runner, which in the prince's case, happened to be good buddy Daniel. When it was over, those throwers we sucking up air like they'd just run for their lives, and Daniel hadn't even broken a sweat! (KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS!) The kids seemed to have a pretty good time, and we parents were cheering fools in the stands!

That's the prince on the far right. Check out the Chucks. He would not normally run in Converse, but his locker lock was jammed, and he couldn't get his track shoes out so...

Getting a little last minute advice from the runners. (Runners wear the skin tight singlet--I don't know why--while the throwers are in black shorts and white tops).

As luck would have it, the prince was assigned the outside lane, which meant that he was able to start out in front. Yep, for awhile he was in FIRST PLACE!! ;)

If you click on this photo it'll be bigger. See the kids on the field in red? That's the prince behind them--STILL IN FIRST PLACE--with "real" runners on his trail!

Ready to pass on the baton! He did great, thumped right along, and his team came in NOT LAST so he didn't have to do track conditioning the next week! Good times in track!

And here are a couple of photos of what he really did at that meet. If you pay close attention to his shoes, you'll see that he had borrowed someones throwing shoes for shot but was still wearing the Chucks for discus!

I hope he goes out for track again next year. It's a good time!