a very looooong track meet spent in good company

My watch reads 8:30. It’s Saturday night, and I’m sitting on a cold, hard aluminum bleacher in the Estes Athletic Center at Fork Union Military Academy. I’ve been here since 9:30 a.m.

Did you hear that?

9:30 A.M.  That’s 11 hours, the time it takes to drive from Richmond to Detroit.  

I’m here for the Fork Union Invitational, a big-time track meet that annually draws athletes from all over Virginia and several nearby states. This year, 96 teams brought an estimated 1,300 competitors, stunning numbers which explain why this day has lasted FOREVER.

Now, I know this probably sounds like I’m complaining, but I’m really not. As I sit here surveying the tightly packed arena, smelling the unmistakable aroma of an indoor athletic facility and breathing the same air shared by a zillion other people, I’m reminded why days like this aren’t nearly as tedious as they could be. It’s the guys and girls who wear green and gold.

For the record, 11 Collegiate distance runners made the junket with me on the first day of their semester break, and the ones who competed distinguished themselves with their individual efforts and performances. Madeline Sisk, Kate Hanley, Blair Phillips, and Elizabeth Garson ran the 4x800 relay in the early afternoon (an hour later than we expected), and Madeline and Blair stuck around to run the 1000 at about the time normal people were eating dinner. Andrew Sellergren, William Mertens, Ian Chavis, and Will DeCamps also ran the 4x8, and Taylor Richardson and Jon-Mark Overvold endured the wait to compete in the 3200 which went off somewhere around 9:15 p.m.

The girls had other commitments and headed off after their final events.  Will was whisked away to Virginia Episcopal to join the basketball team, and the other guys – plus Brent Cavedo, who’s more of a track junkie than I am but couldn’t compete because of an injury – were with me to the very end.

As Taylor and Jon-Mark warmed up, I asked the others how they had managed this long, long day. They’re all very creative, so it’s not surprising that they’d found much to occupy their time. They devoted a good bit of the day to betting on races, an ancient ritual at big invitationals.  Before the gun sounds, you pick your winner based on reputation or, even better, uniform color.  No money changes hands, of course.  It’s all in fun.

They spent considerable time waiting patiently in the long line at the snack bar. They took a self-guided tour of the campus, saw a guy that looked like Steve Prefontaine (a cult figure among distance runners), and searched for – how shall I say this delicately? – a facility that provided some manner of privacy.

They timed races, cheered enthusiastically for their teammates, and enjoyed watching less hardy competitors pack their belongings and leave before their events were contested. At various intervals, they napped on the litter-strewn floor. Mostly, though, they hung out together, talked about running, and shared the experience.

Just after 10 p.m., we left the bright lights of Fluvanna County, stopped along the way so the bus driver could get a 20-ounce caffeine jolt, and rolled into Collegiate just as the local news was coming on. What a long day it was but what a delightful group of folks to share it with -- another very good reason why, season after season, I continue to coach.