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SOMEWHERE IN SUBURBIAN FLORIDA--5:00 am, the alarm blares out; an hour later, I rise
from bed--late. Sounds like a typical start to a
typical day, right? A frenzied pace to make up for
lost time ensues. Tee time is 9:30. However, this
isn't a typical day, and there are no golf clubs in
the trunk. It is December 8, 2001. To most people,
the date means little, 1/365th of the year, but for
cross country enthusiasts everywhere, the day is
something special, a celebration of distance running,
the culmination of another season. To paraphrase
Coach Doug Butler, "Christmas has come early."
I am on a mission. 
Destination: The Footlocker Cross Country
Championships in Orlando. Along with my trusty
companion Mullet Mike, his cigarette in hand, we begin
our journey. Time: 6:30am.
After about 65 miles, our trip comes upon it's greatest challenge: negotiating Walt Disney World. The complex, a labyrinth of roads and resorts, each alluring in its own way, like the florescence of a bug-zapper, is not easy to conquer, even for the most experienced tourist or novice Floridian. The Minotaur could be lurking at any wrong turn. Such was the case last year, when one wrong turn too many prevented me from witnessing Sara Bei come from last place to overtake Anita Siraki down the stretch. This year, I am prepared. I am on a mission. Time: 7:50am. Just imagine, lush greenery, a rolling landscape, and runners, plodding along in the early morning. That is Shades of Green, the way a golf course should be: without golfers. I had to join in on the run. The atmosphere was already joyous, and the races hadn't even started. As 9:30 approached, Mullet and I reunited and reminisced with friends and competitors, new and old. For many, that is what Footlocker is, not just a race, but a reunion. The alliterations are unleashed. The introductions juxtapose the stars of the present; Kennedy, Johnson, Dragila, Favor-Hamilton, Jacobs, Dobert, Keflezighi, Goucher with those of tomorrow, all 64 of them. They are what this day is about. 
The guns sound, and the races each take a place in
the record books and memories of those present. Amber
Trotter shatters the course record. Tim Moore
out-kicks Bobby Lockhart for the closest finish in
Footlocker's storied history.
After the final runner crosses the line, no one wants to leave. The runners and running greats graciously stick around, sharing insights and plans, posing for pictures. But alas, all good things come to an end. The cross country season is officially over. The golfers can have their course back, but we'll be back next year, with faces new and old. The reunion is only a 365 days away. Mike is out of cigarettes, but the memories will live on. My mission is completed. Time: 12:00pm |