Midnight Streak and Other Shenanigans

60 mins.
8 miles

Since Jordan's big race is tonight, we ventured out for an easy shakeout around 8 this morning. He only wanted to get in 4-5 miles while I aspired to loftier goals (read: 7-8) so a spin around campus together seemed logical. First, however, we had to stroll down Asp to check out the scene on Campus Corner. Sure enough, as we'd read in the paper, contestants were lined up for several blocks to audition for "The Biggest Loser" at O'Connell's. Tryouts didn't begin until 10 but there were already 100+ people lined up by 8, which was quite a few more than I expected to see. So yeah, that was intense.

After our morning of running and slinging shoes at the store, the highlight of the day was definitely Gary and Roger's arrival (with new furry friend Sheba in tow). They'd traversed mountain and desert alike on their trek from San Diego to Norman and were grateful to have finally reached their destination. We had a great time hanging out with them for a few hours before it was time to head up to the city for the Midnight Streak. Being the good dad that he is, Gary gamely offered to both come along and drive us up to the race. Being the sane person that he is, Roger opted to stay behind with the pup and climb into bed at a more sensible hour.


Jordan receives some pre-race advice from proud pops

Upon our arrival at the fairgrounds I was surprised to see just how many people had turned out for the event. I spotted some familiar faces, including Carrot Top, Jerry and a couple I'd fitted for shoes earlier in the day (yes, they were sporting their new kicks). Spencer and Scotty even showed up for moral support and Miller High Life just before gun time. After a few delays of game, the participants were off and running at 11:10 or so. Due to both the darkness and the nature of the course, we wouldn't have another opportunity to see Jordan until he made his way to the finish, so for the next 15 minutes or so it was a waiting game. Before long we heard, then saw, the wailing sirens and flashing lights of the lead cop car followed by a rather stocky Mexican in a yellow OK Runner kit. Sure enough, Jordan crossed the line just a few ticks over 15 minutes to claim the decisive victory. He may not have met his goal of besting Kim Smith's time from the London meet, but given the heat and humidity and relative darkness I'll cut him some slack.

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I snapped this photo just before he crossed the finish line.