Hood to Coast 2009
Instead of writing something that I think appropriate, I'm going to give you what you want for once: I'll ask the questions that you are too scared or embarrassed to ask. Then I'll provide the answers. If I somehow failed to ask/answer YOUR question, please write a comment and I'll provide a prompt answer. Oh, I should say that this is about my experience taking pictures during Hood to Coast 2009 on Legs 5 and 34.
6. How many times were you the butt of a joke from an HTC competitor? Quite a few times, but it was always for the same thing: it STANK at my location on Saturday, because a farmer was spraying liquid cow manure all over his field. Do I need to explain what the joke was?
5. Hood to Coast, from the perspective of a spectator, is pretty dang boring. With runners passing by on average every 45 seconds, how on earth do you pass the time? I have nearly 9,000 songs on my Zune120 and brought the two latest issues of The New Yorker with me. And thanks to Meg's simple yet brilliant suggestion, I brought a lawn chair that I sat on for much of Saturday.
4. Being out in the middle of nowhere, obviously there isn't any place to go to the bathroom. You have to stay hydrated being exposed in the sun all day, so how do you deal with the absence of restrooms--especially when dealing with number 2? I'm a guy, and I was surrounded by shrubberies. Plus, just as any current or former boy scout can tell you, you don't need toilet paper when you're out in the woods; you just hold it in.
3. With an expensive camera draped around your neck, coupled with the history of strangers often thinking you are gay (not that there's anything wrong with that), how many women approached you about which magazine you worked for and inquired if you could help them land modeling contracts? Well, a lot less than you think. In fact, this didn't happen at all. If anything, runners thought I was an unpaid volunteer who was doing it for the sheer pleasure.
2. Which costs more: your car, or the camera equipment you were using? It's probably a tie. Both are amazing pieces of machinery. The G20 got about 38 mpg; I was very pleased.
1. Even though you have retired from competitive running--and now from running every day at lunch--did you long to switch places and compete (or even just run) again? I think running Hood-to-Coast is overrated. Now matter how you do the math, running at strange hours after being cramped in a van for several hours with other people who stink and haven't slept for days in the unpredictable hot or rainy weather while not being able to eat normal food just isn't much fun. But the memories provide for great stories at the office and documentaries for the movie theaters--this is its saving grace. Taking pictures of the race isn't much better, but at least I get paid.
6. How many times were you the butt of a joke from an HTC competitor? Quite a few times, but it was always for the same thing: it STANK at my location on Saturday, because a farmer was spraying liquid cow manure all over his field. Do I need to explain what the joke was?
5. Hood to Coast, from the perspective of a spectator, is pretty dang boring. With runners passing by on average every 45 seconds, how on earth do you pass the time? I have nearly 9,000 songs on my Zune120 and brought the two latest issues of The New Yorker with me. And thanks to Meg's simple yet brilliant suggestion, I brought a lawn chair that I sat on for much of Saturday.
4. Being out in the middle of nowhere, obviously there isn't any place to go to the bathroom. You have to stay hydrated being exposed in the sun all day, so how do you deal with the absence of restrooms--especially when dealing with number 2? I'm a guy, and I was surrounded by shrubberies. Plus, just as any current or former boy scout can tell you, you don't need toilet paper when you're out in the woods; you just hold it in.
3. With an expensive camera draped around your neck, coupled with the history of strangers often thinking you are gay (not that there's anything wrong with that), how many women approached you about which magazine you worked for and inquired if you could help them land modeling contracts? Well, a lot less than you think. In fact, this didn't happen at all. If anything, runners thought I was an unpaid volunteer who was doing it for the sheer pleasure.
2. Which costs more: your car, or the camera equipment you were using? It's probably a tie. Both are amazing pieces of machinery. The G20 got about 38 mpg; I was very pleased.
1. Even though you have retired from competitive running--and now from running every day at lunch--did you long to switch places and compete (or even just run) again? I think running Hood-to-Coast is overrated. Now matter how you do the math, running at strange hours after being cramped in a van for several hours with other people who stink and haven't slept for days in the unpredictable hot or rainy weather while not being able to eat normal food just isn't much fun. But the memories provide for great stories at the office and documentaries for the movie theaters--this is its saving grace. Taking pictures of the race isn't much better, but at least I get paid.
How much do you get paid? And is this your equipment that you used or borrowed?
ReplyDeleteMy check is in the mail, but it varies from race-to-race. None of the equipment is mine; its all my friend's who owns the company.
ReplyDelete