Speed Demons

Congratulations to Lucia on finishing her first 5K race this morning. She ran with Sis, and they completed the course in 45 minutes.

Lucia picked her own outfit, and it's fabulous.

Shooting Runners

When Sis asked if Jack and I would be interested in photographing a 5K race to benefit Saddle Up!, I didn't have to think about it for even a minute. Sink Creek Photography is always ready to load up the gear and hit the road for new experiences, and while we've never done much sports photography, even unofficially, the opportunity sounded like a lot of fun. Aside from that, Saddle Up! is a great organization, which improves the lives of physically and mentally disabled children in Middle Tennessee with therapeutic horseback riding.

Races start early, and this one was an hour and a half away in Franklin, so Jack and I rolled out of bed in the wee hours of Saturday morning and were on the road by 5 o'clock.

When we pulled into the parking lot at Oak View Elementary, the sun was freshly-risen and a few people had begun to gather outside the school's wide front entrance where a band warmed up with classic rock riffs. Volunteers, wearing Give a Hoot 5K and Fun Run t-shirts, milled about, directing early-arrivals to the registration area inside the school. 

Sis spotted us right away and met us at the car before giving us a quick tour of her office and work area, introducing us to her principal and coworkers, and showing off the horseshoes she'd transformed into really cool race prizes.

Before I go further, I have to say a word or two about this school. It's beautiful, clean, and modern. Brightly painted murals and works of student art line the hallways. Common areas are spacious and filled with light. The school sits atop a hill, landscaped with thoughtfully-planted hardwood trees and fronted by a sweeping circular drive. 

Oak View is perhaps the best school facility I've ever seen. I know there are other great schools - plenty of other great schools - but Jack and I were both impressed, and I can't help but believe that all children would significantly benefit from receiving public education in such an up-to-date, inviting physical environment.

As Reverence, the aforementioned band, jammed out on some rocking '80's tunes, a serious race crowd congregated. Jack and I walked around with Sis and figured out where we needed to position ourselves for good shots of the runners, some of whom were making laps around the parking lot or striding the long, sloping hill in front of the school to get warm and loose before the race. 

An old friend from Smithville, Jennifer LeFevre, and her partner have started a business, Tennessee Race Timing, and they were on-hand, setting up the various components and technologies involved with starting and finishing the race, tracking runners' times, and managing the overall integrity of the race. Neither Sis nor I had seen Jennifer in years, but it was great to reconnect and see how she's using fascinating technology to grow a unique and successful business.

Runners gathered at the start line, and the crowd's energy increased as the 8 o'clock start time approached. 

Contemporary Christian trio, Point of Grace, kicked off the official festivities with a lovely rendition of "Star Spangled Banner," then a young participant from the Saddle Up! program pulled the trigger on the starter's pistol, which was actually an air horn and loud enough to wake the dead.

The throng of three hundred or so racers were led by a pack of enthusiastic children, whose excitement was almost too much to contain in the moments leading up to the start.

I don't know how long we waited for the leaders to come into view, but we didn't have time to get bored, and the two boys at the head of the pack were flat-out "hauling the mail."

They matched each other stride-for-stride until they hit the finish line. 

The boy in the orange won. Just barely.

Not long after these two finished the race, the winning woman came across the line and was followed, in fits and spurts, by the rest of the field. Within an hour, the finishers were all through the course, checking their run-times and replenishing their fluid and electrolyte intake at the huge table of bottled water, granola bars, and bananas provided by race sponsor, Whole Foods.

Lucia and Beatrice started the race in their stroller, pushed by a team of Sis' co-workers, but at some point, she got bored with the ride and opted to run for a couple of miles. She finished the race in the stroller, too, but Lu is well on her way to following her parents' running footsteps.

Chris, by the way, ran the race, and barely broke a sweat, which seems to be how he rolls.

The '80's band took the stage again, and volunteers began herding little children and their parents to the running trail behind the school for the Fun Run portion of the event.

The initial plan was for the little girls to do the Fun Run, but Lu was already worn out from doing two miles on the 5K course, and Bea was absolutely content to hang with her friend, Alex.

Sis called us in from our positions on the Fun Run to photograph the presentation of awards to the winners.

Many awards were handed-out, but as far as I'm concerned, the dads won the day.

Happy Easter

I can't wait to blog the weekend's activities, but for now, here's Sis dancing with an owl --