I'm back in Texas after a nice long weekend in Chicago. I got back Sunday night actually. And I'm really glad I took the trip. It kept me so busy I didn't have time to think. For the most part anyway.
Friday was the elite athlete press conference for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, followed by round table sessions with different athletes throughout the rest of the day. My main job was coralling all the athletes and making sure they were all where they were supposed to be. We usually call this herding cats. Friday night my work hosted a pizza party at Geno's East. I know this should mean something to me, the original home of Chicago's deep dish pizza or something, but it doesn't. I did like the food though.
Saturday morning we had a start and finish line walk through with their broadcast partner. Followed by more round table sessions. At four o'clock they held their Technical Meeting. That's when all of the elite athletes and their coaches/managers get all the details for the race the next day. I played gate keeper with another volunteer to make sure that no one got in who wasn't supposed to be there. There was another cocktail function to go to Saturday night, but I just made a brief appearance and then headed back to the hotel for bed. This, however, is where I spoke with the two HPD officers who had come along for the trip with us and they told me I shouldn't be living in my apartment complex. The neighborhood is too bad.
My alarm was set Sunday morning for 3:45am. I built in a snooze or two, but was ready to go downstairs at 4:30am. We headed over to the start line and waited for, first, the elite athletes to be dropped off and then the media. Their set up is amazing. So large. Once the race got off we hightailed it over to the finish line where I was responsible for calling in the official finishing times of the winners to the media center. And what amazing times they were. Dennis Kimetto, who had only been running for three years, won the men's elite race in 2:03:45!! Only 22 seconds off the world record. And the women's race was won by last year's runner-up Rita Jeptoo in 2:19:57. Ridiculous. I went with the winners later to their press conference and then helped her the other athletes who were speaking with the media, finally leaving the media center around 1:30pm with just enough time to pack and check out of the hotel by 2pm.
When I finally got back to Houston, one of my coworkers took my to the office where I had left my car and kindly offered to follow me all the way home. I thought that was super nice of her, but said no. Bc then she would have had to leave alone. And she has a nice new shiny car. No point in that. But let me tell you. The anxiety I had going on the whole way home. Not fun. I didn't sleep well even though I was exhausted. And then all day yesterday I was in a fog. I don't know if I was just tired, or if it was the reality setting in of what happened to me last week or both. But I felt like I was on another planet all day. But I had a meeting scheduled with my Ambassadors for Monday night, so I had to be there. And they were awesome. It was great to finally meet them. But after the meeting and a quick stop at Target, I was driving home in the dark again. Where I missed my exit on purpose so I could find a way around the train tracks.
I've only lived in this place for six weeks. And the idea of moving again is abhorrent. But if driving there is going to give me anxiety and sleeping is difficult, what do I do?
Friday was the elite athlete press conference for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, followed by round table sessions with different athletes throughout the rest of the day. My main job was coralling all the athletes and making sure they were all where they were supposed to be. We usually call this herding cats. Friday night my work hosted a pizza party at Geno's East. I know this should mean something to me, the original home of Chicago's deep dish pizza or something, but it doesn't. I did like the food though.
Saturday morning we had a start and finish line walk through with their broadcast partner. Followed by more round table sessions. At four o'clock they held their Technical Meeting. That's when all of the elite athletes and their coaches/managers get all the details for the race the next day. I played gate keeper with another volunteer to make sure that no one got in who wasn't supposed to be there. There was another cocktail function to go to Saturday night, but I just made a brief appearance and then headed back to the hotel for bed. This, however, is where I spoke with the two HPD officers who had come along for the trip with us and they told me I shouldn't be living in my apartment complex. The neighborhood is too bad.My alarm was set Sunday morning for 3:45am. I built in a snooze or two, but was ready to go downstairs at 4:30am. We headed over to the start line and waited for, first, the elite athletes to be dropped off and then the media. Their set up is amazing. So large. Once the race got off we hightailed it over to the finish line where I was responsible for calling in the official finishing times of the winners to the media center. And what amazing times they were. Dennis Kimetto, who had only been running for three years, won the men's elite race in 2:03:45!! Only 22 seconds off the world record. And the women's race was won by last year's runner-up Rita Jeptoo in 2:19:57. Ridiculous. I went with the winners later to their press conference and then helped her the other athletes who were speaking with the media, finally leaving the media center around 1:30pm with just enough time to pack and check out of the hotel by 2pm.
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| Who gave Erin the super deluxe golf cart? |
I've only lived in this place for six weeks. And the idea of moving again is abhorrent. But if driving there is going to give me anxiety and sleeping is difficult, what do I do?
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