It was the classic moment when you begin to feel like you live in a new city instead of being the constant visitor. Last night I ran a race in Chicago. Not a another distance run - this one was a winner takes all sprint against a few other guys.
Last night I went to a gallery opening for a friend with K. Takla is uber-talented and easily had the best, most-polished piece at the show. Afterward, the eight of us went to dinner. Elliot challenged all comers to a foot race. Graham's girlfriend talked Graham up as being the fastest at the table. I somehow became involved, and a half hour later we were standing in Millenium Park. The giant Chicago faces to our left, the bean up ahead.
As we are stretching out, realizing our folly, three smoking skateboarders come up and ask the perfunctory questions about the race. All of sudden we have four runners. Elliot, Graham, myself, and a skateboarder that still has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The bad thing about running a race in a tourist destination is that it is never not busy. We approach the starting line and look up to see a large group of men walking toward us. They realize what's about to happen and decide to line the 150m course to cheer us on.
Suddenly, this small challenge has turned into a neighborhood race with the four runners plus a newcomer - a shirtless frat pledge and one of the smoker's friends has decided to skateboard along. We take our marks. Takla begins the race. Mark...Set...Go! I get a great start but Elliot is much faster than anticipated and takes an early lead. However, right at the end he runs out of gas and I tag Corderro's hand mere tenths of a second ahead. The frat boys have their friend up on their shoulders for finishing last. Graham finished a respectable third and the smoker fourth. The skateboarder kept up but wasn't really competitive.
We decide to make it "who wins two first" race and Elliot ends up winning the next two and becomes the night's champion. The second race was uneventful, and the third race the same except for a few parents and their kids as onlookers.
I can't wait to move to Chicago.
