Independence Day went like a fast-moving bottle rocket, without the bottle or the rocket for me. The day started with the annual Butte-to-Butte 10k road race that takes people from the south end of town to the north, running between the boundaries of the two buttes: Spencer and Skinner. This year, rather than run, I volunteered as a “course marshal,” where I stand with a stop sign to block a cross street and prevent cars from crossing the route. I enjoyed seeing many people I knew and cheering them on. Then last evening, I had the chance to attend the USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field with seats on the finish line. It was a fun solo evening, but talking with the knowledgeable track fans nearby was just super. I always enjoy this part of sports – listening to and talking with people who know their sport. Plus, bodies in space. It truly is amazing what some of them can do.
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The graphic in the lower left corner somewhat shows the route of the 10k race between the buttes.
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I forgot to note that Jonah and I helped out at the adjacent town’s Fourth of July event in Springfield (yes, *the* Springfield that the Simpsons are based on, sans a nuclear power plant). Jonah worked the booth demonstrating robots, and I worked the volunteer booth—a lot of color, patriotism, and an Abba cover band to boot as well. The downside was that it was hot – something like 97 degrees. This event, called “The Light of Liberty,” is a fund-raiser to help provide a way for lower-income residents to pay their electric bills throughout the year. The other volunteers that I worked with all came to help with a great spirit, and we had fun throughout the day.
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Finish line vibes.
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Sydney McLaughlin Levrone casually appears to finish up running a 400-meter preliminary heat. Her body does appear to just float above the ground, gaining speed on everyone else. She is a world record holder in the 400-meter hurdles and ran a 49.79 400-meter race yesterday. 49 seconds. That is incredibly fast to make one lap around a track.
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The fellow in the middle is Woody Kincaid, sprinting past the field to win the 10,000-meter race. He ran this race in an “easy” 28:23.01. He hung out for 23 laps of the track in the middle of the pack and then turned on the jets with half a lap to go to win the race. It was a beautiful race to finish out the evening.
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The iconic tower at Hayward Field is lit up by the setting sun and some internal lights. The law school sits in judgment behind the whole deal.