It was 7:37PM when I received the frantically enthusiastic call from Alfonsina. "There's a five-k and ten-k tomorrow morning. I'm signing you up, be ready for me to pick you up bright and early!"
Josh overheard. And at the very last minute, just as the sun was peeking up from the eastern horizon, he texted me: "I'm in!"
What am I talking about? Clearly, being a post on my Huskies blog, it has to do with The Dawgs. This wasn't a game at which we would be spectators. This was a race in which we would challenge our personal best. This was the Dawg Dash, hosted by the UW Alumni Association to raise money for scholarships.
It was a Sunday morning. The student body might have still been alseep, dreaming of championships and acing midterms. The athletic venues were empty.
But Montlake was buzzing with eager runners. The Stone Bridge was where it was happening.
It isn't a proper DAWG dash without dogs. And there were plenty of canine runners amongst human legs.
That's the latest technology in timing chips. It's a tag with a computer chip. But today it wasn't my goal to beat my personal best. I just wanted to take in the atmosphere of the University of Washington on a balmy October morning.
Josh, on the other hand, had a time to beat.
The route took us through a deserted campus.
It was deja vu as we ran the last meters across the Stone Bridge to Husky Stadium.
We were running toward Husky Stadium...
But this time, it wasn't to see a football game.
It was to finish a five-k, or ten-k for Alfonsina, in what was the very last time this annual race will be in the stadium.
It was a record crowd of four thousand strong. Oh, Huskies be proud!
And for what may be the last time for us, we stood at the mouth of the Husky Tunnel to commemorate this event.
I, of course, had to run through the Tunnel. I had to see for myself how it felt to emerge from the Tunnel onto the field.
It was great!
This was one spur-of-the-moment event conjured up by Alfonsina that I relished.
the feast after the effort.
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