Me (pictured right) aiding CL copy editor Anthony Salveggi during his turn at the dreaded wheelbarrow crawl. Photo by Jamie Ostrand.
Creative Loafing co-sponsored (with Tampa Bay Club Sport) its 3rd Annual Field Day Saturday. There were 36 teams in all, raising (by early estimates) more than $3,200 for the Special Olympics.
Team McLovin (pictured left). Photo by Melanie Kools.
There were two CL squads: I played on the team dubbed McLovin. We did OK. No one on our team took it too seriously. The old athlete in me, though, refused to half-ass the few events I signed on for despite my horrid chest cold and, well, hangover.
Me (pictured right) crawling through the mud during the wheelbarrow race. Photo by Melanie Kools.
Problem is, I haven't exactly kept myself in the best shape in recent years. It's been more than a decade since I was wrestling for Tampa's Gaither High School in the 135 weight class and could easily do something like the human wheelbarrow, which we used to do over and over in practice to build up our cardio and upper-body strength.
Here I am competing (pictured left) in the day's final — more stressful, but far less physically demanding — water balloon toss event. Photo by Melanie Kools.
Yesterday, with 300 people watching and ample amounts of beer, cold medicine and Red Bull coursing through my veins, I crawled across the 30-yard lane on my arms as fast as I could, out-pacing most of the competition, many of whom were strapping college students. After the event, though, it took me 20 minutes, two beers and a cig to finally get my heart-rate back down to normal. Today, I'm hurting in places I didn't even know I had.
Threatening to bite the nose off an innocent bystander. Photo by Melanie Kools.
Top 10: Songs about hurting
1. "I Want You to Hurt Like I Do," Randy Newman
2. "The Shape I'm In," The Band
3. "The Price You Pay," Bruce Springsteen
4. "Everybody Hurts," R.E.M.
5. "Seven Year Ache," Rosanne Cash
6. "Hurt," Nine Inch Nails
7. "House of Pain," Faster Pussycat
8. "Hurts So Good," John Mellencamp
9. "The High Cost of Low Living," The Allman Brothers Band
10. "Poor Poor Pitiful Me," Warren Zevon
WHAT DID I MISS?
