#7 – The Hot and Wet Year

So besides the triathlon, this weekend we got ready for the triathlon, made beds, made chili, found rain gear, cleaned up all the triathlon stuff, watched some football and watched Tony and Felicia take care of her baby nephew.

I was still making chili and getting ready when people started showing up Saturday afternoon. We opened a few beers, got shirts distributed, went over the route and then got started. We started off with a drive to “What’s Happining” at 85th and Prospect.

When we pulled up people started rolling their eyes and wondering what I was getting them into. Once inside they all felt at home and got some drinks and started things off.

We left “What’s Happening” and in the parking lot was the start of the trolly track trail.

There was a really light rain but we started jogging and Heath drove the van to the 1/2 way point. Pretty early on Jon and Derrick found a shopping cart in the woods off the trail and it joined our run. After a 1/2 mile we were getting thirsty and luckily Heath met up with us and had a case of beer.

The rain came and went but was never very bad and everyone started loosing layers pretty early on. Our second stop was at BB’s Lawnside BBQ. It was a packed house with a live band.

We got some beers and it rained pretty good while we were here. The band was good and the food smelled great. Then we ran along the trail some more. I think this was the wettest section of the night and we ran as the sun set. I got about this wet in my t-shirt

and some of the gang got a 2nd shopping cart.

Just what we needed

The 3rd bar was Corner Cocktail and they were also glad to see us and read our shirts. We were glad drinks were cheep…

…no matter what you were drinking.

After the corner we got a picture outside then ran on.

This section was really short and even Heath ran through the parking lot to Swagger.

and of course the shopping carts were still with us.

Swagger was usually one of our last stops and the place we started to get loud and obnoxious at. This year it was a lot earlier but we were still kind of loud and obnoxious.

After Swagger we left 85th street and started heading south. It was a little bit of a confusing route to Ward Parkway Lanes but pretty fun running by Ward Parkway mall with the shopping carts and everyone. The bowling ally did not seem as excited to see us even though the place was nearly empty. It took a long time for us to get served and then prices on pitchers went up right before we got there.

We had a few drinks and then posed in front of their tree and headed out.

The bowling ally to Ugly Joes was the long uphill section at 1.75 miles. The hardcore section of the group ran it and the rest of us hopped in the back of the van with the carts and the beers.

Once there we unloaded the carts and had more room to hang out while waiting for the runners.

It was cozy and free.The runners showed up and we all headed inside.

Besides drinks there were some nachos

After Ugly Joes we had a nice easy jog down the street to Coaches.

At Coaches we all decided we were starving and ready to drink at home curled up with big pots of chili. So we cut out the last bar on the route and headed strait up Wornal to the house. Once home we did a head count and all the people and shopping carts were accounted for. I ate a bunch of bowls of chili and heard a lot of good things.

We recovered a bit and digested a bit then headed downstairs and fired up the karaoke.

Karaoke was fun but everyone was pretty exhausted and 1 by 1 people called it a night and went to sleep. Most of them in beds or on couches.

In the morning no one was in terrible shape. After a couple waters and bowls of eggs, potatoes and chili everyone was feeling fine. We watched football and ate chili all day.