2014 New Things #16: MedVed Harrier Games

Last night I got to participate in my first Harrier Games at MedVed as part of team TuTu Hot To Handle with Alison, Jude, Mark and Todd.

According to Mr. Dictionary, a harrier is:
a) A hawk of the genus Circus
b) A hound used for hunting hares
c) A person who engages in persistent attacks on others
d) A fighter aircraft that can take off and land vertically
e) A cross country runner 

The things we'll do for free socks!

This particular Harrier Games was a running scavenger hunt. But there is another one coming up in December so maybe that's where all the circus hawks, hare hunting, aircrafting and attacking will take place. That would be an interesting night for sure!

We had 75 minutes to complete challenges and take pictures at the locations selected by Mort. Our team ran a total of 7.5 miles around Pittsford, Nazareth College and the canal path, wearing tutus and having a blast. We were late getting back to MedVed so we lost points for that, but we did win free socks for being the only team who made it out to the mailbox at Route 96/Country Club to mail a letter to Mort. In hindsight a better Harrier Games strategy would have been to hit up the 3 mandatory checkpoints, then run to Wegmans and rack up points shaking hands with everyone in the store and eating a donut. But in terms of life strategy, mailing nice letters to people is a pretty good one. 

A hawk, a hound and a cross country runner walk into a bar...

It was a fun event and I'd definitely do another one. Any night that involves running, friends, ridiculous costumes and pictures, pizza, cider and cookies is my kind of night. And I'd do way more speed workouts if they were in treasure hunt form. Special thanks to Todd for being our photographer and for taking one for the team by fighting off a wayward branch on the canal, and to Jenn for letting me borrow one of her tutus. I think I'll get one of my own, as I'm pretty sure that a tutu is the answer to all my problems.

Lyric of the moment: "I'm Henry the eighth, I am. Henry the eighth, I am, I am..." (If you saw some tutu-riffic runners singing this song on the corner in Pittsford last night, that was us!)