Synchronized Running Marathon Team

Y'all know I ran the National Marathon in March. What you don't know is that within the marathon, I was competing in the obscure sport of Synchronized Running.

I was on a coed team, the DC Spinners. The rules state that you need two pairs of synchronized runners. One of the overall total has to be a woman. All four runners can be synchronized, but for extra difficulty points you can have two synchronized pairs of runners traveling side by side.

Here is my team early in the marathon. We thought we were hot because before the sun even came out we were displaying dual synchronized running routines.

Look at the form on me and my partner. We're the two runners on the right. Arms synchronized, strides perfectly matched, both looking slightly away.

Our dual teammates to the left in the picture also had their routines down pat. Look at their synchronized uplifted toe thrusts. Maybe we would have lost a point because their fist closures weren't exactly the same (one has an open thumb) but the degree of difficulty we demonstrated during this type of tandem running was very high.

We were robbed! My team was DQed because of a "lack of symetry in appearance." Not our movements, but our appearance! My partner's competiton number was not as "proximate on her person" as mine. Talk about chickensh*t application of the rules.

I guess to make sure they didn't get sued (I am a lawyer) they added the violation that our chip ankle strips were not "of even appearance" (on the same foot).

Can you believe it? I was so disgusted that I didn't even bother to look up who won.

Bex ran by during the race and waved at us while we were performing. A photographer happened to catch her just then. Bex is a great person and all, but I know she brooks no fools.

I have studied this photo and I go back and forth on this. What do you think? Is Bex smiling and waving hello to us? Or is she smirking and dismissively flicking her hand at us? After all, I'm well aware that the sport of Synchronized Running is generally scoffed at within the marathoning community.