The day started at Westlake Center and teams had to complete a scavenger hunt in the area before receiving our clue sheet. Some of the "items" we had to return with:
- Race shirts worn backwards
- Lipstick kiss on the cheek
- The number of bookstores featured in Seattle Weekly newspaper's "Guide to Good" this week
- Find out the number of Palm Centro smartphones sold in this last year
etc etc etc...
The event was sponsored by Seattle Works, Palm Centro smartphones and Advent X gym. The clue sheet contained 14 challenges and teams had to complete 10 of them in the allotted 6 hour timeframe and cross the finish line at Jillian's. We could only use our own feet or public transportation to get around. Teams could complete any 10 of the 14 challenges with one exception: there were 2 challenges where it was a requirement to complete at least one of them. The clues to the challenge locations themselves weren't too difficult, particularly if you were familiar with Seattle; otherwise, some of the clues would've required doing a bit of research. For example, one clue required knowing the location of the Seattle Works office (which I've been to) or knowing where "there is a library where all the books can only be read by touch" (I happened to know that the Braille Library is located across from Whole Foods). Anyhoo, without further ado, this is what we did in chronological order:
- We were given an energy efficient lightbulb and told to exchange it for a regular lightbulb in a home or office, and then bring the old lightbulb to the Seattle Works office, which is in Queen Anne in front of Key Arena. So we walked over to 3rd Ave and grabbed a bus to Queen Anne, walked into an antique store and exchanged a lightbulb for a lamp. We then went to the office, dropped off the lightbulb as well as e-mail confirmation of raising at least $40 prior to the race (score!) -- 2 points achieved.
- Our next challenge was at the Braille Library. We walked over to Denny Way and waited for the #8 bus to take us up the street. While waiting, a woman who'd been waiting at the bus stop for awhile came up to me distraught because a car had just come by and some guy whipped out, what looked like, a gun and shot a jujube at her. Yes--candy. What a strange start to our day. We made our way to the library and our challenge was a word puzzle. You know those puzzles you see where you see, say, a 20x30 grid of letters and there are words hidden with the letters that you have to find and circle? That's what we had to do --but it was all in braille! Fortunately, they supplied us with a braille dictionary but it was still tricky finding 10 words! (and one of them was upside down!) 1 point achieved.
- We then walked over to REI and were handed two Palm Centro smartpones. Communicating via text message only, one team member had to go into REI to answer questions that were sent via SMS by the other team member standing outside, such as "what time is Backcamping 101?". Relatively easy challenge considering we were at REI. While we were there, I inflated 2 orange balloons to carry with us all day--if we crossed the finish line with them, then we'd be entered into some drawing. 1 point achieved.
- Our next top was the Gage Academy of Art up on Capitol Hill on 10th Ave East. We decided to wait for the #8 bus to take us up to Broadway. From there, we hoofed it all the way over to Gage which is at the cross streets of 10th Ave East and Galer. We walked up to the 3rd floor of the academy into an art studio and....nude models! Our challenge was to sit for 15 minutes and sketch a nude model...of a dude Ha! Wish we kept our sketches. 1 point achieved.
- Next up was Volunteer Park which was fortunately across the street and just up the hill it. This is where the Advent X trainer team was and the location of one of the more physically challenging challenges. An obstacle course was set up that involved us running back and forth, doing situp, pushups, burpees, etc. 1 point achieved.
- All remaining challenges were back in the Pike Place market area so we went back to 10th Ave E and grabbed the #49 bus back downtown. We made our way over to the Campagne restaurant in the market and, again, were give a Palm Centro smartphone. This challenge involved taking pictures and videos of various things, including: you and 2 strangers doing the can can, 3 people drinking coffee, you and a stranger sharing some sort of food, you kissing a fish, etc etc. Pretty fun and required involving total strangers. 1 point achieved.
- Next, we sauntered over to the City Fish Market where we were told to roll a die. Apparently, the number you rolled detemine what you had to eat: a "1" meant a swedish fish (darn!), and "2-6" meant any combination of salted herring or a whole, raw smelt. We fortunately got the herring (the smelt would've been tough) and we had to eat "2 shots of salted herring". I say "shots" because it was required to drink the liquid that came with it too. Ew! I shouldn't say "we" because this was a challenge that Matt made me do entirely on my own (no way was he going to eat fish). [sigh] The herring wasn't bad but it was insanely salty. I really felt it for the 15 minutes afterwards as I felt so nauseous. 1 point achieved.
- After the Market, our next stop was Myrtle Edwards Beach Park. We didn't know of a bus over there so we just walked over....slowly since I was still feeling nauseous from the herring. Upon arriving at the beach, all we saw was a paint bucket and 2 helmets with bowls attached to the top. The challenge was to walk into the puget sound, fill the bowl attached to our helmets with water and fill the paint bucket with water until it was filled to the rim. Brrrr! Sounds crazy eh? Yeah, it was but we did it! 1 point achieved.
From there, we had to cross the finish line at Jillian's--and again, there wasn't a good bus to go there so we walked from Broad & Alaskan way to where Broad St. meets Westlake Ave and crossed the finish line at Jillian's! Woo hoo!
As I was running around the whole day, I didn't get a chance to take many photos, but here are a few that I did take.
Here are some more photos, courtesy of City Chase, that document the day of others doing the same challenges.
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