Hey, I think Excitable Boy's virgin set was REALLY his end of semester assignment for KINESIOLOGY 650: EXERCISE TESTING, PRESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION. I found this in my e-mail INBOX. Must have got re-routed due to those computer viruses going around. ------------------ KINESIOLOGY 650 EXERCISE TESTING, PRESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION ASSIGNMENT TITLE: PHHH #770.4 SCORCHED BY THE SUN I. EXERCISE TESTING ASSIGNMENT: To test the physicality and mental well-being of runners foolish enough to run in mid-day 90++ degree weather for about an hour and a half. FACTS: PHHH Hash # 770.4 Date: May 6, 2000 Weather: Malignant Melanoma Inducing Venue: Started at Rutgers Preparatory School, Somerset NJ Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes Set by: Excitable Boy (That's my "hash name". I think I've elaborated on this naming culture in my class presentation) Hashers: Wacko, Discomfort, Rojo, Minor Minor Minor Tom, Ouipee, Rubber Alan, Mike-the Brit Expat, Ice Blue Balls, Tropical Depression, Nonsensei Rookies: Kirsten Nordt, Anthony Dagostino DESCRIPTION: The hashers, those foolish enough to show up in 90++ weather, seemed well-prepared for the run ahead. Sun block was lathered over faces and arms. Poison ivy prevention cream was applied liberally to exposed legs and arms. I made sure that the hashers received glimpses of the beer cooler for pyschological motivation. Upon the start of the run, the hashers were in fine form. Most were chitchatting and laughing with each other. They were energetic and ran about, in unusual haste in such warm weather, searching for marks. However, after about 15 minutes or so along the river, the first signs of irritability settled in. The hashers failed to see my mark and spent the next 20 minutes running up and down a busy road. There was no shade on this road, and I could hardly distinguish between body odor fumes and car exhaust fumes at this point. Nobody was talking to each other. Nobody was laughing. I had arranged my set so that hashers would run through the corporate complex of Merrill Lynch and Merck. I thought that these Ayn Rand-inspired buildings would provide some mental motivation to excel, strive and be driven. Apparently, however, many hashers indicated that they could do without seeing such monstrosities. The lack of shade within such complexes also seemed to contribute to their rather hostile attitude. About an hour of running in the scorching heat, I provided them with some water. I made sure there was not enough water to go around so they wouldn't get stomach cramps. The hashers looked quite wierd at this point. Could it be heat exhaustion? sun stroke? heat cramps? I became worried at this point and made sure that the last half hour was in the shade with some shiggy and a lot of walking. PRESCRIPTION: Judging from how the runners looked at mid-point,(blank stares, loss of skin elasiticity, hemorraging of blood vessels; to name a few symptoms) I recognized the importance of the hasher's need for replenishing liquids. Recognizing this, I acquiesed to providing another beer check--only 3 minutes after my first. I think this was a smart move. All hashers complained of fatigue and searing migraine headaches after only one hour of running. Sure I could have nursed them with cold compresses, BUT I still believed it was important to encourage them to finish my hash set. It toughens them up. Of course, I also told them that I had spent 2 days setting this hash and I, at least, expected them to complete the damn thing. They seemed to agree and continued to run. I think I did a good job of encouraging them to test their physical limitations. EVALUATION: RESULTS: Wacko-####, Discomfort-#### Rojo-####, Minor Minor Minor Tom-####, Ouipee-####, Rubber Alan-####, Mike-the Brit Expat-####, Ice Blue Balls-####, Tropical Depression-####, Nonsensei-####, Kirsten Nordt-####, Anthony Dagostino-####