Arcadia Invitational: Hectic day at nation’s largest outdoor meet

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I forgot how difficult it can be trying to cover a huge track meet like the Arcadia Invitational.

At first, I was thinking, ‘this isn’t too bad,’ but as the afternoon wore on, I was feeling a little like Lucy trying to stuff chocolates down my shirt. I was running around like a headless chicken trying to find athletes I wanted to talk to. Luckily, that new 5,000-meter race gave me some time to catch up on everything.

Check out these photos I took at the invite:

Plus, when is it a good time to talk to an athlete once he or she has crossed the finish line? I feel like I should wait a certain amount of time so they can catch their breath, but if I wait too long, these guys and gals have a tendency to sprint away like gazelles into a sea of faces.

A few years back, I came up with the 15% rule. So, for a 100-meter race, I wait 15 seconds before I start asking questions. For a 3,200-meter race, I wait roughly eight minutes until I start bugging them -- I mean interviewing them. What do you think?

Anyway, be sure to check out Saturday night’s invitational results by clicking here.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, a couple anonymous teenage boys won this afternoon’s backpack giveaway. And here’s a little Sunday morning vintage TV:

-- Austin Knoblauch