Express Dazzles Judges With Spirit

Swag, baked goods and color-coordination secured the Best Team Spirit award for 2010.

Washington, D.C. | Despite last-minute roster changes, a malfunctioning oven, U.S. Postal Service troubles and maxed-out parking lots, Express managed to win the Best Team Spirit award in the ACLI Capital Challenge 5k for the second year in a row on April 28.

The teams of “Press, Passing You” and “Safest Thing on the Metro” dragged themselves out of bed at an unreasonable hour to get to West Potomac Park on time, only to discover all three parking lots had been filled by 7:30 a.m. The passengers of one car trekked nearly a mile to get to the starting line.

“At least we got in a good warm-up,” said team member Nathan Martin later that afternoon before dozing off into a page of Weekend Pass listings.

Before the race began, team captains Katie Aberbach and Aimee Goodwin bombarded the one race judge they could find with gifts of homemade cupcakes and cookies, a pint of milk and a bag of exclusive Express swag.

“I left a Tupperware container filled with cupcakes somewhere along the road near the race — a small price to pay for the victories our team experienced,” Aberbach said.

The out-and-back course at Hains Point was scenic but windy that sunny Wednesday morning.

“I think the tailwind really helped my time, though it really did a number on my hair,” team member Betsy Lowther said.

Participants silently mourned the removal of The Awakening from Hains Point a few years ago as they passed its former site.

“The Awakening was the only reason to go to Hains Point. Now it’s just a flat, drab place for bicyclist gangs,” teammate Beth Marlowe said.

In the final 100 meters of the race, Goodwin easily passed Sen. Chuck Grassley, D-Iowa, grinning as she sprinted through the finish.

“I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life if I let him beat me,” Goodwin said. “Don’t ask why I was so far back in the race to begin with.”

The race was Dustin Weaver’s first. Though it took a lot of convincing for him to participate, Weaver now says he may do another race. Plus, the race gave him a chance to rub elbows with the people who appear on his Nation pages.

“I kept trying to interview senators during the race, but their pace was just too slow for me, so I threw my recorder to the side of the road and took off,” Weaver said. “Getting an exclusive pull quote wasn’t worth a slow time.”

Holly Morris stepped up and participated in the race when a teammate shortage occurred. She said she would do the race next year, but only if she could finish last — and only if the team parked closer to the starting line.

“The best part of the event was the exhilarating first 5k. The worst part of the event was realizing that there was another 5k to go after the first 5k, which turned out to be the walk from the parking area,” Morris said.

Her yellow American Apparel belt provided inspiration to her fellow team members and let other race participants know Express wasn’t messing around. It even garnered the sought-after Lowther Style Seal of Approval.

After finishing the race, Goodwin darted to the team’s pile of stuff, threw on her Express distributor vest (so she could put a water bottle in one of the pockets) and headed over to replenish her glycogen supply. Along the way, racers stopped her and Aberbach and asked for a copy of that day’s Express.

“Maybe we could nominate them for distributor of the month,” Weaver said.

No fun run is complete without free food, and the ACLI Capital Challenge did not disappoint. As always, plenty of scrumptious post-race snacks were available, including fruit and the much-hyped chocolate-filled croissants. Team members’ haul proved to be the gift that kept on giving, as a pear from the race appeared on Express’ snack table a week and a half later and became Morris’ lunch.

The racers tore themselves away from the feast to attend the awards ceremony near the starting line. Shockingly, neither of the teams won an award for best or worst team name.

“But we ARE the safest thing on the Metro! Don’t you get it?” Vicky Hallett screamed at the judges.

But all was not lost. When the race official announced that Express had won the Best Team Spirit award, Aberbach and Goodwin shrieked and triumphantly bounded up to the stage, where the team had its picture taken with running great Bart Yasso.

“Aaaaahhhhhh! Woo-hoo! I am SO excited we won again!” Aberbach exclaimed.

Goodwin was sure the pint of milk had something to do with the win.

“I’m so glad we took Swen’s suggestion to give them milk with the cupcakes! That was key!” Goodwin said.

But the road to victory was not smooth by any stretch of the imagination. The team’s race dreams were nearly dashed when the U.S. Postal Service returned the envelope containing their registration forms after the registration deadline had passed.

“When I saw that envelope on my desk, I was sure we were done for,” Aberbach lamented. “I called the race director so many times that I memorized the phone number — and I never do that anymore.”

In addition, Goodwin’s oven was malfunctioning, hindering her ability to bake her famous chocolate-chip bars for the judges. Fortunately, Aberbach allowed Goodwin to come to her apartment and bake the bars in her oven, and the two frosted the Express cupcakes while they baked.

The team captains put their 2010 plaque on the wall next to the 2009 plaque last week and then stood back to admire their work.

“This just proves that when we set our mind to something, we can accomplish it,” Aberbach said.

She even came up with a way to insure the team keeps winning awards: “We should focus our efforts on hiring interns and employees who also happen to be Olympians — just for a little extra insurance next year.”

Or they could all just wear yellow American Apparel belts.