A couple of weeks before the start of the 2000 Summer Olympics, the crazy idea popped into my head that in celebration of the Olympics I ought to do some sort of a streak. Now I’m talking about doing this in the area where I live – not actually in Sydney at the Olympic games. I was thinking that sometime between the opening and closing of the games, I’d do a streak, write it up, and post it on Streaking.org in celebration of the Olympics. But as luck would have it, the weather turned cool as it usually does here this time of year and I thought my early morning nude running was over for the season.

I had even scouted out a place to streak that would be a longer distance and require more boldness than the last streak I had done on my birthday at the beginning of summer (I posted about it then). But time went by and soon the games were nearly over and I forgot about my streaking plans. In fact, it didn’t even occur to me as I watched the closing ceremonies.

Then unexpectedly we had some unseasonably warm weather and when I got up one morning to go for a very early run (still completely dark) and checked the temp, it was in the mid sixties. Yay! That’s warm enough for nude running, so I decided to run to the new housing development where I often run nude in the early morning hours.

As I was running to this location, the Olympic streak idea came back to me and it came back very strong. I was thinking that the weather was perfect for it – warm enough (at least now that I was running), a clear starry sky, and a strong breeze just like so many nights during the games in Sydney. The timing was OK – very early – might be a few cars, but probably not. And I hadn’t done a bona fide streak since my birthday earlier in the summer, so I was due. The closer I got to the point where I planned to start this streak, the more I wrestled with whether or not it was a good idea. As I got within a few yards of the starting place, two thoughts finally helped me decide. One, the weather being so perfect at this time of year must be a gift. Two, I’m a woman of action – not just ideas.

And now here I was at the starting point – the top of a big hill on a street that during the day is a very busy thoroughfare. At this time of the early, early morning, I might or might not encounter a car or two here. This streak was going to take me down this main thoroughfare, clear through the first phase of the housing development which now is fully lighted by streetlights and has many, many occupied houses. And then on through the second phase of the housing development, which is also fully lighted but has somewhat fewer occupied houses. This would be about a mile and a half or two-mile streak if I completed it. Very bold (at least for me). Finally, I would come to the third phase of the development, which is where I’ve been running nude all summer.

This was it! Now or never! I looked back quickly to see if any cars were coming up the street behind me. None in sight. And there were none ahead. I was now in a shadow from the street light created by a big tree. I stopped, peeled off my sports bra and running shorts (takes about four seconds) and then immediately resumed running as though I had never stopped. As I ran I folded and rolled up my clothes kind of like a baton in a relay race (speaking of the Olympics again). I was carrying my clothes with me on this streak because this one was risky and there could be no doubling back. In fact, this was the most risky part of the streak and I was glad to be getting it done first. I might have chickened out if I’d had more time to think about it. I was very vulnerable at this point. I couldn’t see cars coming from behind because of the hill and I couldn’t see them from in front of me because of houses blocking the view of the streets feeding into either side of the T intersection ahead at the bottom of the hill.

I passed the first intersection that led down into a cul-de-sac off to my left. There were many houses down there that had a full view of this intersection, but I was keeping a close watch on the next intersection up ahead. I didn’t have many escape options between here and there. The main thoroughfare turned left, but I would go right when I got there. I listened and watched so intently as I kept up my steady running pace. As I approached the T intersection, I could see farther and farther to the left with each stride. I was so relieved to see that there was not a car in sight. I turned right and kept going. I had a block to go before I would turn again and finally be out of view of the busy street. I almost flew and soon I was making the turn.

So far, no cars. Whew! Now I would be able to see cars coming from a greater distance if there were any and they would likely be coming at a slower speed. I relaxed a little (still running) and collected my thoughts. For a few seconds I couldn’t believe I was doing this. I was running down a lighted residential street with houses all around and I was nude! And no, it wasn’t one of those dreams. (I wish I did have those dreams. It’d be fun!) As I remembered that I was doing this in celebration of the Olympics, I thought wouldn’t it be something if I was the final torchbearer at the start of the Olympic games? What if I was actually running down the streets of Sydney on my way to the Olympic stadium for the torch lighting ceremony? Hey, I can pretend, can’t I?

As I continued running, I recalled that this was where I had began my streak last summer. But unlike last summer, I wasn’t feeling as scared this time. I was so scared then that it bordered on terror, but now it wasn’t like that. I felt apprehension and nervousness, but not out right fear. My senses were in a heightened state of awareness. I could feel the wind at my back and I could hear any number of sounds that I might not have noticed otherwise. The wind blowing fairly hard caused a lot of strange noises that made me look around for the source. Fortunately, it always turned out to be rustling grass or leaves or something like that. My eyes were looking hard for any kind of movement ahead and to either side of me. These were interesting sensations that I noticed as I continued running at a steady pace.

In a new housing development like this, there are no trees to cast shadows from the streetlights and the streetlights are very bright and are positioned so that there are no dark places anywhere. As a further show of boldness, I ran straight down the middle of the street so that there was no hiding the fact that I was there and that I was nude. I ran through an intersection. There were houses in all four directions. Soon I ran through the next one. Again, houses in all directions.

Next I came to an intersection where I had to turn right to head through the backside of this phase of the development. I was going to be a making a loop clear through this first phase. I crossed through another intersection that marked the point where I had turned around on my streak last summer. I was now in new streaking territory again. There were more intersections here that led off to cul-de-sacs with lots of houses all up and down those streets. Keep moving. Up a small hill. Sudden surprise! In the driveway right beside me was a parked car with the interior lights on! But I didn’t see anyone inside or out. Hey, too late to do anything about it now anyway. Keep moving. Another T intersection. In addition to all the streetlights, many of the houses had their exterior lights on making everything seem all the brighter. Down a hill. Up a hill. I turned at another four-way intersection. Now I was running into the wind and could feel it blowing my hair back as it hit me head on.

A couple of blocks more and I had completed the loop through the first phase. I was now on a very well lighted street that linked the first phase with the second phase. And not only that, it was near the top of a hill that put me in full view of the busy thoroughfare that I described earlier (although at a healthy distance). I didn’t see anybody or any cars. Keep moving. After what seemed like an eternity, I turned into the second phase of the housing development.

So far, so good. This area was fully lighted as well, but had fewer occupied houses. I kept running right down the middle of the street like I owned it. I made a turn to go around the backside of this phase. It was fun to think that just the summer before this one, I had run nude in both of these phases so many times before construction of houses had begun. It was kind of like a homecoming. As I ran I was still pretending to be the Olympic torchbearer. I pretended I was just entering the Olympic stadium with thousands of people – spectators and athletes - standing and cheering me on.

When I reached the farthest point in this development phase, I turned and headed into the third phase. I could have looped around the second phase, too, but that would have required some backtracking and I was not going to take any chances with that. Now that I had reached the third phase, the streak was over. I was safe. But I wasn’t done running or with my adventure.

OK, here comes some more crazy pretending.

Just off of the farthest street in this third phase is a huge mound of dirt that was put there by the street construction people. Apparently they drove these construction machines to the top, unloaded the dirt and drove down the other side so that it looks like a big ramp that goes way up to nowhere and then comes down the other side. That’s the only way I know to describe it.

As I ran up the hill into the darkness of the third phase, I headed for this large mound of dirt. I pretended that this was where the Olympic flame would be lit. I ran toward the mound holding my rolled-up clothes high like it was the Olympic torch. In my mind I could hear the crowd cheering me on. I ran up the ramp in a steady but slower dignified way with the torch held high. The applause from a hundred thousand people was thunderous. When I reached the top, I came to a slow graceful stop. I held the torch high and waved to the crowd. I took my time acknowledging their applause. I turned in all four directions waving at the audience that surrounded me. I could feel the wind blowing briskly. The zillions of stars in the sky were like all of the camera flashes going off all over the stadium. And there I was – the center of it all – holding the torch high. No perfectly coordinated warm-up suit, or high-tech body suit, or sequined gown like the all celebs wore – not for me. It was just me up there in front of the whole world. I felt myself smiling as I acted out this little game of pretend.

Well by now, you’re probably thinking that Sunny has totally lost it. You’re thinking oxygen deprivation or something like that, right? No, I just have a vivid, active imagination, that’s all. And I love the Olympics. I watched as much of it as I could and I thought Sydney was a most excellent host.

Hopefully, my writing was clear enough throughout all this that you could recognize fact from fiction. The streak was totally real. This was my boldest one yet. I know many have done far bolder things, but this is definitely progress for me. I covered a lot of distance through well-lighted residential neighborhoods. I don’t know that I was seen, but I don’t know that I wasn’t. I was surprised at how confident I felt this time. Maybe I’m growing a little.

Back to the Olympics. In ancient times I’ve heard that the athletes were nude, but only men were allowed to compete. In our modern times, both men and women athletes compete, but no one can be nude. Hopefully in the not too distant future, we’ll have the best of both worlds – both men and women will compete and they will be nude if they so choose. I think we’ll have a better world when that day comes.