Volunteer Time!  Run 10 Feed 10

So typically I hate big road races.  I usually run one each year – either Publix Marathon or the Thanksgiving Half or the Peachtree – but it’s a rare occasion.

 So Pooky has been out of town at a conference…but the book just came out, so there were a ton to prepare for shipping – and a ton of work at the office… so I’ve been holding down the fort at the office, the house, and with the book.  Sigh.  I haven’t been to yoga all week!  This guy is killing me!  Does anyone become a monster when they can’t get their workouts in??!!

So Wednesday night at like 10 or 11pm I’m sitting in our guest room/office wrapping books to be shipped out and doing the occasional Facebooking with the Running Teacher trying to figure out what help she needed or Saturday’s Run 10 Feed 10 charity fun run.  When she says, “Hey do you want a free entry into the Atlanta 13.1 Marathon this weekend?”  Um, do I?  Free. Race. Entry.  My favorite three words!   So despite the fact that I would never pay the $95 to run this thing, I sure would run it for free.  I had the impending Mystery Mountain Marathon coming up the next weekend, but though, eh, it’s just a half marathon. No big deal.

So a long week of work and wrapping books and house chores came and went and finally it was time for a running packed weekend!  Thank goodness.  The cranky no-exercise/ no-husband/ too-much-work monster was  about to get out of control…

First on Saturday was the Running Teacher’s Run 10 Feed 10 Run at the Big Peach.  It was a 7 mile run around the Kennesaw Mountain area on a super fun trails/cross country type course.  We had a good little turn out for the first year and had major swag and major food!  What more could you ask for?

So with as much as I run, I rarely volunteer aside from doing registration before Xterra runs.  But being that Isabel needed a few extra hands, I thought, hey, why not.  So I was appointed to man the first road crossing.  I waited my post and as the runners came through, I snapped pictures and helped them across the road.  When a girl came along and told me that was the end, I waited about 20 minutes more and decided I would go out and run the rest of the course and “sweep” it, sticking with those at the back.  I also contemplated picking up the orange flags for Isabel so that she wouldn’t have to bother with it afterwards, but I recalled some saying they wanted to run it more than once, so I decided to leave them.

It was kind of a “shame on me” moment when I realized how little I volunteer at races!  Without volunteers there’d be no races, and I really need to get out there more.  We all do! So go find a race, and volunteer!  And never ever forget to thank the volunteers when it’s you out there running!  But it was super fun, and admittedly, I’m already planning the next time I’ll volunteer 😉

After a while I caught up with the group and ran along with them.  Some really fun and nice ladies.  There was an aid station which was super stocked and we enjoyed gummy bears and bananas and such and were on our way.  It was a lot more hot and humid than expected so I was pumped for the aid station.  When we got about half way out, we turned around to come back.  Um…uh, oh.  I had no idea this was an out and back course.  Color me the worst volunteer ever as now that road crossing would not be manned!  Oops!  Good thing I did not “help out” by removing the flags too 😉  Oh Liz.

We eventually got back to the store and there was a crazy food spread set out.  Isabel baked all sorts of treats, plus gels, bananas, coffee, water, and bagels and juice I brought. It was nuts.  And she gave away all sorts of awesome prizes (like Brooks shoes and Road IDs and such!)

All and all it was a fun morning run!  Plus we raised a bunch of funds for a great cause!  I hope you’ll all join us next year!

The girls were heading out for another loop and for once I said no, and went to pick up my packet for Sunday’s Atlanta 13.1 Marathon (which by the way, what is with the name?  Isn’t kind of a misnomer to call it a 13.1 marathon when a marathon is 26.2 miles?  But I digress…)

Anyways I got home that night and Swim Bike Mom texted me that she was bailing on the half…and Pooky had just gotten home from being gone most the week.  And I was tired and the race started SO early.  I thought, I think I’ll just pass.

But then I remembered that my friends Kim & Chuck were going to be there and we always always miss each other at races.  It’s happened over and over!  Well not this time, I decided I was going and I would see them.  And trail runner friend Alex would also be there.  And it was a free race, which Isabel was nice enough to give me, so what the heck!

Speaking of which, Isabel is nominated for an awesome Action Hero award for her work with Run 10 Feed 10 so you should totally go on and “endorse” her!!!!

http://awards.wegohealth.com/nominees/isabel-rivera-267

 Race Report on Atlanta 13.1 Marathon coming next!

Until then, Happy Trails 😉