I’m All Wet! Or Volunteering With Rick!
What do I wear? What do I wear?
That was me the morning of the IMT Des Moines Marathon/Half Marathon. I was getting ready to leave to help out my fellow members of the Capital Striders at Water Station #17. It was a beautiful morning. But the temps weren’t far from freezing. I’d wanted to stay warm. But not too warm once that bright sun pushed the mercury several degrees higher.
I suppose I should add that this was my first time volunteering in a race since…1983.
Huh? What’s up with that?
Of course you are due an explanation for my … reluctance to pitch in at running events. It’s not that I don’t appreciate volunteers. I most certainly do - thanking them before, during and after races.
It’s that I’ve hated volunteering at races where I’m unable to run. I find it extremely frustrating to see other runners doing what I want so badly to be doing. I want to feel that exertion I see on everyone’s face, experience that sweat soaking into my racing gear and talk about all the various aspects of that particular race with other runners afterwards.
I also don’t want to do is talk about why I’m not running. No one really wants to hear about a pulled muscle, torn meniscus, broken leg or whatever. No matter how I try to frame those discussions, I always feel like I’m making some wimpy excuse.
Because of that, I’ve always sought reasons to do something else on race days where I cannot break out my Nike Vaporfly's.
Why Now?
You may wonder what in the name of Steve Prefontaine moved to volunteer for this race? Simple. I decided to get over myself. I thought of all the volunteers who have helped me over the years in races. And since the running club that I belong to needed help, then it was damn well time for me to do my part.
How Did It Go?
Myself and around a dozen other smartly and warmly dressed souls manned Water Station #17 which was situated at Mile 8 and Mile 13 for the marathon. Once all of us really polite people determined who was in charge, it became a matter of setting up and waiting. And some more waiting before the action began.
At first, it was a trickle. A few of the front runners grabbed their water so quickly we scarcely even noticed them. Then came more runners. A steadier steam that required some coordination so that we had cups ready for us to pivot to once our hands were empty.
I’d bravely situated myself along with one other equally bold individual just before the water table so that we could help before anyone reached our two water tables. That kept us quite busy.
By the time the number of runners reaching Mile 8 dwindled back to a near trickle, those leaders completed the five-mile loop, taking water on the other side of our station. Realizing I’d see virtually every runner all over again, once the last racer had gone past us, I moved to the front of our Mile 13 water station.
Any Observations to Share?
It would be remiss of me not to share my learnings in the hopes that it benefits future generations of volunteers. With that in mind, I offer the following tidbits of my aged wisdom:
Never Underestimate the Value of Eye Contact! It wasn’t until we were about one-fourth of the way through the marathon that I realized that eye contact with a runner was the essential ingredient for a smooth exchange of a water cup. But I was a quick study! With this knowledge, I become far more efficient in addressing the hydration needs of our runners!
Wet Gloves are Cold! By the time that I learned the value of eye contact, my previous more awkward exchanges had left my gloves absolutely soaked with water. Courtesy of those still chilly morning temps, well, my pinkies became quite cold. Lesson learned!
When They Say “I Love You” They Don’t Really Mean It! Which is good since I didn’t want to be one to let a rather burly male runner who made that statement to me when I handed him his water know that I while I appreciate such tender words, I am a happy married man.
Didn’t You Take Care of That Before the Race? Can I just say the greatest surprise that entire morning was the number of people racing towards the porta-potties near our water station. Not to spill out too TMI, but y’know I get up pretty early on race day to drink several cups of hot coffee just to avoid that particular problem.
They're Doing Something I've Never Done! I offer huge kudos to each and every participant in the marathon. I say that because regardless of place or pace, they're running a marathon - something I've never done before!
Final Thoughts
Let me say that - cold fingers aside - I thoroughly enjoyed myself that morning. It was wonderful to talk with people I knew and one’s I’d just met. It also left me feeling more than a tad guilty that I haven’t helped before. While my weekends are often quite busy, I think it’s safe to say that I will find a way to carve out time to help in the future. These can be at races where I’m not running. It’s more than time that I started giving something back.
What about you? Any similar experiences or fun volunteering stores to share? I’d love to hear them! You can add them to the comments below. And best luck with your running!
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