Volunteering at the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

I love volunteering at races!  It's a great way to see a different side of a race and get a bit of the inside scoop.  Last year, I just volunteered at local races put on by Montgomery County Road Runners and I was thinking of doing the same this year.  But I didn't get into the Cherry Blossom 10 miler through the lottery.  So I decided to go ahead and volunteer for the race instead because they have an added perk... volunteering means that I can get into next year's race without having to worry about the lottery! 

Pre-race communication was great.  They sent out multiple emails with very specific instructions.  You would think that all races would do this but I've definitely volunteered at races before where I show up race morning and no one has any idea who volunteers are supposed to talk to.  With this race, the communications were detailed enough that it had specific names of people that we should talk to that morning.  And they sent us a QR code on the phone that was scanned race morning to confirm that we were there which would ensure us our guaranteed entry for next year.  Oh, and they also held a volunteer appreciation event before the race though I wasn't able to go to it.  But still a nice touch.

 

Killed some time by checking out the cherry blossoms before the race

I had signed up for the finish line which had a start time of 7:45.  And the race started at 7:30.  Unfortunately, metro didn't start running until 7am and since I'm near the end of the line, I wasn't sure I'd make it in time if I took metro.  So I drove.  And I left super early because I knew parking would be scarce if I showed up late.  So I actually got there around 6:30.  Street parking was plentiful but it looked to be almost gone by 6:45 so I'm glad I got there early.

 

Easy to find my way around, I thought the race did a great job with signage

After taking my time wandering around, I made my way to the volunteer tent.  Wow, they had a heated tent for volunteers!  Swanky :)  There was also coffee and I think donuts but I had already eaten breakfast so I stayed away from the treat area.  It was still pretty early and they were overwhelmed at bag check (it was 7:30 and they still had a line of people trying to get their bags checked in) so they had me and another early finish line volunteer run over to bag check to help out.  This involved just taking the bags after volunteers had tagged them and putting them back into lines in numerical order.  It was all very efficient and we got everyone through by 7:45 or so.  We then went back to the volunteer tent where they were ready to put the finish line volunteers to work.

 

The finisher chute while waiting for runners to come through

We all walked over to the finish line area as a group and our job was just supposed to be lining up along the sides of the finisher chute and make sure that as runners came through, they kept walking so that there wasn't a back up in the chute.  But there were a ton of finish line volunteers.  And apparently not enough people at medals.  So someone came over and asked me and a couple other people to go over to medals to help out there.

 

There was time for a selfie before things got too busy

Sweet, I love handing out medals!  Except this was more of a security assignment and not handing out medals.  This race is one where runners have the option to pay a lower price and not get a medal.  So it was our job to check out the bibs of everyone heading into the medal area to make sure that only people who had pre-registered for the medal got in.  Most people were fine once it was explained but there were also plenty of people that wanted to complain about not getting a medal.  Well, you should remember that for when you register!  And complaining repeatedly to volunteers who are just doing what they're told is not really going to result in anything changing for you.

But anyway, like I said, most people were fine.  And it was just a trickle as first and not a lot of work.  But then at some point it turned into a horde of people and I was just looking at bibs as fast as I could.  I think I stopped even seeing people's faces and just saw their bibs.  Which is why I was so happy that Jennifer called out my name :)  It was great to meet her briefly in real life and not just through the computer.  I'm sure I looked like a bit of a maniac at that point as things were a bit crazy and I couldn't talk much, but it was nice to at least say hi and hear how her race went.

And that was it for the volunteering.  At one point I looked up from bibs and saw we didn't have a crowd any more.  It trickled down from there and when we were done, the guy in charge of the medals area gave us a nice little pep talk and thank you and we were sent on our way, even a little earlier than we were told we'd be done.  This was a really well organized volunteer event.  I would definitely recommend it.  And I learned that I should register for a medal when I register for the race.  Otherwise, I'm sure I'm going to be one of those people that doesn't remember at the finish and be a little disappointed at not getting a medal after running those 10 miles.

Volunteering at the Parks Half Marathon

Several people mentioned in the comments on my last post that they hadn't had the opportunity to volunteer at a race yet.  So I thought I'd write a bit about my experience volunteering at the MCRRC Parks Half Marathon last weekend.

Now, every volunteer experience is different.  I feel like the better organized a race is, the better the volunteer experience is too.  And vice versa.  So if there's a race you're thinking about running but not sure about or not ready yet, volunteering is a great way to get an inside look at the race organization.  Most of my volunteer experiences have been great, but there has been one that was not so great.

In general, I've loved volunteering for MCRRC races.  It is my local running club and I run a lot of their races throughout the year.  So I'm happy for a way to give back as well.  In addition, their races are really well organized and that leads for a great volunteer experience.

So how does it work?  All of the race volunteer assignments I've signed up for start with a web site where you register.  The website generally lists the different type of volunteer assignments and the date/time the assignment begins and ends. There tend to be opportunities before race day as well in case race day doesn't work out for you.  Things like packet stuffing and packet pick up usually.  But you can pick which one works best for you based on time and interest.  In the past, I've done water stops, course marshal, day of registration, finish line bag check, and finish line medal hand out.  The finish line medal assignment is my favorite, but they were all good experiences.

Medals after we had unwrapped them

So this particular weekend, I was back at the finish line.  Before the race day, we received an email from the finish line volunteer lead which provided all the details we needed for race day.  I showed up a couple minutes before our 7am report time, checked in at the volunteer tent, and got my volunteer shirt to wear.  I just put it on over the shirt I was already wearing.  I then went over to my lead, she checked me in on her list, and I went to work unwrapping medals.

Piles of blankets ready to go

In addition to receiving medals, finishers at this race got blankets.  So task number 2 was unboxing blankets and stacking them on a table.  We did not unwrap these because we figured that no body was actually going to want to use their blanket that day since it was pretty hot.  We just organized them so that they would be easy to grab.

As with many events, there was a bit of a dead period once we were done with the preparations but before the runners came in.  The race provided donuts and coffee for the volunteers at this point, which was much appreciated.  This was also a good time to talk to fellow volunteers and get to know them a bit more.  The race lead also took this time to give further instruction, splitting us up into people to hand out the medals and people to hand out the blankets.  I handed out medals last year so I was on blankets this year.  She also stationed a couple people by the tables holding the blankets/medals so that they could make sure none were taken and also providing fresh supplies to us as we ran out.

Volunteers milling around waiting for the first runner to come through

Then the first runner came in, the volunteers all cheered wildly, and he was provided with his medal and blanket.  The runners came in slowly at the beginning and it definitely felt like there were too many volunteers.  But by the middle, more and more runners were coming in bunches at the same time.  And at that point, it felt like there weren't enough volunteers!  It was funny because a lot of runners seemed a bit out of it (to be expected after a hot 13.1 miles) and almost passed by without getting their finisher items.  So we handed out the items and kept an eye out for people who passed by without getting something so we could run after them to provide it.  Or course, it went back to a trickle of runners at the end.  The beginning and end weren't too busy but it was definitely hectic in the middle.

We also kept an eye out for people who seemed like they needed medical.  There were people nearby with wheelchairs and we were to call out for them if needed.  The other thing that wasn't part of our official duties but was good to be prepared for, was to be able to answer questions from runners.  So if you're stationed at the finish line, it's good to know where the food is, where bathrooms are, where transportation is, where medical is, etc.

And that was my volunteer experience!  It was really well organized and really fulfilling, but also hard work.  I definitely had a new appreciation for volunteers at races once I started doing it myself.  I didn't run 13.1 miles but I was also tired and ache-y afterward.  The best part of the day was seeing the looks of gratitude on runner's faces, especially as we handed out the blankets because many people didn't know they were going to get something in addition to the medal.

So if you haven't had a chance to volunteer at a race yet, I highly recommend it!

Weekly Review

I had a pretty good week, but it was busy.  And my rest days ended up being at the beginning of the week again so all my workouts were concentrated toward the end.  But, I got in everything I wanted to get in so that's a positive.

Monday- rest day

Tuesday - rest day

Wednesday - Body pump and 15 minute warm up on the elliptical.  I pushed it again and I think I was sore until Saturday!

Thursday - 40 minutes on the elliptical at the gym

Friday - Runner's World yoga essentials. I had meant to get to body pump but couldn't get away from work to make it to class.  So I did a yoga video instead.  It was probably a good thing since I was still a bit sore.

Saturday - Ben's Run 5k with a 1.5 mile warm up before the race (full review later this week)

Sunday - 30 minute run before my volunteer shift at the Pike's Peek 10k.

I ran this race last year and had a bad experience (totally my own fault for not checking the weather report ahead of time) so I decided to just volunteer this year.  I was placed at bag check at the finish line so the job consisted of setting up the area, organizing the bags in numerical order once the trucks arrived, and then handing them out to runners as they came up.  It was super organized and there were just the right amount of volunteers.  Everything went so smoothly and it was a great experience. Plus, I got a lot of steps running back and forth to get the bags :)  I had around 5,000 steps when I started and around 12,000 when I finished.

My other bit of fun on Sunday was we went out for pub trivia with friends in the evening.  We ended up getting 3rd place, which meant we got to choose one of the categories for next week's trivia.  Which means we have to go back next week!

This week is going to be a bit tough to get in a lot of work outs because I have family visiting from out of town but I'm going to try my best and see what happens.  I'm linking up   with HoHoRuns and MissSippiPiddlin for their Weekly Wrap.

 

Piece of Cake 5k

I ran MCRRC's Piece of Cake 5k a couple weekends ago and am now getting around to the review.  I did this race last year as well as it was the goal race for our beginning running training group.  It was the goal race for that group this year as well so it was cool to see some of the coaches and other participants from last year's group.  

I like that this race has both a 10k and 5k option.  In addition, it is one of the club's low key races so it is free to club members.The other cool think about this race is that it is the club's anniversary so there is always a catered breakfast following the race along with a cake contest (!) and an awards ceremony where the club's yearly awards are given out.

It was the weekend following the Rock and Roll Half and I wasn't sure how I was going to feel, so I signed up to volunteer at registration for the race.  I figured if I was feeling it, I could jump into the 5k once registration was done, and that's exactly what I did.  The volunteer stint was busy as a lot of club members seemed to use this for their first race of the year and were exchanging last year's chip and bib for this year's.  But everything was really well organized and flowed smoothly.  The only downside was that it was cold but that's not unexpected in March.  At least it wasn't raining like last year!

 

The 10k started at 9 and the 5k at 9:10.  The kids race started in between those 2.  So I jumped up from the registration table at 9:05 and headed to the start line.  The 10k started right on time, as did the kids race.  The 5k started a couple minutes late so that most of the kids from the kids race could finish up.  I didn't mind at all and it was fun cheering on the kids as they ran past :) They were all so cute!

The race is at Seneca Creek State Park, where the club has a lot of their races. It is a beautiful area with a lot of green and a lake.  We run on the streets in the park so it never seemed too congested.  The club has a lot of their races here and I really enjoy the location.  The course is hilly but I try to tell myself that's part of it's charm :)

Since I was well aware of the hills, my strategy involved abandoning my usual run walk intervals.  Instead, I ran for the first mile and a half or so and then on the way back took walk breaks on the uphills.  You can see the pace differential.

And this ended up being a 5k PR for me!  According to the website, my official time was 37:44.  My previous PR (from the Semper Fi 5k last May) was 38:54. Garmin record below, though the time is a bit longer since I started my watch a little early.  Also, this is the first time my Garmin recorded exactly 3.1 for a 5k race!  It's usually a bit more.

The only real downside of this race was the parking situation.  I don't remember it being this bad last year or at the New Year's race which was at the same location so maybe it was a fluke?  I got there early and therefore was able to park close.  My friend came later to run the race and ended up having to park more than a mile from the start line, along the race course.  So not only was it a long walk to and from the car, it was also hard for her to get out because the race was still going on.  And I waited in a line of cars around 15 minutes just to get out of the park.

 

But other than that delay at the end, this was a great race.  I love that there are multiple distance options. I love the beauty of the course, and I love how well organized it is.  As well as the free race entry for club members and the free photos!

Volunteering at Nike Women's Half Marathon DC

This past Sunday was the Nike Women's Half Marathon here in DC.  I knew I wouldn't be anywhere near ready to run a half marathon by this point but I decided to go ahead and sign up to volunteer. I knew I was going to volunteer at a local race through MCRRC this year but I also wanted to try out volunteering at a larger race.  I convinced a friend to join me so I was even more hopeful that this would be a good experience.

So as not to bury the lead, we had a great experience and thought it was very well organized. I would absolutely recommend this as a good race to volunteer for if anyone is interested.

The good experience started way before the race day.  There were multiple appreciative emails. In addition, there was a happy hour set up for volunteers a couple weeks ago as well which was supposed to include some complimentary food and drinks.  I wasn't able to go but it was definitely a nice gesture.

Crowds in the starting corrals

Race day started bright and early as we were supposed to be checking in at 6am. We left the house at 5am and hopped on the metro which Nike had arranged to have running early. There was a bit of a crush trying to get out of the metro station once we were off the train but we finally reached the volunteer check in tent only 15 minutes late. This was one of the few break points in the organization of the day.  The individual at the volunteer tent just had us sign in, grab at shirt, and that was it.  But we didn't know where to go next.  The email instructions had just said to look for the water stop lead named Allie but no one knew where that would be. So we just wandered toward the start/finish line and kept asking volunteers we saw along the way.  We finally found the water stop and Allie.  She was great and gave us our instructions, which were pretty simple. Wait until all the runners had passed and the unload bottles of water on to the table so they were ready for runners to grab when they came back.  As the bottles were grabbed, we would re-fill the tables with more water bottles.

It was great that they had reusable water bottles sponsored by Whole Foods.  Not only was it greener, they stayed cold almost the whole time.

The water stop process went pretty smoothly for the most part.  The start was beautiful with the sun coming over the Capitol.  We waited and cheered on the crowd as they started and then began our work as soon as they were all past.  It was nice that the DJ kept spinning music while we worked and the announcer kept providing updates of what mile the lead runners were at. There were tons of volunteers and the work went quickly. We were ready at least 30 minutes before the first runners came in. That left time for some photos and hanging out with fellow volunteers.

Once the runners started coming in, things got busy fast.  There was a lot of carrying and moving crates of water bottles, replenishing the bottles on the tables, yelling out to runners to make sure they understood there was water in the bottles, and handing out the bottles.  We were also supposed to keep an eye out to make sure runners only took one bottle to make sure there would be enough for everyone.

This was the best part of the volunteering.  It was great to see all the runners coming in after finishing. It looked like it was a walk in the park for some and a struggle for others. Everyone did something impressive that day and I was happy to be able to help in their journey.  And of course, the runners were so appreciative that it made us even happier to be there for them. The DJ and announcer continued to keep things lively the whole time runners were coming in.  Apparently, at one point someone proposed to his girlfriend on the course (I think right after the finish) and the announcer gave a play by play for those of us that couldn't see it.  She said yes and her new fiancé gave her the necklace :)

There was only one more snafu that I saw and it had to do with the station after ours, the food.  There was one point where the food station really backed up and some volunteers from our station were taken to help out with the food. I'm not sure what happened but a line built up and didn't move for around 15-20 minutes. I'm sure it was really frustrating for the runners who came in at this point and they probably had a bad experience because they were stuck waiting in a long line. Because we were there all morning, we could see that this was a small blip and things moved  well before and afterward. But of course, that doesn't help the runners who were stuck in line.

After all the runners were in, we cleaned up the water station. We dumped out the water from all the leftover bottles and threw them into cardboard boxes for transport. Again, they kept the music going while we were cleaning up and spirits stayed high. The staff were great and our lead, Allie, really was wonderful keeping us all working but still having fun.

We were tired and I was sore the next day.  But it was still a great experience and a cool opportunity to get a look at a race I was trying to decide if I want to do next year. It seemed really well organized from my perspective and I think I'm definitely going to try the lottery for this one.

Volunteering - Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Marathon and 50k

Well, I had my first experience volunteering at a race. It was the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail and it had both a marathon and 50k option. Basically, there was an extra loop along the course that the runners did if they wanted the 50k option. My assignment was to be a course marshall and stop runners at a place where the trail intersected with the road to make sure there were no cars coming as the roads were not closed.

It was clear that trail races have some challenges that road races don't, but this wasn't an ideal first volunteer experience. I'll start with the good things.

The weather was perfect for a Spring day and the location was beautiful. At the beginning of my shift, I even saw three deer frolicking in the woods while waiting for the first runners to come by. It was absolutely beautiful.

I was paired with another volunteer who had been running with the Montgomery County Road Runners for a long time. We had a lot of great conversations for the hours we were together.



The snow covered trail when I got there.



Trail, what trail? Oh, that little strip by the tree with footprints.

The runners were amazing. We were stationed approximately 6 miles from the finish so the runners had already run at least 20 miles by the time they got to us. And the conditions of the trail were not good. It started out snowy/icy and ended up muddy as everything melted throughout the day.



And this is what the trail looked like after the snow melted.

There were lots of muddy and bloody runners. But they were all so appreciative and friendly even after having run for hours in these conditions. They really made it worth it and I am so glad I was able to be there for them.


Pretty much all the runners were mud covered by the time they got to us (photo from MCRRC)

Now, for the bad. Sadly there were some problems with logistics. I never heard back after I signed up as a volunteer. The day before the race, I asked one of my coaches and she emailed the race director with the inquiry. He apologized for somehow missing me and asked me to fill in as a course Marshall as someone else had cancelled at the last minute. The only information I was given was that I should be there from 11am to 2:30 pm and the directions for parking. I assumed the other course Marshall with me would have more information.

Well, that was the second problem...a complete lack of information. The other volunteer had no information either. All we knew to do was watch out for traffick to make sure runners didn't get run over by cars and cheer them on. But runners would ask questions about how much longer until the end, distance to the next water stop, etc. and we had no idea what to tell them. We also didn't know what to do in case of medical emergency. Thankfully, we had no medical issues but it was quite possible given the condition of the course.

Lastly, the email said to stay until 2:30 but wait to leave until the sweepers showed up. Well, we waited until 3:30 and there were no sweepers, ever. We did finally leave after having given the extra hour because we couldn't wait longer. Did I mention there was no bathroom available anywhere near us?

I did hear from various people the next day that there were problems all along the race but that this was very unusual. Everyone said that they had never had a volunteer experience like this one and that it is usually much better organized. So I won't let this taint my opinion of volunteering for local races. And the runners really did make it worth being there. I was very happy that I was able to be there for them as they finished such long distances in such difficult conditions. They really were inspirational.



This runner was so cute, and still chipper by the time she got to us (photo from MCRRC)

Anyone else have interesting volunteer experiences?

Community and Volunteering

One of the things that attracted me to blogging as a way to record my running journey is the sense of community I saw in many of the blogs I was reading.  It seemed like a good way to contribute to the community instead of just reading what other people put out there.  The blog lets me share information about myself as well and engage in a dialogue.

Another way I'm hoping to be able to give back to this community is through volunteering at races.  Part of the training program through the Montgomery County Road Runners Club is that participants have to volunteer for at least one race.  I'm hoping to volunteer with several of their races this year.

I've also signed up to volunteer at the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC.  If anyone is interested in volunteering for that race, the link is here.  If you're running the race, I hope to see you there!  I'll be at the post race water station.

And just for fun, here are some gratuitous kitty photos :)

This is Shelby, our independent lady.

And this is Perry, our loving boy.

If anyone has experience volunteering at a race, I'd love to hear about it!