This weekend I'll be volunteering at the Hippie Chick Half Marathon in Hillsboro, OR. It is an all-women's event that I've heard about many times before as it is put on by one of the owners of the store where I do my group runs. They also put on the Helvetia Half Marathon, which is how I ended up volunteering for this race.
At the Rum Run in the beer garden I mused to someone in my running group that I'd like to run Helvetia but didn't know if I could justify the cost of ANOTHER half marathon (I just did one in Corvallis and also signed up for one on the 4th of July). She mentioned that they were still looking for volunteers for the Hippie Chick and that I could get a comped entry if I volunteered. So I signed up to volunteer!
I've been meaning to volunteer for a while, not just to get a free race but also give back a little. It looks really fun to do and it is a way of giving back to all those people that volunteer at my races and help keep the costs down. So I am looking forward to Saturday and then also volunteering in the future. Getting a free race out of it won't be necessary criteria for me to volunteer, but it doesn't hurt. ;)
Me and Libbie (she's volunteering too!) will be stationed around mile nine of the half marathon course and will be directing runners to turn on a certain road and stay to the left shoulder. So basically we'll just be standing there waving them in the right place and saying the same thing over and over. Along with lots of encouragement! Mile nine is definitely when people start to really feel it during a half marathon so hopefully we can put a pep in their step! I know a couple of people running the race so it will be fun to see them too.
What I didn't really think about was that I would be on my feet for five hours or so on what is looking to be a very hot day (sunny, with a high of 82). I then want to do my long run for this weekend, which clocks in at 16 miles. The good news is I am planning to run the Banks-Vernonia Trail, which is about 20 minutes from my house and through the woods, so it's nice and shaded. The bad news is my legs might be tired from all the standing and it's going to be hot. Hopefully the shade is sufficient and my legs won't mind the standing around.
That's awesome! I (shamefully) still haven't volunteered at a race. I just never think about it! But I do think it would be fun to do, and I always appreciate the volunteers at the races I run.
ReplyDeleteAnd how lucky that you get to volunteer at an all-women race. If I was running, it would definitely put a pep in my step to know that there was eye candy waiting for me at mile 9! ;)