I finally did something I have been meaning to do for a long, long time: volunteer for a race. I’m a little embarrassed I did not do it sooner. I have so often benefited from the support of others at races. There have been plenty of excuses, most often that I have a training run to get in myself.
With the Indy Women’s Half approaching I decided it was time. I’m on my taper, so my long runs are shorter. Plus, I liked the idea of starting with an all-female race. No more excuses.
I swapped my back-to-back long runs, so I just had a ten-miler to do before my volunteer shift started at 8:30 a.m. That was its own reward too. After recent training in full blazing sun, to run in the cooler dark was a nice change. And it took me off my well-worn (and unlit) trails into the neighborhood for a hill route I’ve wanted to try for a long time.
When I got downtown to Military Park, the last of the 5K field was coming in, and we were 15 minutes out from the fastest half runners. I signed up to hand out medals at the finish line, but it turned out that there were more people than needed for medals, so I swapped to water duty.
I loved being at the finish line. The way this particular race is set up, the stage for the awards was right by the finish line, so I was able to see the 5K awards ceremony. Two of my Oiselle Volée team mates were on the podium (Kristina Tabor got 2nd place, and Sarah Overpeck was 3rd), so that made it extra special to see.
Plus, being stationed at the finish from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. meant I’d get to see every single woman running the half marathon cross that line. There is something uniquely beautiful about watching an entire field finishing. The energy shifts, from a more serious tone from the first trickle of ultra fast, to a celebratory vibe from the middle of the pack, and then later, there was this colossal sense of gratitude. You could just see it in the expressions and tears of women who maybe thought they wouldn’t finish.
I asked the people I volunteered with why they showed up. None of them were runners. This kind of floored me. One woman volunteered because her daughter was in the race. A woman named Lisa just made a habit of volunteering, though this was her first time doing so at a race. She said she’d definitely be back next year. A group of IUPUI college students said they liked supporting women, but couldn’t imagine running themselves. All said how inspired they were seeing runners accomplish their goals.
It really was something. The grit and striving I witnessed brought me to tears more than once. I saw myself in that shaky hand grabbing for the water. That feeling of being totally spent, yet overwhelmed with energy and accomplishment. Congrats to all the @indywomenshalf and 5K finishers! And thanks to the race organizers for giving me the honor of volunteering.
#WriteAsRun Prompt No. 1: I’ve been meaning to…
What you have you been meaning to do, say or be? This could be a new dream, or something you’ve been thinking about for a long time. Maybe you’re not quite ready to jump in all the way, but you’re taking some steps forward. Or, maybe you finally JUST made it happen.