Volunteering My Ashe Off

Hello again sports fans. This past weekend was supposed to be my reintroduction to ultras after my 2009/2010 stress fractures. As many of you may know, I grew up in Virginia Beach. Summer cross-country practice usually had us doing long runs in Seashore State Park. Nowadays, whenever we are visiting the folks, Jordana and I sometimes run in Seashore State Park (now called First Landing Park). I had often commented that the park would be an ideal setting for a trail race. As luck would have it, 4 years ago the Tidewater Striders inaugurated the Seashore Nature Trails 50K in December. The first three years did not work for us (first year I had the stress fractures, the next two years we were running Rehoboth Marathon the weekend before). But this year, the stars all seemed to align -- we weren't doing Rehoboth and we would be in Virginia Beach that weekend. So this summer, I signed Jordana and me up for the race. Me - a reintroduction to ultras. Jordana - her first ultra.

Then I had my latest injury. Race weekend arrived. We loaded up the kids and drove down to Virginia Beach. Jordana was ready for the race. And me? Well, if you can't run the race, volunteer. I had emailed the race directly earlier and he said to just find him and he'd put me to work.

So, as Jordana was taking care of pre-race necessities (and all you marathoners and ultramarathoners out there know what I mean), I found the race director, was given a "RACE CREW" long-sleeve shirt, and was put on bag drop duty. The course was a double loop through Seashore State Park with 2 aid stations (that runners passed 4 times each). Runners could send a drop bag to the 64th Street aid station (which they pass at around miles 8, 12, 20, and 24). So for the better part of an hour, I was helping runners fill out and attach the bag drop label.

After the gun went off, we would drive the bags to the aid station. I had told the race director that I wanted to volunteer at 64th street to cheer my wife as she ran by and offered to take a few bags. I backed up the Honda Odyssey and we ended up loading all the bags into my car. Actually, it was quite fortuitous. When I got to the 64th street entrance, they were not letting any cars park at the trail head. But since I had all the drop bags, in I went.

After we unloaded the bags, I helped in the set up of the aid station. Filling cups with water, gatorade, and soda (pepsi, gingerale and mountain dew); cutting PB&J sandwiches; filling tins of M&Ms, Skittles, pretzels, potato chips, etc. Then we just hung around waiting for the runners to come.

As I mentioned, the runners first hit us around mile 5 on their way to the Narrows and the first turnaround. The front runners whizzed passed with few, if any, stopping. Eventually the main body of runners started coming through and we became busy with "what can I get you?" and calling out "water here, gatorade there" etc. I cheered Jordana as she ran through. Then about 30 - 60 minutes later we repeated the drill as the runners passed at around mile 9 heading back towards the Nature Center.

After most of the runners had passed to finish the first of the two loops, we began preparing for round 2 (when they returned twice for the second loop). This time they would be hitting us around miles 20 and 24 and we knew they would be much hungrier, thirstier, and more tired than the first time.

Meanwhile, I chatted with several of the other volunteers. The person in charge of the 64th Street aid station, as it turned out, ran cross-country for Indian River HS the same time I ran for Princess Anne. We reminisced about Regionals, the William & Mary invitational, and Norfolk Collegiate invitational (our shared races). We talked about the fast runners of our day -- the twins Lloyd and Floyd West from Menchville, Carlos George from Kempsville, and David Coulter from Green Run. It was a fun trip down memory lane.

All too soon the front runner ran past us -- "I'd like a bottle of pepsi on my return please" he called out. Was he serious? So I emptied a 16 oz water bottle and refilled it with Pepsi. We kept the top off so it could de-fizz a bit.  When he ran past us again, he grabbed the bottle, thanked us, poured into his own water bottle and kept on running down the trail.  Ok....

Then more runners started filing past. Most were a bit more frazzled than before. Whereas the first time, they often ran past grabbing a cup of gatorade or water, this time they stopped. Handing us their water bottles so we could offer a refill, all the while munching on the sandwiches and salty goodies. A common response to our question "what can we get you" became "you take my number and do the out and back while I wait here." When they returned from the out and back to the Narrows, the reply became "you take my number and finish the race!"

Eventually Jordana came holding her hand. She said she had taken a serious fall, landing on her hand. It was black and blue and bloody. One of the medical workers cleaned her up and put on a bandage. And off she went. When she returned at mile 24, a doctor who was working at the aid station examined her hand a bit more closely and suggested she visit the ER after the race as it could be broken. Yikes. Meanwhile, off she went to finish the race.

As Jordana left the aid station for the last time (around mile 24 at this point), I made my good-byes, as I had all along planned to work until she passed by the last time so I could drive back to the start/finish area and run the last 5 miles with her. Got in the car and drove to the finish then shuffled my way to our meeting point -- where the King Fisher trail entered the Cape Henry Trail.

I got there just as she was approaching. And off we went. I was so impressed with her pace as she entered Ultra-territory. As we neared the final aid station, I sped up so I could fill up her water bottle so she wouldn't have to stop. And off we went onto the Bald Cypress-Osmanthus Trail loop (the kids ran this with her on her first loop). We took this one slow as it was quite technical -- many cypress tree roots sticking up to trip the runner. Indeed, Jordana fell two more times -- landing both times on her injured hand. A weaker runner would have given up, but Jordana picked herself up, shook it off, and kept on running. Eventually, we left the loop for the easier Cape Henry Trail with only less than a mile to go -- mostly on the road to the finish. She passed 3 or 4 runners on this final stretch. As we neared the finish, I dropped off so she could cross alone, savoring completing her first 50K.

All in all, it was a great day. The weather was perfect running weather -- cloudy in the upper 40s. I was so jealous that I could not run. I really hope that I heal so that I can run this next year or the year after.

Meanwhile, I had a blast volunteering. If you have not done so, I highly recommend it. I've always appreciated the volunteers and try to always thank them. But having worked as a volunteer, I appreciate them all the more.

So there you are sports fans. Meanwhile, I'm still slowly trying to come back -- I'm up to 16 mile
weeks (4 miles 4 times a week). The pubic area is still sore. I see the specialist in a month. Boston is fast approaching...

Stay tuned....