Although I’ve been running for many years, it is only in the last 6 or 7 that I’ve volunteered at an aid station or as a support crew. The experience was a lot more interesting and enjoyable than I had originally imagined. I assumed that watching others would just make me wish I was out there with, but seeing the race from a different perspective was interesting. When you compete in a large race you only see a small part of it, almost as if you are contained in a bubble. For me that means I have little idea of what was happening at the front or back of the field. Watching the leaders certainly does give an appreciation of their pace, yet they are gone in a flash and being so focused on their quest, they hardly notice you. In many ways these get it easy when it comes to racing, as all the infrastructure of the event is at its peak when they pass by. Move the hour hand on a few hours and even though runners may still be coming through, the drinks may be running low, traffic barriers could be coming down and most spectators have long since moved on. How do you stay motivated when a race is being dismantled around you? In all long distance races there have to be cut offs, but still seems as if the further down the pack you go, the demands upon the individual to finish increase.

In a couple of weeks I’m directing a 10k trail race. Well, actually it’s a bit more than 10k, which is why it’s billed as “…possibly the longest 10k you’ve ever run…” It wasn’t that I set out to make it long, it was the convenience of the start/finish location that bumped it up. How far it is really? My answer is there are 10k’s and then there is the Bimbler’s Bash 10k. If you haven’t signed up to enter it, maybe you should. The point about the race though is how much fun it is to be involved from yet another perspective. It isn’t just about finding a course, there is a raft of issues to resolve in order for the event to ‘run’ smoothly and (hopefully) return the following year. Last year’s race was my first, and it felt like my first marathon, lots of build up followed by a low spell afterwards. The only significant difference was immediately after the start when I stood and watched the field head off towards the woods. I was a little bummed not to have an avenue to vent the adrenaline that had built up and I hadn’t anticipated how I might feel at that point in time. When the leaders crossed the line, they looked wrecked. I was worried I might have over stepped the mark with the liberal distance, but hey wait a moment - I don’t normally see the winners cross the line, maybe they always look like sh*t!

After a recovery it was evident that life was good and there were no hard feelings. A few did comment that their 10k times were shot, to which I innocently shrugged and quietly side stepped away. Maybe those lead guys don’t always get it easy!