Flip Side of the Coin

Yesterday I got the opportunity to volunteer at an indoor triathlon going on at my gym. I've wanted to volunteer at a race for a while now, but never seem to be able to because I like to run them so much. It was so different being on the other side - watching and not participating. I'd by lying if I said that I didn't want to get out there and join in.

Since the triathlon was inside, the format was a little different than those outside. Athletes were assigned their own personal escort to be with them during the entire race (my job). I tallied the number of laps they swam in the pool for 10 minutes, then recorded how many miles they rode on the bike for 20 minutes while personally fanning them with a paddle, and then counting the number of laps they ran on the track in 15 minutes.

The first lady I was assigned to help was great. She was a spin teacher at another gym and was laid back and very thankful for my help. She did really well, too. The second person I was with was a guy about my age, and a total jerk. I'm not even sure why he signed up, as it looked like he was not exerting much effort on any of the activities. He didn't say thank you. You can't have all the wonderful athletes, right?

I have a new appreciation for volunteers for a race, especially triathlon volunteers. It is my goal to thank the water stand volunteers in my upcoming races in March. Their job is vital to the success of athletes, but often do not get any credit for a job well done. Speaking of my races, I'm less than 2 weeks away from my 5k and less than 4 away from my first half of the year. Soooo excited to start racing again!

Have you ever volunteered at a race? Did you enjoy the experience?