Volunteer
This past weekend the #TrailsRoc crew spent some time down in Virgil, NY manning the “Gravel Pit” Aid station at the Virgil Crest Ultras. The VCU offers a 50k, 50 mile, 100 mile, and 100 mile relay on challenging terrain with a great race director and fun support staff.
We spent 15 hours manning the station. As the hours wore on, we seemed to gain energy. It rained, we smiled. It was cold we stayed warm. It was a long day, we acted like it wasn’t.
Why?
Because as runners, we know the value in a solid support staff. We know that at mile 46 in the rain, the cold, the wind, the mud, it is vital to have people cheering, yelling, and offering you anything you need. We know that there is almost no way that an event can be run like this without volunteers.
More than this though, we know that if you want true motivation you should volunteer. Spending time helping others reach their goals is perhaps the most motivating thing you can do as a runner. To see folks pushing their limits, and to be in a place to assist them in this will help you push yourself when then time comes.
Every event you run is pulled off because they have managed to find a contingent of volunteers to be there. They give water, they give directions, they give first aid, they give motivation. All of that giving sometimes to runners they don’t even know.
We think volunteering should be as big of a part of your training plan as your running. Schedule it in. Help some runners and along the way find your own motivation to push hard on that next run.
