V is for....VOLUNTEER!

And now.... 

Back to our happy, upbeat, inspirational format! 

What's the next best thing to running an event?   

We learned earlier this month that  

Volunteering 

is pretty fun, too!

Recently, 

a different sort of 5K came to town when 

Parenting Magazine hosted the

Fit Generation 5K Run/Walk & Family Festival.

As the sun peeked over the horizon on a clear Saturday morning, the SUV and minivan crowd began to arrive. Strollers were unpacked, loaded up with kids, water bottles, and snacks, and set off in the direction of check-in and the start line.  But before they could get started, WE had to get started ....

In the predawn hours, Hubs and I arrived to get these .....

And eventually were sent out with our instructions to meet our water station team and begin setting up.......

Notice the precision and skill with which they fill the cups. Hubs (in the white hat) uses the one-arm-behind-the-back technique... I think he learned this in bartending school!

We had a great group at our water station: families, and a handful of high school students earning their community service hours ... 

With so many talented teammates, we set up the required 1,000 water cups, being careful to keep fingers out of the cups and to fill only 1/3 of the way.  (We received special training before we got started.)  Paper cup artwork....

We took the job very seriously!

Then, we waited. 

And waited.   Hear the crickets *chirping*??

And waited.....

Is that a yawn???

Until finally we saw ....

 Notice the first runner right behind him??

We were pretty happy to finally get this party started!! 

And in a flash (No, really. It was a flash.. Look how the  first runner saw US.:  just a blur as he sped past us!)...  the race was underway.

Not to be outdone, the first female runner soon followed.  Typical for a 'race,' she looked like a seasoned competitor, but in this venue, she was running solo.  (And looked awesome!!)

 

Then came the families.  We were able to fine-tune all that training we had gotten just an hour before.  The cup hand-off  went something like this ....

And this... 

Like a good dance, we were well choreographed. Check out the bent arms and foot placement.

We got to meet lots of neat people along the way, including the runners with babies on board (literally).  Look closely, BOTH ladies are with baby bumps.  These were the only two we saw.  Did they have a special start time just for them?  Or do they run in packs as a general rule??  And are they both carrying girls (pink tops)?  Just wondering...

Then came the "little babes" 'running' with their parents.  They all seemed to be relaxing while their parents ran hard...

What's up with MOM pushing the stroller??  Maybe they were trading off?

Go cat, go!

Wow! Mom and Dad are sure breathing heavy!  I wonder why....this is such a nice ride.

  

And the moms in sync weren't to be missed ....

Fist pump... Yay!

We also met the little runners who ran the entire 5K ... and looked totally cool as they did!

We even offered extra customer service at our water station: 

 We tied shoes, and .... 

gave out free *hugs*!  

How cool is that??

Before long (well, it was actually quite a while, but who's counting), the last of the runners and walkers passed by and it was time to get rid of the extra water-filled cups.  This was the beginning of trouble....

Often, my "twelve-year-old-boy personality" jumps out... and here it was!  TROUBLE.

Take that!

But getting us back on track (while Hubs kept taking pictures), Ross (husband of Lori , GOTR council director/see below) grabbed the garbage can, and we cleaned up.  Thank goodness for common sense! 

In no time, we were cleaned up and heading back over to the postrace family festival.  There were lots of vendors for kids and their families, with lots of healthy stuff.  

How many postrace events hand out loaves of bread?  Hubs was feeling 'relaxed and healthy' in this shot...

We stopped by the Girls on the Run Orlando booth to see Lori, our local GOTR council director (and wife of Ross) ...

 and cheered on the future runners as the kids' run got underway.  Check out these running stars.   They were so much fun to watch!

Look at their faces... just like adult runners. Some just having a good time and others so serious & focused!

This little guy was amazing ... out there all by himself and he ran the entire distance, up and back.  Look at his shadow, like another runner with him.  :)  

We had such a good day and learned so much by working behind the scenes as volunteers.  Totally different perspective than being a runner in the race or spectator at the finish line.

The other thing that made this event extra special for me was the focus on families, particularly children.  In a sport where strollers are typically not  allowed in races for safety reasons, it was fun to see so many families running/walking/strollering together.  

And as the obesity rate continues to climb in our youngest sector of the U.S. population, I think it's soooo important to teach kids the fun and satisfaction of healthy living, including running and walking. 

So if you haven't yet (and I imagine many of you already have!), I invite you to sign up to be a volunteer on race day.  You'll be glad you did!

 

**Have you ever volunteered at a race/tri event?**  

What tips would you share with others?  

Happy running, friends....

Robin

Own your journey. One run at a time.

P.S. ~ Speaking of volunteering, did you happen to catch the article about Girls on the Run in the Sept/Oct issue of Women's Running Magazine?  You can read more here.  What an awesome organization!  I finally reached one of my 2010 goals and signed up to volunteer my time. I'll be meeting coaches and young runners in a few weeks... so excited!