A Little Help for My Friends

Last Sunday, I experienced something completely different for me--I volunteered at the Mountain Goat instead of running it. This 10-mile jaunt up and down some of the toughest hills in Syracuse is one of my favorite races. This year, nearly 3,000 runners participated, but not me.
I sat this one out because I didn't know how well prepared I would be after my Dec. 16 foot surgery. I was able to complete the entire course on April 16, during one of the Goat training runs, but it wasn't exactly in a stellar time. Still, once I knew I could run the 10-miler, the early (less expensive) registration deadline had passed.
I felt sad, but got over it and my husband and I signed up to direct traffic for the race. At first, we thought we would be at the entrance to Thornden Park, at about mile 7.5. But we got moved to mile 6.5 to what I consider the toughest portion of the race--near the crest of the Colvin Street hill near Lorraine Avenue. It really was awe-inspiring watching runners as they approached, adjusted and eventually conquered that hill. My hat's off to every one of you!
It also was fun watching my friends go by (sorry that I missed some of you), and cheering them on. Now I know what it feels like to be able to give, instead of receive, encouragement.
I have always made it a point to thank volunteers at all the races I have run. We really enjoyed helping out on Sunday, and now I realize even more how vital volunteers are to all the races. I know my running friends love to run races. But I would encourage every one of you to look at your calendar and identify a race you aren't running; then sign up to help out. You'll be glad you did!
Anyway, now that April has passed (though it feels like November this morning), here are my training numbers for the month. They aren't quite half-ironman training numbers, but I'm getting there:
Monthly totals:
Swim: 17428.70 Yd - 4h 57m 57s
Bike: 205.21 Mi - 14h 34m 05s
Run: 75.55 Mi - 11h 56m 18s
Strength: 6h 04m
Sport (mostly yoga): 6h 24m