Don't Worry, Be Happy

I had the awesome opportunity last weekend to work the Helvetia 1/2 Marathon from a different perspective - handing out water at the 10 mile mark for the Red Lizard aid station. Instead of pushing myself until my lungs were burning and my legs crying out to stop, I was cheering on runners, yelling out “electrolytes!” and generally making a happy fool out of myself. I loved it.

The steady stream of runners made for fascinating entertainment. First came the speedsters, hardly looking up as they dashed through the station without even the briefest slowing. Brooks IDer Jacob Puzey was battling it out for first place with another runner - they ran side by side down the gravel road, passing folks still running the 10k.

After the faster runners came the middle of the packers - smiling, working hard, taking in their electrolytes like good little runners should. About this time came in a teenaged kid, who promptly collapsed right near me. ”Aaahh,” he groaned. I looked around - no one else was coming up to help him. ”Oh crap,” I thought, “I don’t know what to do!” But I could recognize cramping, and I urged him to stop trying to move and take in some electrolytes. I soon learned that he had only had water up to that point, and it was a hot day. He had gone out blazingly fast - a 6:05 pace through the first six miles - probably too fast for his training, he lamented. I called the ham radio operator over to help him get a ride out of there - his race was done. Thankfully, an OHSU resident showed up about then and could help him out properly. Clearly I need to learn more about first aid!



We had a steady stream of folks at this point, and it was tough work just to keep the cups full. Slowly we saw some walkers emerge - first, the determined race walkers and then the folks needing to walk along with their running. As the people slowed down, the need for electrolyte drinks went up. We got to cheer more, chat more…and that’s when the day really got fun. Towards the back of the pack, runners aren’t afraid to stop and eat a donut at mile 10. They laugh, they enjoy themselves.

There were runners of all sizes and shapes - high school kids, older folks, and everyone in between. It was so inspirational to see all the types of runners who take on the 1/2 marathon challenge, rather than the few I typically see when I’m running an event. I had to laugh when I saw a woman who had stuffed her sports bra full of snacks - bags of nuts, shot blocks, and assorted other goodies - she was a store in motion! We saw it all.

We had to wait until the last walker was through; she showed up nearly four hours after the race had started. I expected her to be embarrassed that the porta-potty truck was trailing behind her, but she was upbeat and happy. We chatted about her nuun she was carrying and how the day had gone so far. She was enjoying the day, the race, the experience. If she was bothered that she was bringing up the rear, she didn’t show it. It’s a lesson worth learning.

In the end, we served over 4,000 runners water and electrolytes that day. But they served me too, letting me know that the race is not always for the swiftest. It is what we push ourselves to do that matters in the end. We can miss the goals we set, we can even be dead last, but it doesn’t have to ruin the day. What matters is that we are out there giving it our all.