A few thoughts on volunteering for the Seattle Marathon today, but first a minirant. If you see cones dividing a 2 lane road, and you see runners/walkers filling the left lane, do you really think I'm going to let you turn left? Do you even need to ask? Just fucking turn right and I would kinda appreciate it if you wouldn't scowl at me. It isn't my fault you didn't read the bulletins and signs around the neighborhood telling you about the marathon. And NO, I don't know an alternate route to Capitol Hill.
7 hours in the cold with no break is too fucking long to schedule a volunteer. Luckily the volunteer from the corner down the block didn't have anything to do since his corner had a cop directing traffic so I managed to go pee and get a cocoa at about 12ish (after getting there at 7:40 AM) When I left at 3:00 I was exhausted and FREEZING and hungry. Luckily, I had remembered the basic living in Alaska lesson... dress in layers. I had on: Silk long johns (hypothetically better at 'wicking', jeans, long sleeved t-shirt, another long sleeved t-shirt, hooded sweatshirt, old UAF jacket, hat. Both hoods were up and my scarf was up around my neck. For awhile, it was nice and I was in the sun and it was on my back and I felt like a cat probably feels, all toasty and warm, but the sun went behind the building nearby... it felt like it dropped 10 degrees for me. I enjoyed watching the runners and walkers. It made me... a little bit teary maybe to see some of these folks just plugging along. It was cool to see the fast ones too, that first runner for each the 1/2 and whole marathon... there's something oddly inspirational to that. It almost made me think I could do one. At least a half marathon (13 miles). With not much else to do except tell cars right turn only, I had a lot of time to stand and daydream. I figured Greenlake is 2.8 miles around so if I started slow and eventually built up to 5 times around Greenlake that would be a half marathon. I dunno, it is a nice thought. I bet I could at least walk the 1/2 marathon. Maybe I'll let it tumble in the back of my mind for a bit.
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