Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Sweep!




The next new activity!  Sweep on a race.

That was as cool as marking it, easier too as you didn't have to figure anything out, just remember not to cut off a finger with the box cutter.

Another 20K, raining again, though not so much.  I wore more too, which helped.

Conducted a scientific experiment as well, gloves, even if they are super thin fleece gloves help.  Even if those same super thin fleece gloves are so wet that every time you make a fist water runs off your hands.  Still warmer than bare hands.

Something to bear in mind!

It was the muckiest bit of trail I have ever walked.  Mud that came up over the tops of the boots and so much of it that you don't even try to avoid it.

Didn't even fall, which has to be something of a miracle, and as the three other sweeps and I went dressed as witches, we had to have brooms after all, it was a BLAST.

If anyone ever asks you to do sweep on a race?  Do it.  Fun fun fun.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have no idea what sweeping is, exactly. Only thing that comes to mind is you running with a broomstick across the track and clearing up branches and leaves with it.

oreneta said...

Sweeps are in most kinds of distance races, and they come along behind the last runner/rider. The responsibilities are varied, we had to clean up the course, so remove the trail markers and pick up any garbage left behind by the runners, be that water near the water stations, gel wrappers or whatever else they may chuck. We picked up other garbage as we went along as well. A second job is to ensure that no one collapses and remains unnoticed, we walk the entire route, so would pick up any cadavers we found. We had to carry cell phones, though no first aid equipment was required or expected, that said, we were all carrying space blankets.

A third roll is to let all the volunteers and food stations along the route know that the last runner is past and they can pack up and go home. The volunteers also send a text message to the race organizers to say that we've passed them so the organizers can track the last section of the race and make any changes that are necessary.

Got it?

It's mostly a lot of fun, especially if you dress up as a witch and play with it all a bunch!

Anonymous said...

Oooooh now that makes sense. Would be funny if you were doing it hopping on a broomstick, though. For Halloween, maybe? :D

oreneta said...

we did broomsticks with us for much of the route....and hats and witch noses!!! I wore a witch skirt too......