Everything went smooth for the most part. The volunteers were great. Steve DeReamer, the past director, was sympathetic to my plight. He was helpful and insightful but I am sure he was happy to be off the hook for the first time in years. Running Bear, my webmaster, has far more knowledge than he wants anyone to know. I think he doesn’t want the limelight but thoroughly deserves more than he gets. About twenty volunteers helped prepare for the event and helped during race day. If I have not thanked each of you personally many times over I do so now. 

            All of the runner’s comments were positive. If anyone has suggestions I would like to consider them for the run next year.    

 As a first time Race Director there are a few things I learned. Some are: 

It is easier to run the course than be a race director or a volunteer. If you don’t believe that last statement try it sometime.  

My wife is a much better, more patient person than I will ever be.  

I don’t know how non-running partners put up with runners. 

No matter how many times you go over the course at the race meeting or how many markers you put on the trail or what you say at the starting line, someone is going to get lost on the trail. 

Someone is going to be unable to find the race site entirely.  

Not everyone should be a trail runner.  

You should tell the guy throwing the orange peals back in the fresh oranges what he is doing wrong. It must be his first trail run and he does not know trail etiquette.  

Everyone at the trail head throws their garbage in the cans. Really, we did not have to pick up one thing except the garbage we bagged.  

It is hard to keep up with bagging the trash and putting new liners in the cans. 

There are some gracious souls who will ask for garbage bags and pick up the trail as they run the course. My thanks to each of them.  

You could not pay people to do what volunteers will do for a race director.  

You need a really big truck to haul enough items to accommodate 200+ runners.  

A contract with U-Haul for a truck at a particular time and place is not worth the paper on which it is written. U-Haul will not call even if their contract says they will. They did not have a truck within 30 miles.   

U-HAUL SUCKS. Don’t depend on them. U-Haul is the only problem I had during the entire event. 

We used 170 gallons of water during the run. That’s a lot of water to carry 6 miles from the nearest supply line into the woods. 

Planning is everything.  

It is not possible to keep peanut butter and jelly sandwiches fresh when the wind is blowing 10-20 miles per hour. They are stale in seconds.  

Runners will eat lots of candy bars if offered at aid stations.  

If you are getting sick to your stomach you are dehydrated. 

It is reassuring to have an ambulance at the start finish when the weather is heating up. 

It is possible to talk two of your friends into running their first 50K, even if their previous personal best was only about 12 miles. It is still up for grabs if they are ever talking to me again. 

I can talk some people into anything. I can’t talk some people into anything.