Running in a 5k vs. Running a 5k

... and I'm back.  There hasn't been a post in a while because there hasn't been time for much of anything else lately.  We've been busy at work preparing for our big new fundraiser, the Run for the Red Twilight 5k.  I've run in a few races so I thought we could organize one too. 

It was going to be fun.  We'd pick a route and have it certified.  We'd pick a great place along the lake for a post-party.  We'd hire a band too, just to make it really cool.  Oh, and we'd throw in a free beer or glass of wine at the post party because as much as you'd think otherwise, runners love to drink.

Last night we succeeded- beyond anyone's expectations.  And while it was fun, and it was rewarding, it was also very different running a race than running in one.  Here's what I learned.

When you run in a race, you expect about 100 people for a first-year race.  When you run a race, you set your goal for 100, hope 200 show up, and then are overwhelmed when you get 539 participants.

When you run in a race, you sign up ahead of time, or just show up and register.  When you run a race, you start planning a year in advance.  You file paperwork and go to city council meetings and solicit sponsors.

When you run in a race, you show up on race day and get your race number on a bib.  When you run a race, you organize all of your bibs on a spreadsheet, and then retype them into another spreadsheet to send to the timing company to create the bibs.  And despite checking and rechecking your lists, people show up who are registered yet you can't find their bib.  There are lines involved.  And more paperwork.

When you run in a race, you get a t-shirt.  When you run a race, you guarantee the first 200 participants a t-shirt.  You then order 450 t-shirts.  500 people show up and 50 of them are mad that they didn't get a shirt.

When you run in a race, you get to eat afterwards.  When you run in a race, you're the one that drove all over the county fetching donated apples and water bottles and granola bars, but at 10 o'clock at night you realize you haven't had a bite to eat since lunch time.  If you even ate lunch.

When you run in a race, you claim your prize (hopefully!), grab one last free granola bar, and then head home.  When you run a race, you spend the rest of the night repacking all of the stuff you brought to the race, a sleepless night worrying about how it went, and the entire following day working on post-race stuff with a constant stream of caffeine keeping you awake. 

... then you write a rambling post at 10pm because you still can't figure out how to calculate the 'team' winners that seemed like such a good idea a year ago.

Thanks to all who came out for our first year.