Last weekend, I learned that there is more to volunteering at a race than handing out food and drink and medals.

I found out there is a lot of prep: ice, fruit, propane, pallets of bread and tools to be purchased and more. There are stakes to be driven, signs to be stapled to said stakes, caution tape to be strung.

On race day, there was blood, hungry folks snapping up mashed potatoes topped with ramen broth and a woman with a tampon jammed up her nose because she fell and broke it.

I chose not to run on Sunday out of a combination of fatigue, a desire to keep helping and an impending epic rain and sleet storm, mixed with snow. Yep, we got all three.

It was an epic weekend where I saw most of my friends from The Valley (it was like a parade) and got to be part of one of the biggest races of the year.

Hats off to the folks who stayed the duration, working day and night. I was merely a bit player. But it was worth it.

Photo: the view from The Boyles aid station around 9:30 am on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021.