Trek-A-Thon II

Last Saturday, VTI held its annual fundraising event, the Trek-a-thon. Trek-a-thon is basically a time where people raise money for VTI and then walk, run, cycle, blade, whatever 15-30 km, depending on how far they want to go. My team was there to help out with the festivities. This meant getting up at 6:00 or earlier to start setting up at Fish Creek Park by 7:00. As people started arriving, a few of us directed traffic, though I basically just stood there and looked friendly (I think). When the trek itself started, I went out on an old street bike that had no such thing as low gear to be what is called a course marshal. That means that we basically were supposed to tell people which direction to go (I didn't even know), repair minor injuries, and pump flat bike tires when needed. It also involved fooling around on radios for no reason whatsoever. FUN!!!

I think this means that I was supposed to know the course fairly well, but as it turned out, I ended up going the wrong way with a group of people. We eventually found our way and, shortly thereafter, I got a flat tire. I tried pumping it up with my slow hand pump and finally decided that it was punctured and started walking it back. At the 5km mark, I borrowed someone else's bike and got back when I was supposed to be back for lunch. However, lunch wasn't there, so I took a golf cart out to pick up my bike. The bike had gotten home some other way and, by the time I got back, I was late for the program we were going to do for the Trekkers. I felt slightly conspicuous, but I often feel slightly conspicuous. It worked out in the end. I was tired out of my mind from cycling around up long hills in high gear and a black t-shirt. Oh well! It makes a good story. I like good stories.