Let's see what happens when we all work together

I have been at this race directing thing for a few years now and have mostly learned on the job and I have always thought there should be a race director's symposium of sorts for local directors so we can each learn from each other. So, being an organizer I put together a list of local directors and organized a meeting.

We had our first get together yesterday, and while not everyone showed up we had a good mix of people. A trail running company, a company that has been around for a while with some seasoned vets, us and I reported notes to another road racing and tri company. I think it showed how much better we can be as a team rather than trying to each individually reinvent the wheel each and every time. We can be a united front when trying new things with the City, or with marketing or with any number of things. Sometimes you just need some friends.

The best thing I think happened is the beginnings of an initiative to keep things local. The retail world has a 'shop local' campaign, why not a 'race local' campaign? It would raise awareness of where your racing dollars are being spent, which local companies are putting on these races and which local nonprofits are being helped. Perhaps a logo on each and every race? Perhaps one day where we all give a discount to you, the local runner, perhaps a package deal or a punch card or one day where we push a run local campaign.

Now we just need a snazzy name for ourselves!

Do you have any ideas that you would like to see happen on the national running race scene?

I helped a friend move and all I got was this awesome cone!

Yes, that is right. I helped a friend move today in exchange for her letting me keep a cone that she had. Pathetic, I know! I love cones!

A famous follower

Subject: Bernard Lagat (@LagatUpdate) is now following you on Twitter! 

I have never really understood Twitter, what it can do, what its point is, who actually looks at it. I guess that is why we have an awesome Marketing and Communications intern, someone who can really utilize this tool in a way that I never understood. 

Regardless, it was thrilling when I woke up to an email from Twitter with the above subject line. Really!? Bernard Lagat follows Run for Good!? Well, I won't question and I will accept the following of a really famous awesome runner. Hello Bernard, should I tweet about you following us? Will that even be seen by anyone?

Is anyone famous following you? Are you following us on Twitter? 

@Run4GoodRacing

Run me to the moon!

Some people aspire to run in all 50 states, or even on every continent. While that is an admirable goal, it ain't nothing! How about a space station!? That is right, our race bibs were sent to space! How cool. 

The story is a friend of a friend emailed me, she was part of a project  put on by NASA and UW and she was looking for extra left over race bibs. I said sure, not really knowing what they needed them for, but I assumed it was for something cool.  We had extra Run Like The Wind bibs and we dug them out of storage and handed them off. 

Only later did I get this patch in the mail and was informed that our humble bibs were part of some grand experiment in space! I will be honest, I am no science and math wiz so I really had no idea what she was talking about, but it had something to do with tracking bodies as they moved through zero gravity and something to do with velocity or some such thing. All I know is that our race bibs were in space and we got this cool patch to prove it. 

So, next time you are thinking about running each state, just remember, we have already been to the moon! 

Useless race stuff - bibs, medals and more

We here at Run For Good Racing try to be a little bit green but it is a hard task. Races produce a lot of useless materials. Everything from plastic bottles, to shirts people just donate back to Goodwill, to medals and race bibs. Some of these items are hard to just do away with. You need your bibs for timing purposes, photo identification and safety. The material most used for race bibs is Tyvek, a nearly indestructible material that can be recycled, but it is a pain. You have to pay to have it recycled and send it off to a special company to handle it.

So, what to do with all this useless race material?

Well, here is an idea - make wall paper out of them. Hang them together with their own safety pins and hang them down like curtains. They are usually very colorful and make for a great conversation piece, a sure way to impress your visitors, and you can see your entire race history every time you walk down the hall. It is so satisfying to complete one row and start on another. As a race director I not only put the races I have personally finished but also all the races I have directed as well.

What do you do with your useless race stuff?

I have seen quilts made out of old shirts, coasters made out of race bibs, special hangers for medals, I even recently saw a very cute apron made out of race shirts.

Here is what I do with my medals. I have so many of them now that they are on 3 different door knobs and they provide a nice clangy sound every time I open the doors.

Damn you nice weather!

I have what some would call a "reload" problem. If you read this blog you know that I have an obsessive personality when it comes to checking emails, especially when we have just sent out a big email blast, or posted something on Facebook.

I get an email every time someone registers. Its a good way for me to tell what marketing is working, what is not, what the trends are and which neighborhoods people are registering from.

I have this theory about the weather. One would think that on a nice sunny day one would imagine oneself running a glorious race, crossing the finish line in a sunny park, blue skies gleaming down on your accomplishments. Then why is it that not a lot of people are registering on days like this? It has been gorgeous here in Seattle and registrations have slowed down for a couple of our races. It always boggles my mind when we get a ton of sign ups on the most rainy nasty cold Seattle days. Who would think about running on those days?

Well if you are from here you know that Seattleites do not stay indoors on sunny days, it just does not happen. You see happy people walking on the streets in their flip flops and shorts, lounging in parks and happily biking and running down trails. People are not sitting on their computers thinking about race registrations.

So, I say, damn you nice weather! Please let it be gray and rainy for a couple of days so people are forced inside to browse through race calendars and sign up for our awesome races! But, then, please be nice and sunny, but not too hot, on race day!!!

Reading Materials of a Race Director

I am about to admit something very personal here - I have reading materials in my bathroom, that is right, mostly magazines and catalogs, like a lot of you, admit it! You might be interested to know that Race Director's reading materials might differ from yours. At least this race director's.

There are the typical running magazines, both national and local. One would expect that.

The interesting thing is the catalogs. I get all sorts of things sent to me. From promotional items catalogs, to safety equipment catalogs, party supply catalogs, and probably one of my favorites is Harbor Freight Tools. I do not know why I love that place so much. Perhaps I fantasize about one day organizing events that are worthy of heavy equipment. I do drool over the shiny brand new cones (if you read below, I sort of have a cone obsession) and the bright orange vests that I dream my volunteers will wear one day! I look at new sorts of items to give out on race day, would you be interested in getting a calculator with a Run Scared 5K logo? Yeah, probably not.

These catalogs are a time suck, but they do make for a great bathroom read! There you have it, personal habits of a race director revealed!