An Inspirational Journey
This was the second time of being the “sweeper” at the Blackwater 50k ultra. Not including the missing runs that got deleted off my watch, this should bring me up to 21 ultras with distances of 30+ miles now!
For those who don’t know what a sweeper is, it’s basically the person who stays by the last person in the race and also redirects or picks up arrow signs. It’s nice because it gives me some extra distance needed for training for my own runs, but also allows me to meet new runners and see friends who are running the race. It can also give a good workout on your arms too when you’re running with 15+ signs!
I enjoy being the sweeper too as it’s also great helping others finish their races or accomplish something even without finishing. Just because I follow the last person on the race doesn’t mean it’s all jogging/hiking too. If the last person decides to drop out of the race or doesn’t make the cutoff time, I then have to race to try and catch up with the next person ahead of them, which could be 20 minutes ahead already. This can be challenging when you’re running at a faster pace while picking up and carrying arrow signs at the same time!
One important thing I’ve learned through my experience is that there are many reasons for people to run: competition, health issues, adventures and more. Whether you finish it or not, it should not be a main factor of being successful. In my opinion, if you get yourself off your couch and start any kind of race, you are successful no matter if you PR your run or if you don’t make the cutoff time.
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