MR340 volunteering

Hello. This month went by very quickly and fortunately the heat has abated. As the title hints, I am going to blog about my day of volunteering for the MR340 at the Glasgow checkpoint with Rebecca. With a little over 200 boaters we had our work cut out for us. We arrived at 9am and began almost immediately. Our duties were mainly to keep track of when the racers arrived at the checkpoint and when they left. This was necessary for a couple of reasons. Safety was the most important reason followed by time keeping. It was a warm day but there was a nice breeze on the river. Some racers made quick stops and others made long stops so we had to "arrange" the boats with some kind of logic. This became difficult when many boats arrived within minutes of each other. I think next year I will bring a video camera to record the interesting dances racers perform when exiting their boats and regaining their land legs. Nobody had an accident so the dance must be effective. Talking with the racers was very fun and enlightening. One solo racer said something to the effect that he was a mountain climber and he listed some recent exploits (Mt. Fiji being one), he then said that the MR340 was the most difficult thing he has ever done. Many racers questioned their sanity. By 5pm the last boats had check out and we were free to go. I met many interesting and entertaining people on the river that day and am looking forward to helping out next year if I am able. I have obtained an extention through September to complete my hours so I will meet the new AmeriCorps members at training and see the returning ones. Take care everyone. Lance Mallette.