Today, the first Friday of February, is national "Wear Red" day in honor (or observance) of Women's Heart Health Awareness, as spearheaded by the "Go Red for Women" campaign. So of course I will be wearing red to work and I've been handing out Red Dress pins.

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Put aside the images of the Kingston Trio's Boston-area rewrite of "The Ship That Never Returned" and think instead of a group of riders, runners, walkers, or drivers following one after the other, or a flock of migratory birds, or any group trying to travel a significant distance, using the strongest to protect the weakest from wind and weather, each member of the group taking a turn at the front to allow the others to recover.

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Red and green, the colors of Yule: the poinsettia and the evergreen, the holly berry and the ivy, the winter coats and cycling helmets...

Winter coats and cycling helmets????

In early on the 11th for my shift, I walked over to the supermarket at the other end of the strip mall to pick up a few things. On the checkout line next to me, I noticed a woman shorter and older than me, wearing a bright red cycling helmet.

"I'm glad to see I'm not the only person who cycles to my errands," I said.

"It's new," she said, referring to her helmet. "It's red, so I hope they can see me." 

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[This post follows "A Day At the Races (I) — Before the Event", where I discussed some of the work that goes into setting up a fundraising walk, run, or ride.]

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Most of us who have been around the diabetes community, or any running, cycling, or charity-event community, have had the opportunity to participate in a large event — either as a participant or as a volunteer. Most volunteers come in the day of the event, check in participants or hand out food or beverages for a few hours, and go home. Participants sign up, solicit donations (if it's a charity event), show up, burn some calories, maybe eat some food, and go home. Very few of us get to see how much work, and how many people, it takes to put on an event. If you've ever wondered why the fundraising bar for charity cycling rides is set at $200, $500, $3000, or more... this is why.

Let's start at the beginning. Most of the real work of an event starts months before the day of the race, ride, or walk.

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I will not be walking in this Sunday's Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes.

I will not be walking in costume.

I will not be walking out of costume.

I will not be walking.

I will be running... the New York City Marathon.

Note that I did not say "running in the Marathon", but "running the Marathon".

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