NatNews

Every Saturday morning, individuals who run with the White Rock Running Co-op are able to rehydrate with water and/or Gatorade at the 7-mile mark of the 10-mile route. Members of the WRRC volunteer to set out these coolers prior to the run each week to make sure that runners are able to make a quick pit stop before turning around on Swiss and heading back to Taco Joint.

Last week, however, the water stop was spruced up quite a bit. Josh Odegard, Photoshop master and IT guru, decided to include a variety of fan favorites—CapriSun, Hi-C, Yoo-hoo, Fireball minis, frozen grapes, non-frozen grapes, Sweet Tarts, Hershey’s Kisses, Little Debbie snacks, Peeps, and White Claws. Odegard pointed out that, while water and Gatorade help to fuel the body, they are not adequate sources of fuel for the mind.

“As most people know and agree, running sucks—all the way from the first step to the last,” Odegard said. “So giving the runners motivation to continue their run—along with their will to live mid-run—

is vital. That’s why whenever I volunteer for water duty, whether it’s months ahead of time or last minute, I like to bring out a cooler filled with random goodies. I find that the surprise everyone gets when they reach the 7-mile water stop is so invigorating and refreshing to them that many of them decide to run more than their originally planned miles.”

For Odegard, the extra effort and investment he makes toward helping his fellow runners are all worth it.

“It just makes me feel good to make others feel good,” he said. “Months of therapy have taught me that I’m a people pleaser. And months without therapy have taught me that it’s not a bad thing, and I don’t need to stop doing it if I don’t want to. If I receive enjoyment from helping others, and I don’t expect anything in return, it’s a win for everyone.”

Oftentimes in life, individuals find themselves in situations they were not expecting and taking on responsibilities that they were not anticipating. For one White Rock Running Co-op member, such a moment occurred in his life Saturday morning.

Ryan Herington, a Dallas resident originally from Connecticut, noticed that the group’s resident photographer, Mark Olateju, was not present at the run. Olateju was running (and documenting, of course) a 10K in Irving, and Herington knew what he needed to do—and he put in some extra effort to do so.

“I felt a slight obligation to fill in for him,” Herington said. “I ran a 7:53 and then a 7:20 mile to get to the lake ahead of everyone to take the sunrise photos. I try to make something fun or motivational or inspiring. For example, [for] the photos of everyone running past me on Swiss, I was standing in the middle of the road as they ran by. People don’t usually see photos of themselves like that.”

This isn’t the first time Herington has been the one behind the lens, though. When he initially began running with the WRRC a couple of years ago, he noticed that Olateju was always the one taking photos, so Herington began taking

pictures of Olateju so that he could be included in moments that will eventually pop up in Facebook memories, too. Additionally, Herington, who has a history of taking pictures of sunrises and sunsets at White Rock Lake, said that capturing images of runners with the sunrise in the background provides lasting value to moments that are certainly worth savoring.

“Not every day is amazing, but the culmination of a year’s worth of cool photos creates a great collage,” he said. “It makes people smile.

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

Ben and Aaron enjoy a sunrise run together