Volunteer Spotlight: Sonia Weiser and Virginia Ofer
April was Volunteer Appreciation Month and while this post comes a little late for Volunteer Appreciation Month, we always appreciate our volunteers. Volunteers help make PPTC what it is. With Volunteer Appreciation Month just behind us and volunteer opportunities for PPTC’s Al Goldstein Speed Series opening soon, we are turning the spotlight on two members who are dedicated volunteers and often volunteering at PPTC’s Al Goldstein Speed Series.
Sonia WeiseR (she/her)
Photo courtesy of Sonia Weiser
Sonia has been a member for just over a year and you’ll often find her volunteering as bag check captain at PPTC’s races, including the Al Goldstein Speed Series. Sonia is a journalist and the founder/creator of Opportunities of the Week, what she says is a poorly named but wildly popular newsletter for freelance writers. In addition to volunteering with PPTC, Sonia volunteers with Muddy Paws Rescue and enjoys spending time with her own rescue pup. Read on for more about Sonia.
How did you find PPTC and why did you join?
Like a lot of people, the pandemic made me realize that I have no real hobbies and few real friends. After I moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan in 2020, I made it a priority to find a community and knew that track clubs were one way to do that. I had heard murmurs about PPTC and decided to join. That said, I didn’t start running with the group for months because I was too nervous to make that initial move.
How did you first get into running?
I wasn’t a runner until recently. I always wanted to be a runner because all the hot girls in high school were runners and I wanted to be one of them. Through college and a few years after, I did yoga as my main form of exercise, but the combination of the pandemic and learning that the yoga studio was a money laundering cult (seriously) made me switch activities to find something I could do outside and alone.
What is your most memorable running memory and your favorite race?
I ran my first race in April! It was the Brooklyn Half. Incidentally, I now know a great place to get an IV if you ever get wildly dehydrated after running a race.
What is your favorite distance to race?
7 miles. I like being done with a workout in exactly an hour.
What do you listen to when you run?
Disco, pop, jazzercise jams. If a drag queen has performed it at brunch or you could hear it at a high school reunion, maybe on a wedding dance floor or a bar mitzvah candle lighting ceremony, then I’ve probably run to it.
What do you find to be most rewarding about running?
I’m a goal oriented person and very little in my life is easily quantifiable. As a writer, much of my work feels ephemeral—it gets published, maybe a few people notice, usually they don’t, then the internet finds something else to read. The bigger the publication, the bigger the letdown when days or weeks or months of labor goes basically unacknowledged. With running, I can see my own growth and improvement. It doesn’t matter if anyone else does. I know I’m getting stronger and faster.
What do you find to be most challenging about running?
I’ve always had a fraught relationship with my body and have dealt with anorexia for nearly two decades. I grew up in the ballet world where looking like a dancer was fundamental to being a dancer and self-destruction was the way to get there. When I switched to doing yoga, the obsession with thinness wasn’t much better. I was able to do both of those activities while starving myself. Running requires eating. There’s really no way around it. But knowing that you need to eat more and actually eating more while battling body dysmorphia is exhausting. Especially because running and anorexia are fueled by discipline and perfectionism, the cultures surrounding both often bleed into each other. It takes significant mental energy to remind myself that it’s more empowering to run than it is to be the skinniest person in the room.
What motivates you to sign-up to volunteer and why should others volunteer?
Volunteering was how I first got connected to the group. It’s a good way to meet people and give back to the community without having to run around so much. One of the things I love about this crew is that runner smalltalk isn’t at all like dating small talk. I’ve volunteered with people for hours before learning what they did for work or where they live or whether or not they think monogamy is an antiquated practice. It’s incredibly refreshing.
Sonia and Linda with more volunteers at bag check. Photo by Larry Sillen
What should someone new to volunteering with PPTC know?
Runners can be assholes too and you need to learn when to put your foot down and tell someone they can’t take advantage of your generosity. One of the old-timers taught me that so now I pass it on to you.
Also you won’t get asked out nearly as much as you might hope.
You usually volunteer at bag-check for PPTC’s races. What about this particular volunteer position attracted you to it and keeps you signing up for it?
I’m very type A. I like order. Bag-check fulfills all my obsessive needs to put things in tidy rows.
What advice would you give to new runners or your younger self?
This is advice I have to keep giving myself: you will have bad days but they’re not worth dwelling on. There’s nothing wrong with running slower or not going as far. Just don’t let those days discourage you from trying again.
Do you currently have any running related goals? If so, what are they?
Don’t get injured.
You can find Sonia on Twitter at @weischoice and on Instagram at @sonweis
Sonia keeping an eye over bag check. Photo by Larry Sillen
Virginia OfeR (she/her)
Virginia and Crystal Cun. Photo by Larry Sillen
Virginia has been a member for about a year. I first met Virginia while I was running one of the Al Goldstein Speed Series races last year. She was the friendly volunteer bike marshal with the long braid trailing from her helmet. Virginia is an architect who enjoys sewing, knitting, playing the piano, and cooking. Here’s some more about Virginia.
How has the club evolved since you first joined?
Many special interest groups have been started in the past year. I love this, because it helps us get to know people we might not otherwise meet during group runs.
How did you find PPTC and why did you join?
I did a Google search and looked at the Instagram page. I felt like NYC wasn’t checking all my boxes anymore, and wanted friends who were as focused on being active as I was! Once I joined, day-to-day happiness instantly improved, and I knew I’d found my people.
How did you first get into running?
Apart from some painful 5Ks as a kid, and a brief stint with the X-Country team in high school, I first trained seriously for the 2018 BAA distance medley while living in Boston. It’s hard to believe I used to be so terrified of the half marathon distance!
What is your favorite PPTC event?
The hiking trips! As cool as running is, I really love getting out of the city, taking it slow, and hanging out with my best run club friends.
Virginia and Anja Kremzow. Photo by Larry Sillen
In what aspect of the club are you most active?
Honestly, activities where running is not the focus.
What is your most memorable running memory and your favorite race?
My first marathon - NYC 2021. I’ll always remember the support on the streets and the last few miles into the park when I knew I was going to finish!
What is your favorite distance to race?
By default, the marathon. But I suspect in a few years I’ll enjoy 10Ks better.
What do you listen to when you run?
Nothing! Running is one of the only times where I’m completely in the moment and paying attention to my body and my surroundings.
What do you find to be most rewarding about running?
It provides an incredible amount of mental strength and self-knowledge.
What do you find to be most challenging about running?
These days, it’s the increasing amount of time spent out there, running. It can get a bit onerous.
What motivates you to sign-up to volunteer and why should others volunteer?
Sometimes it can be way more fun to support a race than to run the race. I’ve made solid friendships, learned about the workings of the club, and had a great time while volunteering! And no running was required :)
What should someone new to volunteering with PPTC know?
Volunteering for any PPTC activity is one of the most rewarding activities! With a small time commitment, you’re able to meet new friends, cheer on your teammates, and provide critical support to keep races and club events happening! It’s always a great mood booster!
You usually volunteer as a bike marshal for PPTC’s races. What about this particular volunteer position attracted you to it and keeps you signing up for it?
It was something I’d never tried before, but had always been interested in - I love jobs that are more action-based. And then each race was more fun than the last, so I kept signing up. It’s also a great excuse to get some cross training in, especially when those pack leaders are blasting up zoo hill!
What advice would you give to new runners or your younger self?
If you run, you’re a runner. Go easy on yourself - you’re doing a great job!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with your teammates?
I love being part of PPTC and getting to know more of you guys each week. I’m happy we’re all here!
Do you currently have any running related goals? If so, what are they?
My first ultra is coming up - the Rock the Ridge 50 Miler. I’m mostly hoping to finish in 13 hours or so and cheer on the remaining finishers with the fantastic PPTC Trail Crew!
You can donate to Virginia’s Rock the Ridge 50 Miler fund raiser here.
You can find Virginia on Instagram at @vigiofer
Virginia with fellow volunteer bike marshals Murray Rosenblith and Anja Kremzow. Photo by Jimmy Leung
Introductory Text by: Linda S. Chan (she/her)
Interviewees: Sonia Weiser and Virginia Ofer
Photos: Courtesy of Sonia Weiser and by Larry Sillen (as noted)
Produced by: Linda S. Chan
PPTC is a diverse and supportive team. We want to celebrate the diversity of our club and membership. We welcome and encourage everyone to share their stories with us.