When are the config_rules loaded for form_validation library?

[eluser]amites[/eluser]
Hello,

I'm building a model to handle multiple groups of Form_Validation rules at once pulled from config/form_validation

my question is when are the rules loaded?
if I try to call them before run() the array is empty,

yet the run function inside form_validation doesn't show when they are loaded, they just show up within the first line of the function

is there any way to populate config_rules directly?
other approaches I'm not seeing?

thank you,
Alvin