I always viewed running as a solo sport. In fact, I trained for my first half marathon totally on my own. Looking back, I now have the wisdom to see how much that sucked…
The Old Way
When I was signing up for my first races, I remember being hesitant to share my goals with friends and family in case I ended up backing out. If I never mentioned it, then it wouldn’t be a big deal.
The lack of confidence was real.
A New World
Fortunately, I eventually discovered a running club and joined with my sister. We were having a blast training for a half when the world went haywire. Everything shut down and the race was canceled. Nevertheless, I held on to that feeling of community and support, realizing just how important it is.
Flash forward a couple years. I had moved to a new city and my running connections had dried up. My sister was still there for moral support, but meeting up for a run was no longer a possibility. I gradually realized that I could not go back to my old way of thinking. I loved that community vibe and running solo had lost its appeal. I set out to find a new club to join.
Enter YYC Run Crew
A friend recommended I join her club. As an introvert, having a friendly face already in the group was huge. As it turns out, the club is growing very quickly so there are constantly new people. The result is a super welcoming overall vibe.
Although I have yet to find someone in the club with the same pace as me, I have regained that feeling of support and excitement to get out for a run. In fact, it was a fellow crew member that suggested I join Strava.
A Bump in the Road?
Despite my positive experience, after essentially taking this summer off from running, I was sort of dreading my first run back with the crew. The overthinker in me was expecting comments like “wowwww… long time no see” or “she’s alive?!”, followed by me collapsing on the side of the path from exhaustion while everyone else prances by…
However, as it turns out I am not the only person that is busy in the summer. It seemed like almost everyone was returning to the club after taking some time.
Being welcomed back with zero judgement was amazing. It instantly made me very excited to get back into the running and has been a partial contributor to my decision to train for this ultra marathon. Having a community that will understand and support my goals is huge.
Support System for the Win!
Of course, the club isn’t everything. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I started this blog as a way to stay motivated and accountable. So, if you are reading, I thank you for taking an interest and for believing in me!
