The clock read 30:05 as the front wheel of the stroller crossed the finish line. Not bad, I thought to myself. Finally getting back into shape after the baby.
If you would have asked 15-year-old me if I could ever be happy running a 30-minute 5k, she would have laughed and continued doing hill repeats until she got another stress fracture in her foot. She was a bit of an idiot, to be honest. But she was very fast and thought at one point that college running was an option.
Long story short, college running was not in the cards for me (see the above mention of overtraining-related injuries), and somewhere along the line I decided I wanted running to play a supporting role, rather than a lead role in my life. But the problem with trying to live a balanced life is it may involve studying, traveling, sleeping in, or going on a date rather than doing a workout. Which is fine and good, but it doesn’t translate to running faster times.
When I moved back to Winston-Salem in 2018, approximately 15 years after leaving it as conference champion in the mile, I was a little reluctant to get back into running groups. Where does an average runner find training partners? Would people judge me now that I wasn’t running as fast anymore?
But when I started showing up to a few events, both through Twin City Track club and other outlets of the Winston-Salem running community, I found that could not be further from the truth. I have been a part of many running groups before, but the Winston-Salem group is especially welcoming, and not just to speed demons. I have run with people whose motivations range from managing their health to keeping up with their grandchildren. I have paced a half marathon where a women told me that breaking 2 hours in a half marathon was one of her bucket list items if she beat cancer. Experiences like that drove home that running is about so much more than just times.
It’s a bit of a contradiction really. It’s an individual sport in which we all want to run faster than our competitors, but it’s the sport that brings together a wide range of people. I made friends and found a place for myself in high school, made social connections that landed me my first job out of PT school, and was my only social outlet during the pandemic. Coming back to Winston and connecting with the amazing community of runners made me remember why I got into this crazy sport in the first place. Just like anything else in life running can look different at different times and your relationship with it may change, but it can be like an old friend. Even though you may be different, you can move forward with a new appreciation. So the next time you are afraid to start again (or for the first time) in your running journey, don’t be afraid to run fast or slow, long or short, or anything in between.
