Had an interesting running experience tonight . . . Last Thursday night I participated in a group run. Two of my running friends were there, which was cool. I ran with one of them the whole time. I decided to go again tonight. Its extremely rare for me to join a group or even a single individual for a training run, because Im very anti-social. Okay, well thats obviously a lie. The real reason is that my race and work schedules vary so much that its really hard to have enough consistency for someone else to count on, and I dont want anyone to miss a run on my account. Plus, its just part of my nature to go out and run without any specific mileage or pace in mind, and make a plan on the run. So I just run by myself most of the time. Thats fine by me, as I dont need external motivation from others to run, and I get plenty of running socialization at every race. Since I started running ultras, I dont think Ive ran more than a handful of marathons or ultras (over 300 now) where I didnt know someone - even in far off states like Massachusetts, Texas, Alaska, Georgia, and Wyoming. I take that back. I did run a 50-mile race once in Washington in 2010 were I didnt know a single person. Thinking back on it, that was a little strange. But back then I wasnt the Jester, and that race was only my third ultra (two Nanny Goat 100s prior to that race). Okay, so tonight I went back to run with the group again. One of my friends wasnt there, and the other one had gone out earlier on a run with his wife. So Im standing in the shoe store as people start to trickle in - maybe 10 or 12 total. I dont know any of them, although I did recognize a few from the week before. They seemed to know each other mostly though, so it felt really odd, being an outsider. At races, I typically know so many people that I never run a race without lots and lots of hugs. No hugging for the jester tonight. You know something . . . I really like runners hugs! I grew up in foster care, and maybe thats the biggest reason why I was never comfortable hugging people growing up and even into my late 40s. Other than my wife and children, hugging really felt forced and uncomfortable. But something changed when I joined the ultra-community, and hugging became the standard form of greeting. Shaking someones hand at a race just feels weird now. Anyway, it was very strange to be with a group of runners and not be in the middle of a hug fest. So, everyones in their little groups, exchanging chit-chat, and then someone makes their way to the door and we all faithfully follow. GPS devices are activated, and were on our way. There are three options - four, six, and eight mile loops, with usually only a few going for the full eight. Tonight, there was one regular and myself going long, as far as I could tell, and I think he may have ended up doing just the six. The group spreads out and Im running by myself. I knew the route from the week before. All on sidewalks, streets, and paved bike paths. Mostly in a quiet commercial area with minimal lighting on tree lined streets. There was a gradual hill that we went up and then down the other side, and for those going long, up and down in the other direction. I was completely alone after the first mile. Now as far as training runs go, it was actually a really, really good run for me. For various reasons I actually much prefer training on streets than trails. Could explain why Im not a very good trail runner. So the eight miles actually went by much quicker than I expected. And it was a fun and very rewarding run. No music, no one to talk to, very few cars, quite, dark, and perfect running weather. Just the voices in my head for company. Who needs other runners when youve got good company like that? So I finish my run and go into the running store to pick up my car keys. The salesperson knows me and she offers me a cup of water from the back - everyone else had left and everything had already been put away when she realized that there was still one lone runner out on the course. On the drive home, I had time for reflection. The run: A good run. Actually, it was a great run - if every run was just like tonights, Id do a whole lot more training runs. The camaraderie: Non-existent. Now the reality is, I could have reached out and introduced myself, and then ran a shorter/slower run with one of the two to three person groups. I now regret that I didnt. Maybe I didnt make myself approachable. I know that some of them knew of my running background, and maybe that made them feel a bit uncomfortable. I dont know. I certainly could have been much more outgoing, introduced myself and joined one of their little groups. Luckily I love to run and race so much that this little incident really has no negative effect on me, but it did remind me of feelings that I hadnt experienced for quite some time - years actually. Feelings that I had in foster care and in elementary school. I was an outsider once again. So, knowing that Im all about keeping this page positive, combined with my belief that every experience, good or bad, provides a learning opportunity and a chance for growth - if were open to the message - whats the lesson I learned from this? Actually theres two lessons the running gods have tried to teach me tonight. Lesson number one: Remember what it feels like to be an outsider. The veteran runners among us should never let newbies feel that way. Ever! Most of the time, were really good at inclusiveness in trail and ultra running. Maybe sometimes its actually more about protection of the rookie than inclusion. And maybe a big part of that is simply for survival - and we do it unconsciously. That might somewhat explain why we sometimes forget to put out the welcoming mat when it comes to street running. Really, how much trouble can they get into - theres people everywhere and everyones carrying cell phones on their bodies. We just need to remember to reach out a hand, and bring them into the fold. And when necessary, even tuck them under our wing. Lesson number two: Never again take another runners hug for granted . . .
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 07:56:53 +0000
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