I’ve never been much of a sporty person. In high school I even took dance classes to avoid the team sports and swimming credits required for graduation. In 2014 I decided to try a few 5ks. I enjoyed them, but didn’t have much of a support system that encouraged me to keep trying. It’s a difficult to go solo to do something very hard. In total between 2014 and 2021 I did a total of 9 runs of varying lengths in person and then a handful of virtual runs that I did with gym work outs.
In 2022, I signed up for four in person 5ks (completed 3) and was suddenly very curious about what else I could accomplish. I have a tendency to go all out on new things so for 2023 I challenged myself to complete one 5k race/fun run a month for the whole year. I ended up registering for 16 5k races, an 8k race (accidentally), a 10k Fat Ass and a 12k Fat Ass. I completed all but 1 of the 5ks though some were more hard won than others. In 2023, I ran just shy of 70 miles in races. I ran in all types of weather, at events that varied from a pop up race to a fat ass to a themed race/party.
At some point in April, I started meeting up with running groups. It was amazing to learn from other runners and meet people that I could share running with. Most groups meet at breweries, run a loop and come back for a bevvy and hang time. The first group I stumbled upon meant I was learning running tips for becoming a runner from an Olympic Athlete (shout out to Alicja Konieczek). She met me at my level and to this day is super excited to celebrates my wins and losses with me. By the end of summer I realized that I’m not a social runner so I stopped doing the group runs. I made some lasting running friends to cheer on, who also cheer me on.
As an awkward, obese older woman, just getting into running, I was shocked by and now I celebrate the easy community you can find. There’s one social run I still show up for and that’s the Monthly Full Moon out and backs along the river. It’s the right balance of social before and after, with night running and letting me focus on my own run.
The year wasn’t without challenges. I focused on finishing races instead of paces, which meant I often saw the event closing down as I arrived at the finish line. I also got caught up in the running and pushed too hard, too fast trying to keep up with one of the groups I joined and gave myself shin splints. The hardest part for me, was finding the balance between running and resting. Every run was a win as I went from 3 races to 18.
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