Let’s Get Out and Run Together!
by Shannan Gabe
February 28. 2010
Today is the eighth anniversary of the afternoon I decided to literally get off the couch and see how far I could run. It was a nice day, my 30th birthday was fast approaching, and I had been inactive my entire teenage and adult life, so I thought it was time to get up and do something, and running seemed like the simplest option. I could only jog about half a block before I had to walk, but I kept getting out there and gradually increasing how far I could run without walking, and before I knew it, I was ready to try a 5K race! Now, eight years later, I realize that that day was the beginning of something life-changing for me, and it wasn’t about getting in shape, losing weight, or beating my fastest race time. My life is better because of the people with whom I have connected through running. All my favorite running memories over the past eight years are focused on my fellow runners — celebrating my first marathon with friends who ran alongside me or who drove to Columbus to cheer us on, the overindulgent pizza feast that fellow runners and I stupidly shared before a half marathon in Chicago (I still get teased about the amount of food I crammed down that night!), the crazy stories that have gotten told as we plod through our Saturday morning group runs. While I agree that solitary runs can at times be good for the mind and soul, I am convinced that running is best as a social sport.
Based on the findings of our 2009 membership survey, many of you agree that running together is a good thing and more opporutnities to run together is what you want. I am pleased to announce that the Executive Board of BLUEgrass Runners is taking that feedback to heart and making efforts now to establish more group runs. We just need you to tell us where and when you want to start a regular group run. For example, if you already run every Tuesday after work at the Arboretum, make it a group run, and we’ll help you get the word out to other club members. Maybe you like to run in the mornings before work in your own neighborhood — let us know that you’d enjoy having others join you, and we’ll help you start up a group run.
With members living in various parts of Lexington and in surrounding counties as well, there are opportunities for BGR group runs all over the BLUEgrass, but we just need to know where and when in order to get them started! If you’re interested in being part of a group run, send an email to bgrwebsite@gmail.com, let us know where and when, and we’ll get some new groups running together.
