I am tired but it’s a good kind of tired.
These past few months have been busy. I have run three races – Cactus Coulee, Sinister 7 and Elk Valley Ultra, and I have been getting out to the mountains as much as possible.
Training has been going relatively well. None of my old injuries have emerged, which tells me I am doing something right. This year I have focused on cross training through strength training and swimming. I have always loved lifting weights (especially when I was doing CrossFit) and spending time at the pool.
I am running consistently and getting in a good amount of vert. My right glute has been bothering me for a couple of weeks now. Maybe overuse? I have been getting consistent massages and doing all the rehab things so I am crossing my fingers it will only be a matter of time before it works itself out.
Running socially
Another change this year has been my social running. You may have noticed on Strava that I have been sharing a lot of kilometres with other runners. But let me tell you it’s not easy for me to show up for these group runs. I usually run alone. I have always felt like an outsider and not good enough – basically a social misfit. So it’s much easier for me to go out on my own in the mountains where I feel more at home.
Back in December, however, I challenged myself to put myself out there and join the local running community for social runs.
I’ve only been in the city for three years, two of which were during the pandemic. The isolation really did a number on me mentally. It was a scary time to be alone in a new city with few contacts. I mostly stayed in my own bubble getting fatter and stressing about how the pandemic was going to take us all out. Trying to be social or meet new people was not high on my list.
For a few weeks now, I’ve been joining the Calgary Trail Runners group run at West Bragg on Tuesdays. I’ve been on the MeetUp group for awhile but I haven’t taken part. A bunch of years ago, I joined the group on a few Saturday runs when I was still living in Red Deer.
I admit the first time I joined a group run I was really nervous about fitting in or being cool enough. And guess what? It wasn’t as big and scary as I thought it would be. Everyone was pretty chill and there were a lot of new-to-CTR runners. There were different pace groups and people ran according to what they were feeling that day.
Months ago I had uncharacteristically answered a call for training buddies for Sinister 7 on Facebook. I joined a couple runners (Kate and Allison), now friends, for a few long runs. Kate was also part of our training weekend in Crowsnest.
I have also joined a few of the monthly Arc’teryx runs. The most recent one was at Nose Hill where Rilee Many Bears led us on a run. I think this run was one of my favourite runs because it was an opportunity to hear other runners’ stories and to celebrate movement. So in addition to my own training, I have been busy being a social running butterfly.
Runners, especially trail runners, are an interesting lot. I am curious by nature so I ask a lot of questions, and you’d be surprised how much people open up on the trail. And let’s be honest, which runner doesn’t like to talk about their training? More than anything I love stories and hearing about running journeys and what motivates and inspires others.
Benefits of running socially
A lot has been said about the benefits of running as part of a group. You have the motivational and accountability factors. There’s also the enriched friendships you develop as you bond over shared kilometres. While I have been getting out there, I still feel like an outsider and misfit but you have to start somewhere, right?