Now that I have been running for a decade, I find myself looking back on the start of my personal running journey. I started running because it was something to do, to support my overall fitness journey and to hit the goal of completing a race. What I ended up getting was so much more! I can sum up my experience with the four C’s- Connection, Community, Centering and Contribute.
Connection- I joined my first training team when I first moved to Richmond, VA. I was fresh out of college, getting into fitness and trying to find ways to best spend my time. The Monument Avenue 10k training team seemed like the best way to learn the area, run farther and hit my goal of running a race that was quite the Richmond staple. Each week I showed up in my cotton shorts ready to run the routes. While there were not a lot of people at my pace on the team, the volunteer coaches would circle back for me. Those conversations was just what a budding distance runner needed- they encouraged me, shared their experiences and made sure I never finished a route alone. I knew I wasn’t fast but they made me feel like my experience was important. That initial connection in the running community was the spark I needed to find my place in this running community.
Community- I had no idea when I moved to an apartment in the west end of Richmond that I would be putting myself in a great spot to meet a growing running group. After the 10k training team and race, I signed up for the Sunday half marathon training team. This is where I found my community. In doing a half marathon, I knew that midweek runs would be even more important but did not know the routes in the area. Through the half team, I met a guy named Eric and he was willing to meet up early and show me the routes in the area. Every couple weeks, Eric would bring more folks with similar goals, all kinds of paces. These folks became my accountability buddies, the people that moved my into my first home and most importantly they have never left me behind. I no longer live in the neighborhood but you can see me running through the Ridgefield at least once a week, wearing my Ridgefield Runners gear and meeting the rest of the crew for coffee when I can. While community and running buddies are great perks of the sport, sometimes you need to turn inward to remembering your why and driving towards your goals.
Centering- Over the year, my motivation for running has shifted and that’s been a good thing. Running has been what I needed at various stages of my 20s and is shifting again in my 30s. In my early running years, it was all about the next big distance. Then, I shifted to wanting to be faster and hitting distance PRs. Then, I found volunteer coaching to be more rewarding. Today, I find a balance between all these joys but really its about centering myself. On any given run, I can learn something new about myself, solve a problem I have been working on or remember something on my endless list. Running is where I pull my pieces together and can later show up in the world as a functioning adult. My runs are where I talk to God, plan for the future and reflect on my past. Knowing all that running has given me and has allowed me to give back to myself, I use that energy to give back and contribute.
Contribute- When you find something you love, you want to share it more people. I have been so lucky to share the joy of running being a run coach, a race director, Girls on the Run facilitator and supporter and president of my local run club. Being a part of GameChangers (a women of color coaching cohort) and Road Runners Club of America has given me space to help shape the future of the sport. I have had the chance to share my stories on podcasts and social media which has helped to inspire others. We spend time in the places that we think can shape the world around us and I truly believe that running, walking and just moving forward can change a person’s life. It has deeply impacted my life and sharing the experience continues to bring me so much joy.
As I wrap up reflecting, I invite you to reflect on your own experience around running. I invite you to sign up for an event, find a training team or a run club, give back by volunteering at a race, get a run in to help clear your head. The four C’s listed above are just a small slice of my running life but it can give you a view into how much richer my life is due to running. I am excited to kick off the next decade of running and all the joy and growth those miles will hold!
Written By : Nikkia Raedawn
RRRC President (Richmond Road Runners Club)
