Sunday, October 12, 2014

Put Your Right Foot In

By Melissa Noll


Running can be a solitary activity. And that works for me. Gives me time to think and decompress. I will admit that at times I did wish I had a group or person I could run with, someone to keep me accountable and keep me motivated because while I enjoyed that alone time, I found it was easy to lose the motivation when always running alone.

I found the Daily Run Club (DRC) on Facebook, or rather Facebook found it for me as a suggested group I might like. When I realized the group was local, I was excited but also nervous. I didn’t know anyone in the group and wanted to meet some people who shared the same interest in running that I did and “got it”, but my shyness wanted to take over and keep me “lurking”.

Scrolling through the DRC page I came across the “Just Sayin’” event held on September 18th. I quickly RSVP’d without overthinking it. I know myself well enough to know it was going to take me leaping without looking to get me to actually attend any group activity. The day of the event, I talked myself out of going just as many times as I talked myself into going. On the drive to Washington I found myself thinking all I needed to do was turn the car around and go home and I wouldn’t have to be so uncomfortable. Even as I crossed the tracks at the riverfront, I remember thinking that I could drive past anyone who was already there and they would never know because no one had ever met me.

I am not sure what made me actually park my car and get out, but I am glad I did. I joined the group and didn’t say a whole lot, basically soaking it all in and getting a feel for everyone and, of course, checking out the other ladies’ shoes! As more people arrived I somehow ended up in the center of the circle – AWKWARD! That gave me a little chuckle and I felt myself loosening up a bit.

Before I knew it, we were posing for a group photo and then started the run – ON A HILL! I have a love-hate relationship with hills, but starting out on one has never been my ideal way to start a run. The thought of “I might die before I get a half mile in” crossed my mind, but miracle upon miracles I survived not only the hill but 2 miles worth of running before we stopped for everyone to group back up! During those two miles my mind was attempting to play awful tricks on me. I truly am my own worst enemy. I think the only thing that kept me going was my stubborn streak. I was not going to give in to the voice in my head that said I would never be able to keep up with the group and would lose everyone. Not only was I surprised I had made it that far, but also that I was not the last one.

Standing in the group waiting for everyone I was amazed at how encouraging everyone was. At that moment in time, I realized that it truly does not matter what speed each of us was running, all that mattered was the fact we were out there doing it and we were all runners. I finished the last two miles with a renewed strength and those voices telling me I couldn’t do it quieted a little. Running along the riverfront passing the various businesses and saying hi to people standing outside enjoying the weather gave me a little more pep to finish out the last leg of the loop. When we reached the stopping point it was all I could do to not jump up and down and make a complete fool of myself because I had just accomplished something I had never done before: ran 4 miles straight and ran with a group of people I didn’t know! Small steps for some, big steps for me. We did another group photo and the group disbursed in different directions, some to run a little more, some to leave and others to go to the Landing.

I was planning on being one who left. Figured I had stepped outside of my comfort zone enough for one day and my reward was going back to hiding. The group was discussing as a whole who was going where and no one specifically asked me what I was going to do; however, my wanting to leave was apparently noticeable. I started walking to my car, chatting with a couple of ladies and I got asked point blank if I was staying. She sensed my hesitation and said I should stay for at least one drink. The easy thing to do would have been to make up an excuse and leave, but I quickly decided that I was going to stay and mingle.

We sat as a group and enjoyed our drinks of choice and easy conversation. The subjects discussed were varied but as runners do, the conversation always comes back to anything running related. We posed for a group foot pic and shortly after I left, but I left there with a renewed confidence in my running. Later that evening when the group photos popped up on Facebook, I studied myself in those pictures. The apprehension is written all over my face in the before run picture, the after shot I look more surprised and the foot pic, well, that’s my favorite. First, because I am a girl who can appreciate a shoe. Secondly, to me that picture really signified something….my running shoe is in a circle with people who would smoke me in a race but that didn’t matter, my shoe was part of that group.
Melissa Noll is an active DRC member living in Union and a passionate proponent of Autism Speaks

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