Running unattached: How running clubs are helping people stay active, reach goals, and develop friendships

There is no cool way to say this. I'm going to sound like that guy in the corner of Golds Gym who reminds everyone near the weight rack how much he, "used to bench".

But here it goes. I was supposed to be a college athlete.

Its kindof a funny story. When I was accepted to D'youville's Physician Assistant program I received a little pamphlet asking if I was interested in any of the schools sports or clubs. I checked cross country.

A few weeks later I saw a guy in a D'youville cross country shirt at a local 5k (the St. John Vianny). I asked him if he had ran for the school. He was the coach.

We trash talked a little before the race and I left him my name and number. He called me the next week and gave me the meet schedule. I was beaming.

I started running tempos. I even made it to a track once. I had one ultra marathon left, but that was it. Done with that and onto cross country racing. I even bought red racing flats to match my jersey. I never received that jersey.

On the day of cross country orientation the athletic director walked into the small classroom and shouted, "does anyone here have an undergraduate degree? If so raise your hand."

I raised my hand.

"Okay bud, I'm sorry to inform you but you are unable to run here. NCAA rules. If you'd like to help coach just let me know."

I was embarrassed, confused, and shocked. I threw on my red racing flats and ran through the city. I came back a few hours later, took a shower and went into the gross anatomy lab to finish studying. I was quiet for a few days.


That was fate. But so was meeting Nate B at the Greater Buffalo Track and Field cross country race at Hoyt lake.

It was a miserable day. The course was soaked. Light rain came down. The skies were cloudy and truth be told, I just wanted to get it over with.

The gun went off and I soon realized that this was not going to be a good race. I was slipping all over the place and the leaders were running out of my sight. "Just finish", I thought.

I was running toe to toe with this kid in a red and white jersey that had the word "ripper" on the back of it. I asked him if his name was Jack. He said it was Nate. We pushed through the last mile, watching each other and we slogged up the muddy hills, neither of us were having a banner day.

At the end of the race we met up. He had mentioned that the club he was in, the "Bloody Nipples Athletic Club" ran long days at chestnut ridge. I told him to call me the next time he was around.

 (Nate B to the left- Justin to the right)

Speed to the present. I have run numerous races with my running club teammates and have had even more great training runs with them. I ran for almost an entire year with one maybe two friends- and now I have a phone full of contacts that I can run with. Or hang out with. Or both. These people have brought me through the longest race of my life- pacing for 20 long cold miles on the erie canal toe path. I have seen them all break personal records- most recently in the Buffalo Marathon and Half marathon. They are even traveling out 3 hours to watch me race in the gorges of Ithaca. I often think, "Wow, what if I had never ran that race. None of this would have happened."

(Nate B left and Andy C right)

Again, I really don't think that God cares much about running, but I can't call this a coincidence. So if you find yourself training alone- you don't have to be. If you find yourself doing almost any activity alone- you don't have to be.  Join a club. Get involved. And let fate take care of the rest.

In a world where many struggle to make meaningful relationships after high school or college- I can say that that I have made life long friends in my running club. When I entertain the thought of moving after I receive my masters degree I think, "I wonder what the running clubs are like?"



 (thank you to all the people of BNAC, PAC, and Runaway runners- and all the other wonderful people I have met at races and on the trails. I am so glad to be part of such a wonderful community)

(Andy left and Lynn right)

ALSO:

A very special congratulations to my close friend since freshman year of high school- Mike Wach. He finished his first marathon this week and I could not be prouder. You are great friend, a great medical student, and now I can honestly say- A GREAT RUNNER. Keep setting high goals- there is nothing you can't achieve.

Be well and ALWAYS run your own race. 

Digging Deep 5/4/14

Marathon training will get a person prepared for the physical challenge of running 26.2 miles.

What marathon training will not teach you is how to dig deep within yourself during points of total psychological agony and mental anguish. 

Let me tell you about my marathon.

Prior to the marathon I had been feeling depressed. I had been studying for hours non stop, tapering my runs, not drinking alcohol  or coffee, and feeling unwanted in a relationship. More negative thoughts flooded my brain that week than ever before. The voices in my head kept telling me that I would fail. I could not become my own advocate.  To make matters worse I had strained my calf just 6 days prior to my race and had been icing it religiously. I had brought many of my anxieties and worries to Toronto, hoping to let them die or figure them out on the course. In actuality, I did neither. 

When the gun went off at 7:30 am on Sunday morning- I had not a confident bone in my body. My gps watch was malfunctioned from the get go, telling me that I was running 4:53 miles at one point and then 8:43 miles just seconds later. After mile 3 there were at least 80 people ahead of me. 

I ran up beside a man with a large faced watch and asked, "hey! How fast are we running?" He told me 4 minutes per kilometer. 

Crap. Now I have to do math? I decided to switch my watch over to time elapsed so I could monitor how long it was taking me to reach the halfway point. 

My parents who had driven me to the race never actually made it to the marathon course. They had been misguided and waited for me at the half marathon course which was miles away. I wanted to see them so bad. It just wasn't meant to happen.

At the 10k mark my calf started to feel funky. Each step made it feel as though the tendons nearest my knee were beginning to splay. I looked down to see if there was any noticeable swelling. None. The show went on.

I had been eating gels and gummys every 4 miles, which I had trained my body to do on the tempo runs. Unfortunately, non of my tempo runs were 26.2 miles- so when mile 17 hit the latest gel started to flow up my esophagus and onto my jersey. Luckily there was a water station nearby and I rinsed my mouth with gatorade. 

At mile 17 I wanted to quit. I wanted to sit in the grass, let everyone pass me, and wallow in my own filth. I kept moving at a rapidly deteriorating pace and toyed with the idea of failure. But that wasn't the plan.

Out of nowhere this skinny dark haired man hopped onto the course and shouted to me- "Lets go guy! Im bringing you in." He had a running piny on that said Black Lungs Running Club on the front and "way" on the back. The guy coached me through the last 6.5 miles-staying just a few seconds ahead of me, grabbing me water at each station, counting down the kilometers left in the race and overall building my self esteem. 

"Who the hell is this guy?" I thought. In a race of over 2000 people why me? Did I look that bad out there? 

I really couldn't think too much of it until he shook my hand with 200 meters to go and said, "Go bring it on home man. Finish what you started." I sped to the finish line and he darted off the course.

When the race ended I mentally broke down. In the corral of people heading to the after party I leaned against the gated fence and wept. My hyperventilating made it feel as though I had wind knocked out of me. A stranger who was behind me in the race grabbed my shoulders and hugged me. We exchanged no words. 

I felt as though God had intervened in that race, but Im hesitant to fully admit that. Why God would care about meaningless marathon is what I struggle to understand- but nonetheless I feel as though it was not a mere coincidence. That man was an angel to me. 

When I saw my parents and youngest brother at the finish I hugged them, cried, and tried to say something but I couldn't. I felt as though my organs had been removed from my abdomen, my insides were absent. I felt a strange sense of hollowness.

When I returned home that night, the relationship that had recently been a huge stressor was abruptly pulled from me. The other person I'm sure wanted to pick another day, but there is never a good day for bad news. 

The hollowness expanded. My insides were gone. I felt incredibly light. 

May 4th 2014 dug deep into me, but it did not dig through me. If you know me at all- it takes more than a broken heart, broken body, or broken hope to get me to lay down. The world can rattle my spine and I would wake up the next day accepting a new challenge. Just. Keep. Swimming. 

In conclusion:

 I want to let all who are running their first marathon, half marathon, 5k or are taking on a new career/lifestyle change that you need to dig deep to accomplish your goals. When you dig to the core of yourself you will be free to accept the help of others and build a positive image of yourself. And when you do, you will create a masterpiece. 

Stay well and ALWAYS run your own race.