The Broad Running Broad

More power to the runners who can clock 50-70 mile-weeks year-around, whether they’re training for anything or not. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I cannot be one of you. I and my arches need rest periods.

But once those rest periods come to an end, when my body tells me we’re past whatever ailment I’ve been dealing with and it’s time to get those Brooks back on, it’s on.

Running is one of the most individualistic sports out there. Everyone starts for their own reason(s), and it’s not uncommon for those reasons to change or motivations to shift. The folks I know who started running for weight loss, to use a pretty common example, don’t continue running solely to lose weight. Sometimes it’s the discovery of what they can do that keeps them going, or the endorphin rush that makes the suckage (that’s probably not a word, but if it fits then it fits) worthwhile. Maybe they started running because their kids wanted to do a 5k and running became a way for the two of them to bond and really talk without the background noise of life trying to interrupt them. Charity runners are another group, and the sport becomes an avenue for them to raise money and leave the world a better place.

My motivations have changed so much since 2016. First I went on a run because I wanted to try something different, or at least that’s what I told myself. In hindsight, I had some demons that weren’t letting me go and I needed to run, do something difficult and solitary as my way of quieting them down. First it was the voices of my childhood bullies. Candidly I don’t like admitting I was thinking about childhood bullies at 23, since you know, 23 is a grown up and I’m supposed to have been over it. But I’m also a firm believer in “the whole truth and nothing but the truth” on this blog, so here we are.

Then it was the discovery that I can in fact do a thing that was always very hard for me. I was not an athletic child at all. Gym was the bane of my existence, and Mom let me “get sick” whenever we had Field Day (thanks Mama) so I could play hooky. And yet there I was running on the bike paths and city streets, and along the way discovering the small details of my city that I would completely miss while driving the same areas.

Then I registered for a race. And discovered that runner’s high is a very real thing. First thing I said to mom after completing my first half – the Columbus Half in October 2016 – is “everything hurts.” But I knew damn well I’d return the next year for the full. Which I did. I also discovered I love collecting medals and race t-shirts. My bedroom is overflowing with t-shirts. This is a problem I have no intention of fixing.

The motivations since then have run the gamut from: proving a point to myself; wanting a specific medal because it’s pretty; weight maintenance; impressing people on Instagram (which was dumb and not something I encourage anyone to do); proving a point to other people as a sort of “up yours” (it’s petty but I do recommend it); quieting the stupid voice in my head that was never mine but has a lot to say about my worth as a runner, woman or person; and keeping my depression at bay. The reasons above are still present, albeit at a smaller scale. Running and maintaining an active life does wonders for my mental well-being. But at this point, I’m no longer running just to silence someone else.

Now, it’s about remembering who I am, who I always was, and who I’ve become.

Running and getting to discover new places, as well as discovering the new layers to familiar places, makes me feel alive. The fact I can run at all is a celebration of what my body can do, irrelevant to how I look. And there’s something about being among other runners on race day, who are there for their own reasons and motivations with their own goals in mind, that reminds me that there is more beauty, goodness and unity than strife in the world, even if the evening news would like to convince us otherwise.

So with all of this being said, Reader-friends, Allison also known as The Broad Running Broad is announcing her fall race plans. Come September 16th, I’m returning to Wright-Patterson Air Force base for the Air Force Half Marathon. I last ran it in September 2018, finishing right before the race was black-flagged due to the excessive heat. Will the heat be back, and if it is, can Allison handle it?

Then on October 15th, I’m heading back to Columbus for the Columbus Marathon. As you all might have remembered from last year, I had to skip the race that day since my body was not ready for that kind of distance. I’ve decided this year is the comeback year. The last full I did was Indy in 2021, so with two years in between, I’m confident I can dedicate this summer to training and be ready to go for October.

Back in the Brooks we go!

Yours in running and life,

Allison