“It's who we are. It's what we do”
There are those exciting pre race moments when it feels just great to be a part of a big runner family. At any large scale race you choose to compete in, it is the day before the race that you pick up your number, your chip, t-shirt, usually in a bustling tent or runners festival, surrounded by those with like minds. There is a crackling anticipation walking around this kind of event, rubbing shoulders with strangers, yet knowing tomorrow they will be, for however long you are out there on that course, your universal runner family - your race peeps. While in Huntington Beach for the Surf City half, last month, I found myself wandering around from one booth to the next, noting the typical inspirational hats, t-shirts and running accessories for sale. The cool to be a fast lady ( for those that are), “you’ve been passed by a chic” shirt, the always favorite, “In my mind I am a Kenyan” shirt , the “Slow but Happy” hat and on and on. One shirt however just stopped in my tracks. I thought it was so inane, so comically trite, so presumptious. There in big blue letters across a dark grey shirt leapt the two sentences, “It's who we are. It's what we do”.
Yes I get it, I do, I really do. But I can’t stop laughing. It is meant to be inspirational, to make a runner feel that they are part of a singularly special group. And yet in my mind I immediately start envisioning the guys with the big bellies, the bags of chips, the recliner chairs sitting and watching Curling competitions, all wearing shirts emblazoned with “It’s who we are. It’s what we do”. The fine and fancy ladies enjoying a glass of chardonnay after an exhausting day at the mall with their sequined studded fitted tees, announcing to the world, “It’s who we are. It’s what we do”. My mind just won’t stop, creating instead every crazy silly scenario of who we are and what we do.
And yet again and even though for weeks I have made more fun of that saying, in my own thoughts, with a runner’s sense of pride, I get it.
This morning at 6 am it was pouring the kind of fierce pounding rain that made me immediately log onto our Team Lucca facebook site, with the intent of canceling this morning’s Team Lucca pre half marathon run. Before I could type the first sentence, the pounding sound started to diminish and I reminded myself to be patient, just be patient. Knowing it is still an hour and a half before we all are expected to meet, I wait and read and listen. At around seven o’clock, I decide for myself anyway, “come hell or high water”, I’m running. I phone Emily, she’s running. Happy that at least there will be two of us. Without a second thought about it and during another crazy downpour I arrive up at the Aquatic center and am elated to find waiting an amazing group of bring it on, kind of runners.
On this wet and wild Saturday morning in February, along the glistening glorious beauty of the American River bike and running trail that circles Lake Natoma, over paths leading 11 miles for some, 6 to 8 for others, fourteen people with Team Lucca, with little if any hesitation lined up in the rain and ran.
It was great seeing all of you out there. You are truly dedicated runners, rain soaked troopers, awesome athletes and a joy to have as part of this little running family.
For a few seconds while watching rain drops clingling to the ends of barely budding branches, all delightfully looking to me like diamonds or tiny Christmas lights, I think, who would have chosen to miss this had they known how incredible it would really be. How happy we all were to be out there. How happy every other runner we passed seemed as they waved or said hello.
I couldn’t help but think of the dedication it takes to running to extract oneself from the toasty confines of a comfortable home on a morning like this, to trust that you will be just fine out there in whatever mother nature has in store. It was a wonderful morning.
“It's who we are. It's what we do”
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