Celebrating the Running Community

If you know me, you know that I really don’t like people. I used to really enjoy being in a crowd, but being a teacher has taken its toll on my enjoyment of social interaction. Plus, I’m grumpy.

Want to see EXACTLY how I look when I’m a loner and a rebel? Click here to see the full post.

You would think that I would avoid group runs like the plague, but I happen to like them very much. I also really like the group atmosphere at races. There is nothing quite like being crowded into a starting corral with a bunch of like-minded people, all intent on accomplishing a personal best. The running community is awesome. For the most part, runners are supportive, kind, and sometimes crazy as hell (the part I to which I can relate). I love the fact that I can show up at any running event in NorthEast Ohio, and I will recognize somebody there, and that person will actually BE NICE TO ME. Remember; I’m a teacher, and I’m not always used to that.

Thanksgiving Day I participated in my first Turkey Trot, Home Run for the Homeless, a four-miler in downtown Akron. It was a benefit for Gennesaret, an organization that provides housing for homeless families. Gennesaret doesn’t take any government funding, and the Home Run is their only fundraiser for the year. This year 3,000 runners and walkers participated, and many more people donated time, money, prizes, and food.

I had heard of the Home Run for the Homeless, but I had never run it before. . . and I really don’t know why. Yes, it was cold; yes, it was hilly (VERY hilly), and yes, it was FABULOUS! To see that many runners gathered together to benefit the homeless. . .it was very moving. Plus, the giant piece of coffee cake I stuffed in my head after the race wasn’t too shabby either.

On Sunday I ran the Tryptophan Run in Hudson. Want to read about it? Click here to see the full post.

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