Thinking Out Loud

I had thought about writing this for Thinking Out Loud last week, but I wasn’t ready. I thought about starting to write it earlier this week but I wasn’t ready. Now there is no time left, so it is time to write about City Sports Harbor East closing their doors. It is a bit sad to write about, I just ran with them for the last time before they close on Aug 23rd. For my running friends who read this I am sure they will tell you though I put up a tough facade, I’m the ‘sappy’ one of the group…you may agree after reading 😉

In Feb of 2013 I was going through a rough patch and running was a way to take my mind off things, I still think running is a great form of therapy. I had run with several groups around the city but couldn’t seem to find one where I felt like it fit in. Then one cold evening in February I tried City Sports in Harbor East. That Wednesday night it was just Tim (the run coordinator), Theo, and myself. We quickly struck up a conversation during the run and even though they knew each other pretty well, they made me feel included. After the run Tim asked me if I wanted to go to Whole Foods with them and get a smoothie, I said sure then quickly realized I didn’t have my wallet. Tim said not to worry about it, he would cover me and I could pay him back next week. I still don’t think I’ve paid him back. I continued going to City Sports on Wednesdays; Tim, Theo, and I became good friends and we started running together quite often and hanging out. As the weather warmed up more people started coming to run club, it was great to meet new people.

In late July or early August of 2013, the perfect storm seemed to happen though none of us knew it until afterwards. The new residents and fellows came to Hopkins and other hospitals in the area and many were runners who started coming to City Sports Run Club. Many of us quickly struck up a friendship when we all figured out we were training for the Baltimore Marathon. We started running together more frequently than just Wednesday evenings and then we started doing more things together. There were eight of us who became really great friends. We became, as we called ourselves, the core of City Sports Run Club: Tim, Theo, Lizzie, Cat, Stefany, Rich, Camila, and myself.

Patapsco State Park Saturday Morning Run Theo, Tim, Rich, Camila, Kristen, Me, Cat — Patapsco State Park Saturday Morning Run
Theo, Tim, Rich, Camila, Kristen, Me, Cat

I can remember when and how I met each one of them. We didn’t just meet and gel instantly, but it happened pretty quickly. Over the next year we got to know each other pretty well and we weren’t in each others lives just because of running. There are so many stories I wish I could share, but some times special things like what we had are better left in our memories. My individual friendships with each of the other seven means so much to me and was/is unique in it’s own way. I used ‘was’ not because we aren’t friends any more, but some have moved away because of work. We don’t talk or see each other multiple times a week, but we still text, email, and chat from time to time. Some of us do still run together.

Run to Remember 5k, then we ran another 12 miles Tim, Firefighter, Me, Theo, Richard, Camila — Run to Remember 5k, then we ran another 12 miles
Tim, Firefighter, Me, Theo, Rich, Camila

It was a perfect storm because I don’t think you could ever replicate how we all came together for that year. As I said most of us ran the Baltimore Marathon that year, I had my worst finish ever (let’s just leave it at that). I wasn’t prepared to run a marathon, but that didn’t matter, that night we had a Marathon Party at my house and it was one of the best times I’ve had with friends. That was the first of many gatherings at my house, we would watch football games here, had a holiday party, a spring party, birthday parties, and my graduation from grad school party. We would pretty much come up with any reason to have a party and bonfire at my house.

Marathon Party 2013 Theo, Me, Lizzie, Cat, Camila, Tim — Marathon Party 2013
Theo, Me, Lizzie, Cat, Camila, Tim

My friendships with the core eight took me all over and opened up my mind to things I had never thought about. I traveled to Africa on a missions trip with Camila, went to Mexico for Cat’s wedding, ran a bunch of races with everyone, and Lizzie even opened my mind to vegetarianism; though she didn’t deliberately try to. I wanted to see what it was like and couldn’t be happier with my dietary decision.

Zoo Zoom 25 degrees! Stefany, Rich, Laura, Cat, Me — Zoo Zoom 25 degrees!
Stefany, Rich, Laura, Cat, Me

Richard, Cat, Me, Darrell The City Sports Run Crew — Richard, Cat, Me, Darrell

Through the winter in addition to traveling and having random parties we continued to run together every Wednesday at City Sports. Regardless of the weather we would all show up because we knew the other seven were going to be there. We ran in the frigid cold and even in the ice, I’d say we enjoyed it on some level because we were doing it together. After every run we would normally go to a local restaurant or bar and make plans for later in the week or catch up on what everyone had been up to. Great times!

Pretty sure it was like 8 degrees this night! — Pretty sure it was 8 degrees this night!

Teavolve after a run! Theo, Me, Stefany, Darrell — Teavolve after a run!
Theo, Me, Stefany, Darrell

As the summer of 2014 approached we knew things would be coming to an end. Rotations at Hopkins and the other hospitals were ending and some of the Core Eight had taken jobs in other cities. Tim had given up his position as run coordinator because he had gotten another job and didn’t have time, plus his focus was elsewhere. Camila was the first to move, a few weeks later Rich left. People’s schedules became more hectic and it was harder to get people together after that.

Random Saturday Run Lizzie, Theo, Stefany, Me, Cat — Random Saturday Run
Lizzie, Theo, Stefany, Me, Cat

I still see some of the Core Eight on a semi-regular basis, some more than others. I look back and cherish that year we had together. I left a lot out of our story, because some of it is private and personal to us. We know what we had and we know that we will have that forever in our hearts and minds.

Saturday in the rain and 40 degrees Cat, Lizzie, Me, Phil, Camila — Saturday in the rain and 40 degrees
Cat, Lizzie, Me, Phil, Camila

Two weeks ago City Sports announced they were closing for good, due to their lease expiring and they would not be relocating in Baltimore. Tonight (Aug 19) was the final Wednesday City Sports Run Club, it was a bit sad to walk in and see the store practically empty. I thought about how many times I had been there on Wednesday evenings to run. It was a small group tonight, but some familiar faces were there. As I ran, I thought about that what City Sports Run Club had done for me since I had discovered it and all the great friends it has brought into my life. These friends have changed my life forever, and without City Sports Run Club I would have never know them. Tonight was a farewell to City Sports Run Club but also a fond walk down memory lane.

My advice to you, if you’re fast, if you’re slow, it doesn’t matter find a local run club and give it a try. You never know who you are going to meet! Who knows you could be part of a perfect storm.

Thank you City Sports Run Club Harbor East!

-Veggie Fueled Runner

I call them quirks, maybe you call them something else; habits, superstitions, or ‘must dos’ before or during a run. I’m not sure if all runners have quirks or things that must be the same all the time, but I know I have some. So I thought I would share by thinking out loud and see if you share any of them or others of your own?

1. Puting my shoes in the same place after running

This is a quirk I have developed in the last month or two. I rotate between a used pair of shoes and a new pair of shoes to try and extend the life of my new ones. I write the date I ‘retired’ the used shoes on the bottom now, but I didn’t always do that. My quirk is that when I take my new shoes off, I must untie them, loosen the laces and sit them by the back door. My used shoes must be placed at the exact opposite end of the kitchen. I think I started doing this so I could remember which ones are which, before I started dating them on the bottom, then it just became something I have to do.

As you can see my shoes look the same, I buy same ones every time...another quirk? — As you can see my shoes look the same, I buy same ones every time…another quirk?

2. The way I put my socks on

This one I have been doing since I was young. One day I was watching an episode of Mr. Rodger’s and he was teaching kids how to put their shoes on. He remarked he said he always started with his left foot. Since that day I always put on my left sock and my left shoe first. When I grabbed my socks I look at them at pick out which one is going on each foot, not that they are different just another quirk.

3. The direction I run

When I run in an area or loop I am familiar with I always run the same way. I know advice from the experts is to switch it up so it doesn’t get boring but I like consistency. Just last night while doing speed work, my friend asked if we should change the direction we were running on the track, I opted for no.

4. When my shorts get tied

My shorts aren’t falling off before I tie them, no need to worry about that. I tie my shorts right before I start running, I do this to keep any extra pressure off of my stomach. I don’t tie them really tight but I like to make sure everything is snug and just the way I like it prior to and during the run.

Has nothing to do with tying shorts, but when I put 'run shorts' in the search engine this came up and I thought it was funny...enjoy! — Has nothing to do with tying shorts, but when I put ‘run shorts’ in the search engine this came up and I thought it was funny…enjoy!

5. My watch latch must be in the same hole

This is annoying even to me and I don’t always get it right. I don’t like my Garmin 220 to tight or to loose. There is one hole that allows my Garmin to rotate freely, but not all the way around my wrist. I can just give it a little twist and I can see the screen. If it is to tight I feel like I am constricted, to loose and it feels like it will fall off. I don’t always get it right and sometimes I have to make adjustments during the run. I have thought about counting the holes or marking the right one…

6. Race day attire

Prior to discovering Lululemon I ran in the same shorts for nearly 13 years. Don’t worry I washed them and I had several pairs, they were my Air Force PT shorts. When I transitioned to new running gear, some of that need to wear the same thing stayed with me. On race day, I like to wear the same gear, weather permitting, for each race during the season. No real reason behind it other than I know I’m comfortable racing in that gear and that helps to ease my mind; one less thing to worry about.

7. Diet leading up to a race

Maybe this isn’t a quirk, but I’m including it anyway it is something I do. I don’t know why I picked the time frame I did, I don’t think there is any science behind it. For a 5k race, I won’t have any alcohol a day or two before the race. For a half marathon, I won’t have any alcohol 2 weeks prior. Finally for a marathon, no alcohol for a month prior. Not that I drink a lot, but I want to make sure my body is in the best shape it can be for race day. I like to think of the body as a machine and you have to give it the proper fuel!

8. Tying my shoes

I’m thinking this one might be the most common shared by runners or I could be totally wrong. I have to make sure my laces aren’t to tight and not to loose. That’s not the quirk. The quirk is when I retie one shoe I have to retie the other to make sure the pressure is the same. Just the other day I was out on a run and within a 1/4 mile I probably retied my shoes 4 times. There was a rock in one I couldn’t get out, finally I found it in my sock. Having the lace pressure correct and even is a must.

9. Pre-race arrival time

This is another quirk that harkens back to my military days. ‘If you’re not early you’re late!’ I have to be everywhere early, I think this annoys some of my friends. It is a habit (quirk) I can’t break. Normally I am 15 minutes early to everything, come race day I like to be 30 minutes early or even more. I want to make sure I have time to get comfortable, take any last minute fluids, get rid of any last minute fluids. I’ve had the experience of being the last person to cross the start line and had to jump over the deflating arch. I was in the Bahamas for the marathon and in the porta-potty when the race started. Always being early is a must for me, if I’m not my nerves start to get jittery and that is not good before a race.

I think that is all of my quirks, hopefully you don’t think I’m crazy or have OCD, cause I don’t! Wait isn’t that something a crazy or OCD person would say…no of course not! Anyway…

What are your running quirks?

-Veggie Fueled Runner

Veggie Fueled Runner

I only eat veggies, but run like my meat eating friends!

Goodbye City Sports-Harbor East

Running Quirks

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