Thought of the Week

By Dave Coyne 1/23/2023

Every so often, it’s helpful to reflect not on training theory and the like, but on the Twin Cities Running Club (TCRC) itself. Many runners, of course, choose to run alone or in small groups of neighborhood or work friends, and thus never experience what a running club is all about. Also, running clubs differ, both by design and by evolution. The TCRC was designed to be a running club where runners of all types could meet, and where all could be accepted as they are. Some runners are fast, while others are slow; some run longer distances or race often, while others prefer shorter distances or race only rarely or not at all. Some are fully committed to their running, while others find it to be a welcome respite from the daily grind, but don't think of themselves as runners first and foremost. And some aim for competition and performance, while others aim for fitness and camaraderie. These and other differences often come to define running clubs. Some clubs are geared toward fast, committed marathon runners, for example, while others are for those interested only in health and fitness. Some become cliques as much as they are running clubs, while others welcome new runners with open arms.

In starting the TCRC, we wanted to establish a club that gave as much as possible to every group of runners, welcoming all while avoiding cliques and any notions of superiority or inferiority. Some runners have more natural talent than others, but all can develop what talent they have as much as they can and want to. Some are more competitive, but all can find fulfillment and joy in running and racing. Some will work harder than others, but all can match their efforts to their goals and desires. The goal, then, was and still is to gather all of these groups together, in an environment of fellowship and mutual respect, for running and socializing.

In choosing to join the TCRC, we hope that you share these goals. And we certainly hope that you will exemplify all that is best about runners in everything you do. Runners can, of course, be as good or as bad as anybody else, but we like to think that running tends to make us better people, in many ways. Thus, we hope that you will be welcoming and supportive of newbies, or, on the flip side, are not intimidated by or dismissive of those with more experience. We hope that you will develop as a runner to the full extent that your ambitions and work will take you, and that you accept that others may have more or less ambition or willingness to work than you do. We hope that you will be respectful of others' sensibilities, be they a desire, for example, for a lively political debate or for a peaceful run, and that you will respect everyone's opinions, particularly if they differ from your own. None of us holds the full wisdom of the universe on any subject, from running to politics to group dynamics, so remember that your opinion may not be the final word, even if it is backed up by research or the latest from the experts (or, god forbid, from social media).

We also hope that you will take advantage of all that the TCRC has to offer. Come to our group runs. Find people of like speed and like mind, and run with them. Run with a newbie and get to know them, possibly finding a new friend. Mentor someone with less experience, but only if they desire the help and while avoiding becoming a “know-it-all.” If you're training for an upcoming race, see if there is someone else who is training for the same race or something close to it, and see if working together will work out. Come to our social events, or host one of your own. Help to make the TCRC a comfortable place for everyone, and make yourself an integral part of it.

The old maxim is true—you get out of it what you put into it. The TCRC belongs to you. Make it yours.