Last fall, our weekly running group, the Run Around Club (R.A.C.), hit its double digits. The task of keeping this group going, literally and metaphorically, has largely fallen to Jason and me for most of its years. Given that and the 1,800-2,000 miles the organization has spanned, a decade seemed something worth celebrating… I think you can sense where this is going.

The formation of the R.A.C. back in September of 2011 resulted from a conversation we had with friends and family members at a party about sustaining exercise motivation. The company concluded that weekly runs together might provide enough positive peer pressure and enjoyment for healthy habits to be developed and kept. After that discussion, the R.A.C. came into being with the idea that we’d take turns organizing these weekly runs to spread the responsibility amongst us. However, over time, most in our group became less eager to take on their share of the coordinating. The ball others dropped, I picked up and continued playing with though. At one point, I realized Jason and I were the only ones keeping the R.A.C. operational, and my frustration almost led me to throw in the sweaty towel. Instead, after some internal debate, I consciously accepted the duty and took full ownership of the R.A.C. along with Jason.

Why was I willing to do that? The makeup of the R.A.C. has shifted over its decade, but the essence of it has remained. The encouragement, the comradery, the giggles, the thoughtful and ridiculous conversations, and the friendships and confidence built over many miles have all endured. Whether it be laps at the rec center during winter’s dreariest months or our annual dash up the mountain to Stewart Falls, the R.A.C. connects, inspires, and strengthens. Over the last ten years, I’ve seen multiple members go from their couches to running their first half marathons and believing in their capabilities. That’s why I decided it was worth utilizing some of my planning mojo to insure the R.A.C. lived on.

As with the regular undertakings of the R.A.C., arranging its anniversary celebration fell to Jason and me. (Okay, mostly me.) With the help of an illustrator, I created custom t-shirts for attendees made of fabric soft enough for my picky standards. We rented a pavilion at one of our regular running spots and ordered catering from Café Rio. After dinner, we held a one-mile kids race with prizes for first place in both pre-adolescent and teenage categories. I also made a 10-minute video of the R.A.C. throughout its years using pictures and clips taken on our hundreds of runs. Aah… is anything sweeter than a sweaty memory lane?

I’m grateful for my running buddies, the beautiful trails we’ve traversed, the habits we’ve fostered, the conversations we’ve had, and the muscles we’ve earned. May the pavement be ever at your feet and your friends ever alongside you.