BMR/ BGR Brotha Sista Run for November
Era of WTF….joy and resistance of running
Just like that, it’s the second Saturday of the month. I thought this would be a quiet weekend — until I was reminded that tomorrow (Sunday) is the BAA Half Marathon. Now it’s called the Boston Half Marathon. They’ve changed the route since many runners voiced their issues with the old course.
I ran it once — and that was enough. One and done. It’s a pretty hilly course. When I ran it, it was a beautiful fall morning. You ran through the Franklin Park Zoo and part of the Emerald Necklace. But then came the inclines. Fine… not fine. Just when you think you’ve made it to flat pavement, you head into Franklin Park and climb a zig-zagging incline. Then you come back out and face yet another hill. It was a lot.
I’m curious to see what the new course is like.
Today, the Brother–Sister Run was moved to the Reggie. I was excited to check it out. Going into the Reggie, there was a metal detector, concessions were open, and flowers — lots and lots of flowers — for sale. We quickly learned that today was a cheerleading competition. Oh my gosh, the flowers! There were vendors outside the track and even more inside. If I had known, I would’ve brought my wallet. It was wild — and yes, I was totally fascinated by all of it.
I thought I’d be the only BGR member there, but I saw Sasha, Annamarie, Olivia, and a few other ladies coming through. I knew my co-ambassador would join us after work. As we exchanged our hellos, hugs, and love, we found out we had special company — the BAA brought four of their elite athletes who are running the half tomorrow to come by, say hi, and briefly join our community time.
These folks are fast. They can run a half marathon in under an hour. Meanwhile, in an hour I’m just wrapping up five miles — not 13.1!
They joined our circle for warm-ups before heading out. After that, we reviewed the 5K, 5-mile, and walking routes. I was layered up — which turned out to be a mistake because it was warm, around 58 degrees. It had been a while since I ran with a group, and I was curious to see how my knee would hold up. I hadn’t tried interval running with others before — 3 minutes running, 1 minute walking — but I was ready to give it a try.
To my surprise, I kept up! I felt strong and good, with little to no pain. I was definitely grateful for the red-light stops — not going to lie. It was great to hear the laughter, conversations, and check-ins, and to just be in community again.
We were definitely a sight as we ran from Roxbury to the South End and back. You can see the gentrification in the neighborhoods — two areas so close, yet worlds apart in socioeconomic status.
As for the run itself, I felt a bit out of shape and knew I have some work to do before my next 5K. I ended up running more than walking the intervals. Sasha was my running buddy and stayed with me the whole way. I finished 3.03 miles in 33:19.
It was a great day. Then we found there is a brother/sister community breakfast at the Reggie every second Saturday of the month too. Of course we had to network, build community, and make that to-go plate. This Saturday turned out to be a lot more than I thought. I’m so glad for it all.
