UnityRun with BMR :Sankofa Saturday
ERA…..of….WTF……Resistance and Joy
In the last 12 days:
Keith Porter — killed by an off-duty police officer on New Year’s Eve in L.A.
Renee Good — killed by ICE agents while driving away in Minneapolis.
On the 8th, Customs and Border Protection shot a married couple in Portland, OR.
This past Saturday there was a Boston protest—and protests across the country.
Massachusetts public school enrollment has dropped 30% because of Trump and ICE.
So much is going on. And yet, we run.
Today was the first Brother/Sister Unity Run. The first Sankofa run of January.
There is power in Sankofa. Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The literal translation of the word and the symbol is: “It is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.”
We met at the Reggie at 8 a.m.—of course, we didn’t actually start running until 9. It was good to see our BMR bros and the four BGR ladies: K, Tasha, Olivia, and Marie.
The hugs, the smiles, and the shared acknowledgment that the world is in a negative, hostile space—that’s something we all felt. For me, it’s the joy of seeing everyone and feeling that connection and community.
After stretching, we had choices: a 1.5-mile walk, a 3.4-mile run, or a 5.4-mile run. I ran/walked a mile for the Winter Warrior Challenge, then ran three miles with the run crew—four miles total for the day. #Winning
I wanted to test my running chops. I’ve been running on the elliptical and doing strength training, but I hadn’t run outside yet this year. If my goal is six halves for 26, I needed to see where I was.
At the start, I may have gone out too fast. Captain Jeff was talking to me while we ran, and I was able to keep up. Then my ass got tired. I could tell I wasn’t matching my breathing with my pace, so I had to slow down and find my rhythm.
About a mile in, I went back to my 3:1 interval runs. That’s when things clicked. To my delight, I didn’t feel any pain—which is huge. Around the two-mile mark, I was able to keep going without intervals. Two of the BMR guys stayed with me as we ran, and I truly appreciated that support.
I felt good. Slowly but surely, I’m getting back to hitting the pavement.
