Last Long run( Saturday) of March

ERA of WTF………………joy and resistance

My whole goal lately has been simple: put time on my feet. Three weeks ago, I found out I was off the waitlist to run the inaugural True Half Marathon, and ever since then, I’ve been focused.

This will be my first half marathon of the year—and the first toward my goal of 6 in 2026. Six half marathons this year, on my way to 100. I’ll have to check what number this one will be in that bigger journey.

Last Saturday, I ran with Pioneers Run Crew, the group that created and organized this race. Today was our long run. I’m guessing parts of the route will match the actual course, so it felt important to get familiar with it—see how my body responds and what adjustments I might need. Basically, this was my dress rehearsal.

Today’s mileage options were 3, 5, 11, and 22. Naturally, I went for the 11.

This True City Half Marathon and Marathon meets at the Melnea Cass Recreational Complex, which felt like a perfect tribute to a Black woman who did so much for the community—especially meaningful during Women’s History Month.

We were supposed to start at 8:00 a.m. on a freezing morning, but we didn’t actually get moving until 8:50.

Still, what I love most about this community is seeing my running cousins. The hugs, the hellos, the catching up—with folks from BMR, Pioneers, Trailblazers, and people I ran with just last week. So many of us are running this half marathon for the first time.

My running community.

Today, BMR co-hosted and led the warm-up. After that, we found our pacers and headed out. I learned from last week and finally got on the running apps—Helyo and Strava. Good thing I did, because I definitely didn’t know where I was going.

And I knew that if I couldn’t keep up with the group, I still needed to run my own pace—but at least I wouldn’t be lost.

The 11-mile group was pretty big, and it felt good starting together. Part of my “dress rehearsal” was also getting my fueling right—toast, yogurt, honey, and water about an hour before the run. Fuel vest packed and ready.

We stayed together for maybe the first mile before the faster runners pulled ahead. I ended up with a familiar pack from last week—my people.

At one point, we merged with the 20-mile group. But just before mile 4, near the Reggie, my phone started dying. Twenty percent… ten… and then silence. No music, no tracking, no photos.

Maybe that was a blessing. It forced me to just focus on the run.

The only thing that threw me off? People talking while running. I don’t love it—I feel like I have to keep up, and half the time I can’t even hear what they’re saying. Still, I’ll admit… the miles went by faster.

While running, I heard about something heavy—school kids in East Boston who witnessed ICE detain someone during a field trip. It was disturbing, and honestly, I was surprised more people weren’t talking about it. It made me think about how information spreads—and sometimes doesn’t.

At the same time, today was also the “No Kings” protest. And yet, in the parts of the city we ran through, you wouldn’t even know it was happening. I actually forgot about it while we were out there.

We kept moving.

We ran through parts of the city I’d never seen before and others that felt familiar—Franklin Park, the Southwest Corridor, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, past the Reggie (mile 4), the Roxbury Library, and back through the park again.

Some stretches reminded me of other runs—Road to Wellness, the Birthday Diva Dash, Turkey Trot, and more.

I wondered how many runners were experiencing these neighborhoods for the first time.

What I really appreciated was our group’s pace and energy. We stayed mindful—checking in, waiting for each other. My rule was simple: as long as I could see someone ahead, I was good. And I knew the area well enough that if I got lost, I could find my way back—even if the mileage ended up off.

As we ran, the weather warmed up a bit. We kept track of our progress—mile 4, mile 8, then just under 2.5 miles to go. There were a few inclines, but overall, the route felt manageable.

I made sure to fuel at least twice during the run, and this time, no shooting pain like before.

That’s the beauty of a dress rehearsal—working out the kinks, paying attention, and learning what your body needs.