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Mantra “ just write something” 

To arrive to your first run club in Bali at 5:45 on a Wednesday morning and be one of two others there would have you wondering where everyone else is and if you have been mislead yet again by social media. 15 minutes later there is a crowd of 200+ beautiful people from all over the world mingling and piling on and around a tiny coffee window for a group photo. Once the stampede takes off the group quickly fills the tiny street as the collective makes its way towards the ocean. After about 1 km the group has naturally split into its pace groups and people are finding their own rhythms through the rice field tracks.

The person I’m referring to is a fellow named Jasper who arrived shortly after myself. I always know the first timers because they are early and often have a confused look as to where all the people might be. Every 5 minutes the crowd grows and by 6 am it was a little overwhelming in such a tight space. I saw Jasper again a few days later and he genuinely thanked me for making his trip to Bali so memorable.

To have an impact on someone traveling, to be able to provide an activity that is free, and help someone create a core memory with something as simple as running and coffee is magical. I am so grateful for not only the relationships I have been able to grow but to see others come out of their shells, arrive alone and leave with a literal world of friends is an incredible feeling and makes it easy for me to show up.

Running is beautiful and an easy connection for a few reasons but what I love most is that the idea of “you get back what you put in”. This phrase couldn’t be more true for running. At the beginning you see the fast people, the ones who are chit chatting away while you are trying to not awkwardly gasp for a lifeline of air. The ones who look like 5 km is nothing. Truth is you don’t see the work behind the scenes. The pre sunrise runs, the strength sessions and the solo long runs in the rain. Running since high school, the 100 km + weeks, the failures, the set backs and comebacks.  Each run is stacking a brick in the foundation of your own ability. 

I feel there is an inkling of imposter syndrome for most runners at whatever stage they are at. Once you figure out what feels good for you and people see you doing better and better it becomes “together against ourselves” . I will touch on Strava in the next blog but lets say its the most positive social media from a follower and followed perspective. Everyone is cheering for you. People give me kudos for walking my dogs. That’s great.

I am writing these blogs because it makes me uncomfortable and they are good for SEO’s (I dont even know what that means) but if it helps people show up to run club, feel seen and welcomed while enabling them become a better version of themselves and mingle with an incredible group of people doing the same thing I can drop my ego and write down some thoughts about running and life every once and a while .

Thanks for your time, hope to run with you soon.

Jaryd