My favorite place to be on Saturday mornings is Fleet Feet. Some people might call it chaotic or loud, but I love it. The atmosphere is electric as runners come and go – smiling, laughing, high-fiving, hugging. It’s like a family reunion – only everyone gets along!
While there is something special about a solitary run, the power of the run lies in the community it builds. Running connects people. It fosters friendships, allowing people to connect in real life and live richer lives. By our very nature, it’s instinctual to want to belong to a small group of people – a tribe - who understands you.
Kevin, who leads our Run Club, found an old saying that states you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. It continues that motivation, or lack thereof, is contagious. One study titled “Is Poor Fitness Contagious? Evidence from Randomly Assigned Friends” found that up to 70% of your fitness level may be explained by the people you train with. Surround yourself with people who embrace fitness and a healthy lifestyle, and it will likely rub off on you.
Whenever someone asks what Fleet Feet is, I answer that we are a starting line. A place for people to not just get the right shoes, but also education, coaching, motivation, inspiration and, most importantly, become part of a tribe of amazing people who become like family. People who make your life better physically and mentally.
It reminds me of one of the closing scenes in the movie Finding Forrester when a cranky old Pulitzer-Prize winning author tells the young man who befriended him: "Family isn't always what you're born with -- sometimes it's the people you find, sometimes it's the people who find you."
Come be a part of our tribe. Come run with us!