Yup, Women's Running Magazine even signed on to the event and helped publicize it |
Friday night the hubby and I were down in San Diego to watch the Detroit Tigers take on the Padres (the Tigers rarely come to San Diego - normally the closest they come is up in Anaheim or Los Angeles, so when they were close by we had to snatch up some tickets to see them play... even if they have been on quite the losing streak lately).
I knew it would be a late night, but no good story ever started with "after I got a full 8 hours of rest...", right?! We got home after 11pm so it was time to do a quick foam roll/ stretching session, set my alarms and hit the hay.
To say I was nervous about the event was an understatement. I had no idea if the hubby and I would be the only ones to show up or if we would have a big crowd (and although I'd LOVE to spread the word to more people, more people freak me out). Don't get me wrong, I can hold my own in social settings, but being the "host" had me sweating bullets before it even started. Like most folks, public speaking is not my jam and I figured I'd probably need to at least say a few words before telling folks where to run, so after I woke up I jotted something down so I didn't go completely blank.
Around 7am, the hubby and I made our way down to Encinitas (I thought if anyone was coming from Del Mar/ Solana Beach/ etc, that Encinitas would be a more centralized meeting area than all the way up in Oceanside). Traffic was easy peasy and we got down to Swami's State Beach around 7:30. I know an event like this (shed your insecurities and your shirt to run in your sports bra) can be VERY scary and intimidating, so I wanted to be early in case anyone showed up.
The hubby snuck into the back of my photo... |
The closer it got to start time, the more folks showed up. I was THRILLED with the turn out. Caitlyn with Women's Running had helped spread the word, as well as a local running group who was making the fun run part of their morning workout. I was STOKED to see all of the folks come out to help redefine STRENGTH - men, women and kids alike!
We had about 35 people show up (and I was really only expecting Ryan and I to maybe ten total) |
Shortly after 8am I jumped up on one of the benches and gave my little spiel (thanking everyone for coming, giving a little background on the #SportsBraSquad and letting everyone know where they'd be running). It wasn't as terrible as I was expecting and the hubby even said I didn't sound like a complete babbling doofus, so that's something, right?!
I talk with my hands... like a lot! |
The "course" was from Swami's State Beach, down to the Cardiff Kook and back. I thought this would be a great route because there were no cross-streets to have to worry about traffic, the bike/ pedestrian lane was wide enough for folks to run two abreast, and with an out-and-back route hopefully no one would get lost.
I tried to make sure everyone felt comfortable running their own pace - whatever that may be. I mean, running in your sports bra can be stressful enough, I didn't want folks to feel like they had to run a certain speed to be included. The speedsters led the pack and I pulled over to try and snap some pictures of folks as they ran past.
Once the crew had all gone by I made my way down to the turn around spot. I snapped some selfies with some of the AMAZING people as I went by and tried to doing a bit of chatting with them all.
The running club that joined us was continuing south from the Cardiff Kook, so I was PUMPED when I saw folks stopping at the statue to wait for everyone else (and snap some pictures). We were able to take another group shot before some of the crew continued back down to Fletcher Cove while the rest of us ran back to where we started.
I swear I need to get better at selfies... it takes me five minutes to figure out which way to move the phone to get everyone (and the background) in a shot... |
Just look at all that STRENGTH in one picture! |
When everyone finished, folks snapped photos, chatted a bit and went out to start their day. Some of the ladies even got in 7+ more miles after we stopped (let's be real, I totally would've jumped in but it was technically supposed to be a rest day so I knew I probably shouldn't). There wasn't a ton of socializing afterwards, which is a little bummer because I was hoping people would connect more, but hopefully everyone still left feeling inspired and empowered.
Some of the guys that came out to support the women in their lives |
Oops, good thing it was a "fun run" because it was more like 2.5 miles than a full 3 |
This guy is my jam... No, not the tiki god, the guy in the black tank (and creeper stache) who supports me and encourages me in every thing that I do! |
It was an honor to be able to host an event like this (it wasn't about me at all, it was all about the cause). I may not love the limelight or being the center of attention, but it seemed like folks appreciated the get together. HUGE PROPS to Kelly Roberts for starting this movement and helping women (and men) find their strength, their badass-ery.
PS Looking for inspiration? Check out #SportsBraSquad on social media. I scrolled through Instagram for two hours on Saturday to like and comment on the amazing stories. Seeing runners shed their insecurities was AWESOME! And hopefully this day was about more than just going sans-shirts, but finding the strength and confidence we so often lack and reminding ourselves that not only are we STRONG and BEAUTIFUL, but that we can TACKLE THE WORLD!
Did you participate in Global #SportsBraSquad Day?
1 comment:
I did participate!! It made me feel nauseous and proud at the same time! 😂
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