As someone who has bounced around among multiple states and towns in my adult life, I know first-hand that it becomes harder to establish friendships the older one gets without built-in social networks. Additionally, as someone who has bounced around among multiple states and towns in my adult life, I have a deep appreciation for running clubs and the sense of community they provide. I have been a member of a running club in all of the places I have called home as an adult. Through running clubs, I have learned new trails and roads, forged bonds with fellow club members, chased lofty goals, sometimes meeting them and sometimes flopping miserably, returned to fellow club members to celebrate and commiserate running (and life!) goals met and missed, tried new restaurants on post-run outings, met folks with backgrounds similar and wildly different from my own, and this one time at a running club banquet, I met a fellow club member who would eventually become my husband. Suffice it to say, running clubs are an important part of my life.
When given the opportunity to serve on the board as co-president of UVRC just over two years ago, I hesitated because we were new to the area and live a bit of a distance from most club events. Looking back, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve a club that has helped to make Vermont feel like home, and for sharing a presidency with two incredible co-presidents who made the experience such a positive one. I’m grateful to the UVRC board for keeping things running smoothly, and to everyone who shows up to run, race, pace and volunteer, thereby keeping the running community strong. I’m stepping down from board service, and look forward to continued participation with UVRC as a proud member. See y’all at Occom.