Don't be shy, get amongst it. Find your community.

July's AMA available, plus the road to 1000 members.

In two weeks I would have been sending Substack’s every week for a full year! Crazy!

I had two goals when I started out writing my first article.

1 - Try to write every week for a full year and see where it got to.

2 - Be as open and transparent as I could with the aim to build a community and add some value for anyone interested in endurance and trail running.

We’ve almost knocked off the first goal & I hope you feel I’ve played my role in the second one. Now that we’re almost at 12months, I’ve got one final goal for the next two weeks. We need 14 more followers to get our community to 1000 members. This feels like a nice number to finish year one :) If you know anyone that might be interested in the weekly articles, I’d love to have them join!

If it’s your first time here, you can subscribe to get the weekly articles for free. For $5 a month, you get additional bonus content including monthly AMA’s where we talk all things running. To celebrate hitting a year, I’ve opened up July’s AMA which you can view below (proper chat starts at 1:30mins)

My first memories of running come from the under-12s category at my old local running club, Whakatane Harriers. This club was my first running community. One that I am very fond of and hold a close association with. Since then I’ve shared many miles with others and run many many miles alone.

From an outside perspective running is often thought of as a solitary pursuit—just you, the road or trail, the rhythm of your feet and the thoughts in your head. While the solitude of running can be meditative and empowering, there’s another side to the sport that is equally powerful: community. It’s this sense of community that has played a pivotal role in my development as a runner, a person and in my career.

Finding Community

In the early days of my running, it was all about showing up to Saturday Harriers, racing hard, then having a scoff at the afternoon tea afterwards. I’d supplement my hard Saturday run with the odd midweek run. Something that I look back on and loosely consider training. From these early days, I’ve obviously progressed my running and joined different teams/clubs throughout these years that have helped shape me as a runner. 

• Eastern Kentucky University XC and Track Team

• Sam Houston State XC and Track Team

• Wellington Scottish Harrier Club

• Team adidas TERREX - If you’re still not convinced running is a full-on team sport after reading this article please go and watch out team film from Western States - 100 Reasons Why

  

These different communities all taught me so much and I’ve had both highs and lows with these teams. But the camaraderie, the shared experiences, the collective push on a tough workout, and the yarns during easy runs—these are elements that help lift a group and it fosters an environment that brings everyone up together. The great thing about having a team behind you is that you share success but also failure. A team gives you a real sense of accountability and motivation.

There are other ways to form connections out running and growing your network. Some of these moments may be a fleeting thing or some may play an integral part in your life. I will always consider my time in Kenya a pivotal part of my running journey, where I was there to train with the best, trying to level up in the marathon. In Kenya I ran with different running groups who at the time I relied on, not only to train with, but to be my company when the whole world shut down with Covid. I still cherish those memories. In a strange coincidence, years later I made a new mate and training partner by the name of Jordi Gamito. This was in Tignes, France as we both were training for UTMB 2023. As it turned out Jordi had been in Kenya at the same time as me. We would have been very close to crossing paths. Considering this, it’s incredible how small the world is when you look at the connections we make, especially with those with whom we share the same passion. This can of course come in sport, work or other aspects of life. 

What brings out the best in you?

Your running community doesn’t necessarily have to group, but can be finding a great training partner. Someone that brings out the best in you and wants you to succeed. In my trail running journey, that would be Hayden Hawks. We’ve spent so much time training, racing and hanging out in recent years that our friendship has been described as a ‘bromance’. We are great mates but we also realise that we bring out the best in each other, in racing and training.

We both have strengths and know how to push each other. This can mean workouts are more effective, but we also know how to say, nah bro ‘I’m taking it easier today’ if we feel we need an extra bit of recovery or just to go at our own pace. Speaking up and letting go of your ego is just as important as pushing hard when training with a partner or a group. There is no point in digging yourself a hole if for some reason recovery hasn’t been quite what it should. A good group or training partner will completely respect this. Realising everyone has their own things going on. The push and pull of different stresses and therefore different training and racing experiences. When you find those that can adapt their training or allow you to go at your own pace. Hold onto that. That’s understanding and respect is just as necessary as someone who helps push you ahead on the good days.

Reach out 

If you haven’t yet experienced the power of running with company, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and spark that conversation or join a group. You might start for the physical benefits, but you’ll stay for the relationships and the sense of community. In the end, it’s not just about the km’s—it’s about the journey and the people you share it with. Running is often seen as an individual sport, but the truth is, it thrives on community. The relationships formed on the run extend far beyond the miles logged. They’re built on shared sweat, mutual encouragement, and the understanding that while we may all have different goals, we line up together and all push to the best of our abilities.

Personally, my growth as a runner has allowed my community to grow exponentially. Coaching, running networks, friends and fans of the sport give me a lot of motivation and it is a pleasure to tell my story and share the lessons I’ve learned. So thank you all for following along :)

Real chat starts at 1:30mins.