“The vibes were just … amazing.”
That’s pretty much what I said to anyone who asked me about running the Frederick Women’s Distance Festival.
It’s true, though – the vibes were absolutely amazing. And they weren’t confined to just the race itself!
See, I needed a reset – I’ve always trained alone, and after a harrowing incident I could tell that my training suffered for it. I was scared to go out alone. It’s one of the reasons that I joined the Steeplechasers, to be honest. So, I took advantage of the proffered training programs and signed up for the WDF 5K training group coached by Brigitte Raquet Farrell, Wendy Rollison, and Sue Schultz Searcy.
It was awesome. I was surrounded by great people of all running abilities and ages and and and … and I felt safe. Secure. Happy. Connected with running once again.
We cheered each other on, we celebrated milestones, we had a great time doing Sue’s amazing scavenger hunt, and we all got there. Some got there walking, some running, some a combo of the two, but we all got there.
And race day was no different!
There’s something about an all-women race; I felt it during the Baltimore Women’s Classic 5K and I felt it here, too. It’s an energy, made up of the little things: cheering someone on as they pass you, being cheered as you pass someone else, having a chat with a fellow runner about their awesome tattoo and hearing about their dog (if you’re reading this, I hope you do end up doing the Paws and Claws 5K!), seeing the water stops so clean because everyone makes an effort to throw their cups in the trash, waving to the neighbors who came out to cheer for us, running through the sprinkler … just a lot of little things that added up to one big, awesome experience.
And you don’t have to take just my word for it! I asked some of my fellow trainees from the WDF training group to share their thoughts, and this is what they had to say:
Gloria said that she loved the support and camaraderie. “Groups like this are the only way that I consistently stick to things! Also, the safety factor (of not running along while female) is not to be understated as well.”
Olga, after being away from running for 10 years, “doubted that I could be ready to run most of the course in only 8 weeks, but I did! My husband, who’s a long-distance runner, thought the plan was brilliant, especially because it worked!”
Maddy Cat had some touching words for our coaches: “I just wanted to thank each of our amazing coaches for a wonderful training journey. They all give of themselves despite their busy personal lives, and I appreciate it. They encourage us when we believe we don’t have it in us and sometimes we laugh along the way.”
Coach Wendy had some great post-race reflections: “1. I love this race. Why? Because of all of the people I have the honor to meet on the road. 2. The weather was great. But we trained in the worst weather ever*. So, training pays off. 3. I am so lucky to train with this group. It is an inspiration for me to be with all of you. Thank you and see you on the road.”
So … yeah! It was such an amazing experience – from the training group to the pre-race pump-up to being cheered on throughout the course by the (mostly male) volunteers to running through the neighborhoods to the friendly folks at the water stops (shout out to the Women to Women mentoring group, who was at the first stop!) to the cheers as I crossed the finish line to the people making sure that the last person finishing had the same experience as the first person finishing …
Like I said – the vibes were amazing. And I can’t wait until next year.
*The weather was miserable – the number of Wednesday night group runs we had to postpone or downright cancel due to heat advisories or dangerous storms … I’m grateful for coaches that take our safety into account, though!