Thank You Running
I'm grateful for ya baby!
Thank you.
Feels good to read those words. Feels good to hear them too. Feels good to say thank you. Feels good to write the words. I’m setting myself up to feel pretty darn good with this newsletter. Because this is basically one long thank you. To the sport. To you. So, go grab something delicious to drink. Get cozy. And let me tell you thank you ahead of time for reading all the way to the end because there’s a cool announcement about the return of Best Runner Ever.
I’m going to kick this newsletter off with a letter… maybe it’s more of a message to running. I just want to thank the sport. Thank the activity. Thank the community around it. I want to thank running.
So, thank you running.
Thank you for always being there for me. Even if I decided not to show up. Even when I quit on you. Even when I talked shit about you. And oh baby did I talk shit about you. Thank you for giving me another chance. Even when I blamed you for… well, I’ve blamed you for just about everything. Thank you for always trying to teach me how to run a better way even when I was stubbornly running a worse way. Thank you for trying to help me even when I used you to beat myself down.
Thank you running for taking me on so many adventures. NYC. San Francisco. Utrecht. Beijing. Berlin. Portland. Mexico City. The Delta terminal in LAX. I’ve run them all. I’ve run on beaches and boardwalks and trails in mountains and trails in cities. I’ve run alone on dirt tracks at middle schools and I’ve run on mondo tracks in front of 30,000 people. I’ve run with best friends and some of the best runners in history. I’ve run with strangers and I’ve run with very strange people I know very well. Running has taken me so much further than any metric of meters, minutes or miles could ever detail. Thank you for teaching me that I can always run myself somewhere new.
Thank you running for giving me so many opportunities to lose and fail. I’ve come in last. I’ve come up short. I’ve lost the lead. I’ve lost the meet. I’ve lost the championship. I’ve lost confidence. I’ve lost my way. I’ve failed to reach the finish line. I’ve failed to cross the starting line. I’ve failed to hit the time. I’ve failed to qualify for the next round. I’ve failed to do the work. I’ve failed to do the right work. I’ve failed to be a great teammate. I’ve failed to be a good enough coach. Thank you for showing me that every time I cross a starting line in this life I may not achieve what I set out to achieve. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn that failing doesn’t make me a failure.
Thank you running for introducing me to so many extraordinary people. When I was a little kid sitting in front of my TV I was introduced to my first athletic heroes - Joan Benoit Samuelson and Seb Coe - through running. When I was in 4th grade I was introduced to my first coaches - Mrs. and Mr. Kochman - through running. When I was in high school I was introduced to my first true teammates through running. In college I was introduced to the love of my life - looking at you tammie - through running. Throughout my life I have been introduced to literally thousands of people through my connection with running. And I can safely say that no group has so consistently been badass and kind and inspiring as this community of runners. (I will say that the people I’ve met through education/teaching and music are close behind.) So, thank you running for being such a great matchmaker.
Thank you running for challenging me. Thank you for pushing me. Thank you for pulling me. Thank you running for reminding me that I’m alive. Thank you for reminding me that I can fly. Thank you running for believing in me. Thank you running for being honest with me. Thank you running for offering me joy every time I go for a run for the right reasons. Thank you running for working almost perfectly (sometimes) with the music I’m listening to on a run.
Thank you running for being such a kick ass sport to be a fan of. Thank you running for having enough room on the starting line for everyone. Thank you running for working so hard to keep some bad stuff (like cigarettes) away from me. Thank you running for being an excuse to go outside… move… struggle… succeed… start something… end something… get away… come home… cheer… meet friends… or be alone.
Thank you for always being true. When I felt like I was getting dropped… left behind by school or work or friends or teammates or family or just a day gone wrong… you came back for me. You picked me up after I had fallen down. You held me up when I felt like I was being dragged down. You helped me catch back up when I thought I could only fall further behind. When I needed a win you offered me the opportunity to earn one. When I needed confidence you reminded me that I could… have… can… do hard things.
Thank you running for giving me the chance to teach and coach. The two best jobs in the world. Running, I owe you. I’ll never be able to pay you back for everything you’ve given me. I’m going to try though. I’ll keep inviting people to the starting line. I’ll keep working to make sure that everyone knows that running can and should be a positive force in their life. I’m going to do my best to make sure people have a healthy relationship with running. I’m going to try and stop people from using running as a punishment. I’m going to try and celebrate as many runners and as many runs as I can. I’m going to try and create more opportunities for a run… a better run. I’m going to try and share running with everyone.
Well, that’s that. Just wanted to tell you thank you running.
Feels good to say that. I feel good. Really good.
Think I’ll go for a little run.
Cheers,
Coach Bennett
CELEBRATING JOANIE
Joanie. That’s all you need to say to another runnerd and they know exactly who you’re talking about. Last name not needed. Just Joanie. Well, last week on Nike’s campus we dedicated the refreshed and remodeled Joanie’s Cafe. The buildings on campus are named after many of the great athletes from Nike’s history. Mia Hall. Michael Jordan. Serena Williams. They all have a building named after them. And so does Joanie. Last week a number of us gathered on a cold (but sunny) morning to celebrate the former marathon world record holder… the 1984 Olympic champion… Chicago Marathon winner… Boston Marathon winner… founder of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K… and the inspiration for so many runs and runners.
I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Joanie. She was my first running hero. And my respect for her has only grown since meeting her for the first time back at the Nike Cross Nationals in 2012. That’s saying something because she also was one of my first crushes. Amanda from Bad News Bears, Princess Leia and Joanie. They were the three on my podium when I was a young dork. I’ve got to say that I had and continue to have great taste. All three of them are badasses. Makes sense why I was smitten by tammie at Carolina.
I made a video over ten years ago on YouTube called The First Gold. It was about that first women’s Olympic marathon back in 1984 that Joanie won in such brave fashion. The IOC has decided to block the video from anyone watching it due to copyright issues. (Ugh. Thanks Olympics.) Anyway, maybe someday they will release their block on the video and I can share it here. Until then… go hunt down anything and everything you can about Joanie. If she isn’t already a hero of yours start clearing out some room for her.
NCAA CROSS COUNTRY WAS KICK ASS!
Did you watch? Be honest. Did you? If you did then you know that if anything the headline above may be downplaying the awesomeness that was NCAA XC 2023. If you have not watched the races yet… do not despair! I have the links! Just make sure you have snacks. Because you are not going to want to get up until both races are done.
And once you are done watching the NCAA Women’s and Men’s XC Championships… do not despair! There is more XC! December 2nd is NXN (Nike Cross Nationals). NXN is the US high school national championships. That race is officially my favorite race to watch. I’ll be sharing all the details on that meet in the next Coach Bennett’s Newsletter. But until then you can runnerd out here. XC RULES!
TWO COACH BENNETT’S TALKING NERDING OUT IS BACK!
Okay… before you listen to the latest episode of Two Coach Bennett’s Talking you need to watch the NCAA XC videos. Because tammie and I NERD OUT about cross country for basically 45 straight minutes. And we spend some serious time on both NCAA races. We also share a very special announcement about Best Runner Ever. That’s the program we put on during Summer 2022. It’s without a doubt the most asked question we get - when are you doing another Best Runner Ever?
Well, we answer the question… finally… on the podcast. So listen to the podcast!
Listen here on Spotify:
Listen here on Apple Podcasts:
I’ll also tell you the extra special details here because you have read this far after all.
We’re going to have a BEST RUNNER EVER WINTER EDITION this February! And we are going to have a special Black Friday through Cyber Monday deal with a discount and access to an exclusive zoom call in December with the Coaches Bennett if you sign up during that November 24, 2023 - November 27, 2023 window. So make sure you are following me on Instagram or you could follow me on threads or get the information this Thursday by following coach tammie on Instagram or checking out her show up society page.
NEW COACH BENNETT’S PODCAST
I’m going to start by calling attention to the episode that is coming out this Thursday, November 23rd. It’s going to be a THANK YOU episode. That’s right! More gratefulness. More thankfulness. So get ready to be filled up with the good stuff on Thursday… or Friday… or this weekend… or whenever you listen to the new episode of Coach Bennett’s Podcast. In the meantime, you should catch up on the other episodes. And I dropped a new one last week. 5 Fantastic Tips For Better Winter Running. I’m going to ask for some brevity for my birthday. But until then you all get stuck with long ass podcast titles.
Listen to 5 Fantastic Tips For Better Winter Running on Spotify:
Listen to 5 Fantastic Tips For Better Winter Running on Apple Podcasts:
GO FOR A GRATEFUL RUN AND BE A THANKFUL RUNNER
As far as I’m concerned gratefulness is a super power. Especially as an athlete. So, over the next few days maybe think about doing one of these guided runs in the Nike Run Club app. And thank you for running.
Well, that’s that. Thank you for reading. Thank you for being cool and kind. How do I know you’re both? You can’t be cool unless you’re kind and if you’re kind… you’re cool. That’s how. Cheers to you and one more thanks to everyone that’s a paid supporter of this newsletter or thinking about becoming a paid supporter. I truly appreciate it.
Take care of yourself and take care of each other.
Until that next starting line…
Coach Bennett
I'm a late bloomer, stumbling onto running and then you through the Nike Run Club in 2018. As miles tick by and my love for running grows stronger each time I lace up. I just wanted to say thank you Coach for all the advice and encouragement!
And thank YOU for being a badass assistant coach (I attempted to combine badass and assistant but no)!