Crazy Always Wins…
Welcome to a snippet of my running life for the past 5 years(I have been running since 1999, marathoning since 2016, and racing since 2017, winning since 1981). This running scene is wild in NYC, just imagine the things you see on tv, movies oh and social media too, of the city, now realize I run through it several times a week. When I was introduced to the running scene in NY, it felt strange to me. Pace groups, running in the street vs the sidewalk, short/long routes; it just was Jawn Jawn jabber, i didn’t know what they meant. I just ran and pressed start on my timex ironman watch. Took me a while to realize, sexy pace wasn’t for me, I just wanted to run as I was used to solo in my area runs. The crews showed me parts of the city I would never go to, never wanted to and "damn Gina” this is fun and how long has this building been here, never knew this graffiti was here, oh there are wood trails in Washington Heights, who knew! All of the crews I ran with and met looked like me; Blacks, Latinos, Asians but when I started to cheer races then race in them I realized it was heavenly saturated with Caucasians. I really didn’t care about someone's race while I ran, I just knew I wanted to represent that a Latino from the Bronx was here now, right now, I don’t have a chance to win this race but trust me y’all going to see me anyways! I knew I have the confidence to line up at races and know they won’t run where I run, they probably won’t even make eye contact with me and trust me I know everyone is not like me and I’m doing this for those who do not have the confidence as I do.
I didn’t know you “had” to pay for races, I ran, I enjoyed running, why the heck do I have to pay to run in the streets? I realized that races purchased food, water, sports drinks, had to close the streets with Police as security, so I didn’t mind for a while. I then found out that “bandit” was a runner that entered a race yet did not pay, may have a duplicate bib or no bib! My 1st marathon was Paris and a friend in France said he would get me a bib from his employer, 2 days before the race he did not. A friend I recently made a few months prior via BridgeRunners, that was from London: Run Dam Crew was doing her 1st marathon as well and we talked, she linked me with a runner from South Africa that gave me a bib for free (I gave him a crew shirt & he said this is perfect)! So that was an eyeopener of what races vs the run community was like to me.
Bridge Runners started the crew running scene in NYC and then linked up with Londons’ RUN DEM CREW to form BRIDGE THE GAP! To my understanding it was formed over music & art, then running was the topic. I understand that BTG is a gang of runners that travel, run, party repeat, (i barely go to any non-running parties anymore, & I am ok with that). I have met so many people and made a list of where other runners I have met are from : England, France, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Denmark, South America, Brazil, Panama, Mexico, Canada, The Dominican Republic, China, South Korea and Russia; stateside- Oregon, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, D.C., Maryland, Massachusetts, & New Jersey. It started to just blow my mind that so many people shared the same interest as me, yet don’t get it twisted, some just wanted to run and not be about this BTG life, which is fine and dandy. Started to learn that many people actually lived for likes on social media. This was humorous to me, ahhh I lived just fine without likes/kudos so I will continue to do my thing and get these miles.
I recently started working at MILE HIGH RUN CLUB. I was and still am excited to be working in the sports fitness industry. Yes it's a posh treadmill studio in Manhattan and I knew a bunch of the runners that were employed there so this was a sweet fit for me. It is very different from what I am used to for work as well as running. I am all about running outside and in the streets, many of the runners that come just run on the treadmills and hey, do what you enjoy. After talking to many members, I realize they run before/after work for fitness and don’t care about races, crews, teams, brands, super light, fast shoes and take a class, then head out to their lives :cool cool see you again.
Man i just enjoy running! Yeah I can race a mile up to a marathon, but these days I’m here for the solo runs, fun, tan and sprinklers. Many people want to train. For what? All races are cancelled pero, do you boo. The new hype is to be angry at Garmin for the watches not syncing so you can get likes/kudos on social media. So much is going on in these States, unUnited of America so yeah, please keep whining about non-sense so I may be entertained as well as unfollow you in social media subsequently in real life too. It’s been real y’all, hope to see you in the streets, races and after race parties in 2021 if we are lucky to survive. Please stay out of my hidden gems in the Bronx and I will thank you for your service.
Just chill,
Baez, Sean
