Subtitle:
Introduction
to Apropos of Running
Introduction
Posted
on January 11, 2024
By
Olivia Baker
What makes a good family television drama? Think Parenthood, This is Us and the like. The story is fiction, but it is
moving and relatable enough that it very well could be ours or the story of
someone we know. It drives feelings of empathy as our favorite characters go
through trials and triumphs in life that we've experienced and opens space
for thoughtfulness and conversation as they go through those that we have not. It is in
many ways nobody's story and everybody's story all at once. Apropos of Running, the memoir by
Charles Moore is similarly stirring. The only difference is that this story is
real.
I chose Apropos
of Running for the 21st installment of Runners Who Read because
I believe that, for many, it will read like a good television drama. As runners,
walkers and joggers, we'll have many opportunities to relate to Moore's foray
into marathoning at the age of 40 through the stories he shares detailing his training
and racing experiences. Simultaneously, we'll be challenged to engage with the
reality of the lack of diversity in distance running as Moore skillfully
intertwines his personal journey as a Black runner with profound reflections on
the societal landscapes he traverses running marathons all around the world. A
timely read, Apropos of Running is
sure to confront uncomfortable truths and spark deeply pensive conversations, but
by the end it has the potential to leave us and the running community we love
better for having read it.
Discussion
Questions:
1. In
a recent interview with Sheridan Wilbur, Moore characterizes marathoning and
life: "It's totally cliché because people say it all the time, but
marathons are a metaphor for life: Life is a marathon. You could relate running
a marathon to almost any type of goal in life. It's like anything that requires
consistency and commitment: raising a child, being in a relationship, romantic
or even a personal friendly relationship. If you're a true friend, the great
times are always great, but are you committed and consistent when it's not good
for that person? It's like you're in a marathon in that relationship." Do you
agree with this comparison or would you consider life to be more like a sprint?
2. What
are you most looking forward to learning from this book?
Subtitle:
How
it Started…How it's Going
Chapters 1-7
Posted
on January 18
By
Olivia Baker
In this age of social media, one of the trendiest
things you can do is post an update about how you've been doing. It's common to
see posts on Instagram or Facebook comparing images from years apart reflecting
upon how a given journey began and what the status of it is today,
appropriately outfitted with the caption "how it started … how it's going." The
first few chapters of Apropos of Running
by Charles Moore could come equipped with that same caption as they delve into
how he began running marathons and what running has looked like for him more
recently. He does this through intertwining stories of his childhood and
adolescent experiences with those of his first races.
As noted in the early chapters of the book, Moore was
first inspired to run when he went out for a walk on a sick day and stumbled
upon the New York City Marathon finish line. The experience of seeing people
cross the finish line physically and mentally beaten down yet triumphant after
having completed such a grueling task piqued his curiosity, stirred his emotions
and presented the potential to find greater value in his life.
"As a younger
kid and up through my marathon days, and even with all the success I achieved
academically and professionally, I would compete to prove I was worthy and
enough … Would my eventual foray into marathoning and nineteen finishes (more
on all that a little later) finally give me the validation I needed?" (pg# 9)
Moore wonders aloud as he frames his early running story. However, within the
fulfilment of this general interest and yearning to prove that he is enough,
Moore found much more meaning in running.
What began as a simple curiosity became an opportunity
to honor his late father by giving money and raising awareness for chronic
kidney disease by running the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in his training for his
first NYC marathon. Something that started as a journey toward proving himself
led him to physical challenges beyond merely running as he completed the
Spartan Trifecta, a series of long-distance obstacle races. A single, internally
motivated task became one focused not just on his individual success, but the
uplifting of communities as he recognized the dearth of people of color in the
marathons he ran and became inspired to speak out about it.
So, does he ever satisfy his interest and find that
sense of self-worth in marathoning? Possibly. We simply don't know, as that
question remains unanswered in a life story that is still being written. But
one thing is for sure: In running, as with many things in life, the way the
journey starts and where it ends up are often somewhat unpredictable but there
is always meaning in the journey—and not always the meaning we are looking
for—if we will leave ourselves open to finding it.
Discussion
Question:
1. Can
you remember what inspired you to participate in your first race? Is that
initial motivator still what inspires you or have your motivators changed over
time?
Subtitle:
The Privilege of Marathoning
Chapters 8-14
Posted
on February 1, 2024
By
Olivia Baker
Throughout the middle chapters of Apropos of Running by Charles Moore, we see his motivation for
running marathons shift from seeking to prove something to himself to desiring
to show the world that Black people do run marathons. Driven by the lopsided participation
statistics surrounding Black people and marathon running, he decided to embark
upon a quest to run 13 marathons in 11 different cities over the course of a
year from November 2016 to November 2017. Aside from the absurdity of running
13 marathons in 12 months, including two international destinations, the second
thought that comes to mind is the cost of such a journey.
Acutely aware of the ways that cost can be a barrier,
Moore regularly comments on how much he spends to run these races. He wonders
aloud at a race in Italy: "Who gets to run around the globe? It is a heightened
version of privilege…The assumption is that anyone can throw on a raggedy
T-shirt and sneakers and run. But there are a few real barriers to running."
(pg# 100-101). Among the expenses he highlights are the cost of good running
shoes, race registration fees, and accessories, which can be in the hundreds of
dollars each. Then there's the cost of travel for races, including lodging,
transportation, and meals in a given city, for which he estimates in thousands
of dollars. Finally there is the opportunity cost of time. Marathons take a
long time to run, but many times longer to prepare for. To many, this can be
the biggest cost of them all.
Consider that for a moment longer. A conservative
estimate is $250 for gear, $1000 for travel, $50 for race registration, and
many hours of prep time (priceless). That's $1300 for a first time marathoner! On
a related note, a 2015 estimate from gobankrates.com
that took into account similar expenses suggested that the average Boston
marathon runner that year spent at least $1,667 to compete in the event. As
Moore points out, recognizing these costs and acknowledging the privilege of
running marathons is the first step to lowering the barriers to entry of the
sport for everyone. Once we become more aware of the things that stand in the
way of making running, and marathon running in particular, broadly attainable
we can begin find ways to make the sport more accessible to all.
Discussion
Questions:
1. Categorically
speaking, where is the best place to start with regard to lowering the cost
barriers to this running? Gear, race fees, travel, time/space, etc.?
2. What race location (marathon or other distance) is on your bucket list?
Subtitle:
You've Got a Fast Car
Chapters 15-21
Posted
on February 8, 2024
By
Olivia Baker
Did anyone see Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs'
performance of Fast Car at the
Grammys last week? If you haven't, it is well worth the 5
minutes. Chapman's hit song, released in 1988, almost
instantly became a folk-rock hit landing in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, it has been covered several times, but none as successfully as Luke
Combs' 2023 country cover that reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on
the US Hot Country Songs charts. When it won "Song of the Year" at the 2023
Country Music Awards, Chapman became the first Black songwriter to earn such an
honor. On one hand, that represents a big step for Black people in country
music, but on the other hand the fact that it took until 2023 for such a first
to occur highlights just how much is left to gain.
In country music as in marathoning, it is estimated
that just over 1% of performers are Black and that percentage doesn't go up by
much when you include all people of color (Watson, 2021, Redlining in Country Music: Representation in the Country Music
Industry (2000-2020)). So for Tracy Chapman to come out of retirement for
one night (she hasn't performed live in almost 10 years) to perform on arguably
the biggest stage in music at the Grammys was a big deal to a lot of people and
perhaps, as her hit song says, gave "the feeling that I belong" to a group that
has largely been excluded and historically erased from country music. In a
similar way, albeit on a much smaller stage, Charles Moore in the middle
chapters of Apropos of Running reflects
upon a few ways that simply showing up during his year of monthly marathoning
made a difference for his community.
Safety.
"How do Black Americans find safe spaces in which to run?...Although we are
still working to answer it in practice, the reality is clear: Black Americans
will be safe and comfortable running as more Black Americans start to run …"
(pg#181-182). There is safety in numbers. When a group that represents a
minority in a given space begins to show up in greater numbers, it helps to
normalize the presence of that group in a space and in turn makes everyone in
the group feel safer.
Representation.
With regard to representation, Moore wonders what the next generation of Black
children will think when they see him pass by at their local marathon. Will
they think of him as just an anomaly or will they see a moment worth cherishing
and claiming again and again? (pg#180). The hope is for the latter, and that
those children would then be inspired to carry the torch for generations to
come.
Joy.
As Moore raced a marathon in Atlanta, it wasn't until mile 20 that came across
a cheering group of about 100 Black men and women on the side of the course, the
first such group he had seen the whole race. As he ran over to thank them for
cheering, it became clear how much joy his presence brought them when they
insisted on thanking him instead. Even for those who may not be marathoners,
there is still great joy in seeing the way being paved for others in your
community who will come next.
As a Black woman, it brought me a lot of joy to see
Tracy Chapman on stage with Luke Combs at the Grammys and, if only for a
moment, made me feel like there's a place for people who look like me in
country music. While a simple performative gesture won't fix the systemic
barriers to BIPOC participation in country music, or marathoning for that
matter, it can accomplish the things listed above. Perhaps increases in safety
can be measured, but though the impact of joy and representation cannot be
easily quantified their effects are felt in the changing of minds and hearts.
No matter what communities we represent, we all have an opportunity to create
space for them simply by showing up.
Discussion
Questions:
1. Where is the marathon equivalent of
showing up and representing your community at the Grammys? Boston? New York?
The Olympics? Somewhere else?
2. Beyond race, gender, religion and sexual orientation that are often referenced when we think of representing our communities, what other groups do you represent (for example, you may be a parent, you may be a pet owner, you might be a bird watcher, etc.) and in what ways do you think you could usefully show up for them in some way at your next race?
Subtitle:
Time
Well Spent
Chapters 22-28
Posted
on February 21, 2024
By
Olivia Baker
As Charles Moore discusses the final few marathons (and
one ultramarathon) in his pandemic-delayed journey toward earning his six-star
medal for completing all of the Abbott World Major Marathons in the waning
chapters of Apropos of Running, he
takes some time to reflect on the things he accomplished on this journey. Aside
from the physical accomplishment of completing 21 marathons, a 50K
ultramarathon and a Spartan Trifecta, a man who set out on his running journey
with something to prove to himself came away with so much more.
To begin with, he inspired those around him to run. Six
of his personal friends who had never run marathons and countless others in the
cities he traversed were motivated to run because of his example. He pushed
himself through depths of struggle he had never before experienced and came out
stronger on the other side. Through heat and humidity, freezing rain,
dehydration and other challenging conditions he persevered, finding a way to
finish the races and learning the true meaning of adaptability in the process.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he gained perspective on race, racing,
fitness, justice, and even time itself that he can actionably apply to all
areas of his life.
Whatever the reason you began to run, walk or jog, most
would agree that they have gained so much more beyond that initial goal (even
if you haven't completed that particular goal). The immeasurable number of hours
spent on the roads, trails and treadmills have all been worth it for the many
lessons learned, fitness gained and friends made along the way. As Moore puts
it in the final sentences of his book "I, too, realized that after earning my
sixth star in Tokyo, my true learning and training had only just begun. There
are more races to run and many more personal and life lessons to master—time well
spent." (pg# 239).
Discussion
Questions:
1. What
is the most valuable life lesson you've been able to take from running,
walking, or jogging?
2. What
more are you hoping to learn?