Oh Captain, Our (NYRR) Captain.

By the end of 2017 we had 758 registered members of the November Project Racing Team making us one of the largest teams in New York City. None of this would have been possible without Captain Myles Fennon who started this racing team three years ago, not realizing then how big, fast, loud, and amazing it would become. I am humbled to have been chosen as the next Captain when he retired last December and happy to announce that the Women’s Team is now in first place after placing second at the Team Championships last weekend.

What does being your Captain mean? It means that I represent you at Club Council meetings and give you a voice. These meetings give every team a chance to have a say in what happens in the NYRR running community. It means that I can answer any questions you have about racing with NYRR whether it’s a Club Points Race or non-Club Points Race (what is a club points race?). It means that I make sure things are running smoothly behind the scenes so that your race day is flawless and hopefully without you noticing. It means that I am your go-to rep if you’re coming in town to run the NYC Marathon or even better, to cheer for the NYC Marathon. I manage the racing Facebook page that gives you all of the race day essentials like pre-race photo op, the bounce, course strategy, cheer squad location, etc. There are also tips and tricks on how to get faster or how to run hills or as Captain Emeritus Myles used to say how to “run the tangents!” It means that I am so proud of what this team has accomplished and can’t wait to see where it’s going. After 5 years of working out with the November Project, I have seen this incredible movement morph and evolve into the beautiful creature that it is today. But being Captain of this team has been, by far, the most humbling experience of it all.

All too often I get emails and messages asking if someone should sign up for a race if they are “slow” and feel like they will bring the team average down. No such thing as being too fast or too slow. My response is always and will always be that I don’t care about your speed, I care if you are there and doing your best. The best thing about being a NYRR racing team is that it gives us a chance to spread the love and positivity to the local running community. So if you’re already in NYC or you are traveling to NYC, you already know that our motto is #justshowup and whether that means showing up to score the team points, to run your own personal best (whatever that means for you that day), or to cheer your face off in the most neon outfit you can find, just. show. up.