KXTC – The belief community disguised as a running club.

Miles McD - 25 Jan 2023

Running is primarily a solo endeavour, you choose your schedule, distance, and pace. 

Running isn’t for everyone. It’s a tough mental pursuit; you must stick at it, block out the nagging voice in your head and keep putting one foot in front of the other whilst continually fighting the urge to walk or stop altogether. 

The scales in your head are always tipping the balance towards reasons why you shouldn’t start or even continue once you have laced up. There are days where you can barely find a single reason to do it, but deep inside there’s something that pushes you, just ask Nedd Brockman!

Each runner’s goals are unique. They are formed out of a deep intrinsic motivation that is almost unexplainable. Whether it’s your first 500m without walking or your first 100mile race, the more you stick with it, the more you want to push yourself to run further, faster or on more extreme terrain.

“But I didn't walk a single step. I stopped a lot to stretch, but I never walked. I didn't come here to walk. I came to run --- No matter how slow I might run; I wasn't about to walk. That was the rule.” ― Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

I fought the solo running demons for some time, until one day I felt brave enough to attend a group run, with the run crew movement gaining popularity around the world circa 2015.

Crew - A group of people who work closely together.

Running as a group offers the chance to connect, meet people, share goals and motivations, and be outside.

As an introvert, running with Kings Cross Track Club allowed many of my awkward conversational barriers to drift away. There’s something about running and chatting, the rhythm, the flow, it just makes talking easier. Conversely it also makes running easier, you don’t focus on the fatigue, the doubting voice in your head is forced out by the real conversation.

These discussions have allowed me to be inspired by the challenges my peers seek and train for, they’ve led me to set and achieve goals I couldn’t have perceived, they’ve motivated me as a runner, but also, they’ve enriched many aspects of my life away from running. 

I’ve met people from every corner of the world, I’ve learnt a lot about other people, their perspectives on life, food, travel, music, fashion, art, and everything else away from running. My life in Sydney is culturally richer from these conversations. I’ve realised how many people have positively rubbed off on me in these communities; the knowledge I’ve gained, the advice I’ve taken, the self-confidence I’ve built and belief to continue to dream.

Now I have several lifelong friends and some of my proudest accomplishments have been achieved with the KXTC family right beside me! I wouldn’t have been able to achieve any of these things without ‘showing up’ and the more I kept doing that, the less intimidated I became. I realised these people were just like me; they had once meekly attended their first run and wanted to run off halfway through and cry because they also didn’t feel fast enough or cool enough.

From my first runs with KXTC I have since shared Birthdays, Christmases, Weddings, Beds, Dogs, Babies, Massage Therapists and Toilets. I’ve continued to exchange ideas and opinions on relationships, politics, business, fashion, travel, Carbon Plated Shoes & the intricacies of Strava etiquette.

I’ve taken a lot from the KXTC community, but giving back has been even more rewarding for me. I’ve learnt the importance of ‘paying it forward’. Recognising that everyone starts somewhere and remembering my first steps into community running, I’ve made an effort to be extra welcoming to people who attend for the first time, to extol the virtues of running as a community. Never forgetting how I first felt, but also knowing the potential benefits to someone new far beyond ‘just running’.

Running has given me a different perspective on life! It has allowed me to see more of the world, discover interesting corners and angles of the cities I’ve visited and lived in, as well as learn deeply about myself. But running with KXTC has made me a better person, more open, more rounded. It’s helped me find my place in a new city and build a life with some amazing supportive friends in it.

Your challenges, races or targets will be your own, but if you surround yourself with people that make you believe your impossible is possible, I promise you’ll go further and faster than you ever dreamed…KXTC – The belief community disguised as a running club. 

I’ll see you 6:30pm Tuesday at the Coke Sign.