Hi friends,
If you follow me on Instagram (which you should!), you would know that I’ve been training hard for an upcoming race. I haven’t yet revealed it publicly, so you are hearing it here first: I am excited to be training for the NYC marathon this fall! This will be my 6th NYC marathon and 8th marathon overall, but the first where I feel, so far, like I’m really going to crush it.
This story is adapted from the Out & Back newsletter. If you’re not a subscriber, you can sign up here.
I have never been a competitive person. I have always wanted to do my best and feel good about my effort, but I’ve never felt like I needed to chase after a certain time or standard. And that remains the same, however, this time around, I have committed to doing things that I’ve never done in the past consistently: strength training and speed work. It’s pretty obvious why I haven’t — because both are painful! But in just the past month of incorporating both into my training, I’ve already felt the difference.
On the road to the New York City Marathon, I will also be running the Run Richmond 16.19 race in September. Run Richmond 16.19 describes itself as: “a vibrant celebration of movement, culture, and community. Our run-or-walk event is open to all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, taking you on an inspiring journey through over 400 years of Black history."
I’m particularly excited to be participating in this race on the 250th anniversary of the United States, as our country grapples with our violent origin story and the history of racism and white supremacy that continues to this day. As our government works to erase and sanitize the history of this country, events like Run Richmond 16.19 ask us to come to terms with that history through empathy, truth and reconciliation.
Behind the scenes
One of my favorite Out and Back episodes was the one in which I learned surfing alongside the nonprofit Warm Current. Warm Current is an organization that makes surfing more accessible and fun for Native youth on the Washington coast. For this episode, we got special permission from the Quinalt Tribe to film on their beautiful land. This was my first time surfing (sadly, I haven’t had the opportunity to do it again yet!) and it was incredible.
Many historians agree that surfing’s origins go back to 12th century Polynesia; cave paintings have been discovered that illustrate ancient versions of surfing. According to Surfer Today, The first written, European account of surfing appeared in the 18th century by a crew member of British explorer James Cook:
"I could not help concluding that this man felt the most supreme pleasure while he was driven on so fast and so smoothly by the sea; especially as, though the tents and ships were so near, he did not seem in the least to envy or even to take any notice of the crowds of his countrymen collected to view them as objects which were rare and curious.
"During my stay, two or three of the natives came up, who seemed to share his felicity, and always called out when there was an appearance of a favorable swell, as he sometimes missed it by his back being turned, and looking about for it.
"By then I understood that this exercise... was frequent among them; and they have probably more amusements of this sort which afford them at least as much pleasure as skating, which is the only of ours with whose effects I could compare it."
My guest and guide for the episode was Polly Yen, a longtime volunteer with Warm Current. Polly shared with me that they believe that the most important part about surfing is feeling a connection to the water. The aesthetics and getting up on the board are what people widely think about when they think about surfing, but for Polly it really is about experiencing a sense of oneness with the water. Once Polly explained it that way, surfing somehow became much more fun. And I did, in fact, manage to get up on the board once!
Recap
I *finally* visited Orcas Island last weekend. I say finally because nearly every summer since I’ve lived here, I’ve told myself that I would visit one of the San Juan islands but my anxiety around getting on a ferry held me back. I’m not afraid of the actual ferry, I’m just intimidated by the ticket purchasing process. I was able to buy a ticket and walk on the day of, which I’m told is the much easier option; getting a spot for your car is a far more intense process that requires advance preparation.
Orcas Island is home to Moran State Park, a beautiful 5,000 acre park to trail run, hike, and relax by the water front. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to go to the San Juans, this is it!
Get Outdoors: Upcoming events
Out and Back will be featured in TWO incredible festivals this summer and we hope you’ll join us there!
- Seattle Black Nerd Festival - Aug. 28-30th at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. Out and Back guests will be featured on a panel on Sunday, August 30th. The best part is that the event is free! SBNF brings fans, artists and creators together to celebrate anime and gaming, science fiction, technology, filmmaking, cosplay, music, and more, creating a space for Black creativity, curiosity and connection.
- Bumbershoot Videorama - Sept. 5th and 6th. Out and Back will be part of the Bumbershoot Videorama at the SIFF Film Center. Season 4 Episode 7, "Belonging on the Green," will be screened both afternoons along with a Q&A on Saturday at 2 p.m. Note: No outside tickets will be sold — only Bumbershoot pass-holders will be able to attend the screenings — and the festival is almost sold out.
- Fall Marathon Festival hosted by CSRD – August 22nd. This event is for people training for a fall marathon or considering signing up for their first marathon. The event will offer 3-, 7- and 10-mile run options and a walk group and will be followed by a party with a live DJ and giveaways.
- Sirius Astronomy at Camp Long – September 11th and 12th. Join Sirius Astronomy for stargazing and adventure at Camp Long in West Seattle.
