What do you do when your Stroller Warriors® chapter goes on break for the holiday season— day 1 of holiday break, no scheduled weekly run jotted on the calendar, and you want the camaraderie while logging some miles. Look no further than the chapter monthly running discussion board. This month-long unofficial event organized by the chapter leadership offers a space for members to seek out the camaraderie of the Stroller Warriors community when the chapter presses pause over the weekend, during the holidays, or when there is no official run/event on a day when you just want to run.
The monthlong discussion board extends beyond running and has become a place where members post about an impromptu walk to the park, a possible afternoon meetup at a coffee house, or a group meetup in the base basketball court for an indoor workout.
The monthlong discussion board extends beyond running and has become a place where members post about an impromptu walk to the park, a possible afternoon meetup at a coffee house, or a group meetup in the base basketball court for an indoor workout.
Left: Flower find during a trip to the farmers market with SW Fort Belvoir friends after a weekend run; Right: Impromptu workout at the base gym.
When I first learned about the running discussion board, I originally thought members used the board to organize long training runs for marathons on the horizon, so I shied away from joining. I developed fear of missing out (FOMO) after listening to my Stroller Warrior friends talk about weekend events and they encouraged me to come along. I quickly realized that whether attending with intentions to run long distance, or not to run at all, everybody could join. Stroller Warrior friends showed up at a nearby playground for a playdate, runners organized a long run with a turnaround point for any distance, and afterwards many joined for a post-run trip to the weekend farmers market to peruse through the local faire. I loved when members posted about a last-minute coffee meetup at Wegmans that led to hours of great conversation as mini warriors played at the train table that was tucked away in the corner. Sometimes morning coffee led to grabbing an early lunch at the hot bar.
When you see the monthly long run discussion board event invite pop up on your chapter page, reply “yes” and join in on the fun!
When you see the monthly long run discussion board event invite pop up on your chapter page, reply “yes” and join in on the fun!
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