@RunningHotTakes (Not Trackie) began as a Twitter project that was initiated in the winter of 2017 by a third-year university student who was desperately trying to stay more deeply connected to a sport that, due to various health issues (eating disorders, low-iron, and chronic back pain), had frustrated him time and time again. It was a way to feel involved even when the ability to race was not there, and that feeling was aided by a welcoming and supportive running community.
A few years later I was lucky enough to find myself racing into a position that clinched a U Sports team silver medal, and although this took years of dedication and effort, it also would not have been possible without specific conditions that allowed it to be so (financial stability, a positive coaching environment, manageable injuries, etc.). This realization, that not everyone in our society is afforded the same opportunity to achieve things, left me with a new perspective –we should be trying our hardest to make sure they are!
So welcome to RunningHotTakes.com, where we are going to do our best to go fruit cake mode by jamming a bunch of random ingredients into a bowl and baking them into a product that tastes best to a specific segment of the population –in this case athletes and fans of Cross Country and Track & Field. This site will be accountable to the Canadian running community, so feel to reach out with any suggestions. You can participate in our decision-making and planning by asking us when we meet up! If you haven’t already, check out our mission statement OR DON’T. Hopefully this will become a new place for people to more easily find things like training advice; insights into the knowledge and expertise of experienced athletes, academic experts, and athletics professionals; race reviews; course profiles; Canadian Running Series analysis; good faith discussion; and most important of all, FUN.
Better go pre-heat those ovens and find some hot tubs to stuff them in because it’s about to get STEAMY.
Good luck out there (100 emoji).
