Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.
-On the Road, Jack Kerouac
The nomadic runner or running nomad. They can be one in the same of two entirely different species of runner. I would say I periodically fall into the nomadic runner camp. Endless, slower miles upon miles--No, thank you! Grab a backpack and board plane, train, or automobile? Run roads in Arizona on a whim, you say? With strangers? Where do I sign up?!
Regardless of which iteration a runner embraces, there exists a simplicity to the amalgam of run and travel absent in other endurance sports. A cyclist needs a bike. A swimmer, water. But, shiny allure of gimmicky gear aside, what does a runner truly need in order to make their adventure happen? Create this list in your head. Got it? Now, tuck it in a mental backpack. Did it fit? Of course it did!
The freedom of nomadic running pulls many an athlete into vans and onto the road. For two athletes, combining the #vanlife with their post-collegiate track aspirations allowed them to continue chasing their goals one stretch of road at a time. In his article “Track on the Road: Keeping the Running Dream Alive,” Club Northwest teammate Andrew Wise credits the van as “a tool to minimize distraction and focus on pursuit.” Wise and his partner, Brittany Grant, intend to authentically document and share their adventures, including “the smelly, dirty, mucus-smeared, salty, soggy, vomit-inducing work” that goes into training for track events.
This month, Club Northwest’s “On the Blog” proudly showcases Wise’s article. Follow his and Grant’s progress as they hit the road in pursuit of the track.