big thanks to Brendan for his generous donation to TFK! I will run mile 25 for him, because he wants me to be "in pain when I'm thinking of him." too kind, really.
Read on for an excerpt from this week's Team for Kids newsletter--my very own pace group, team fireass, is featured!
No doubt you've heard of this notorious pace group in New York. Team Fireass (otherwise known as the 11:30 pace group) is a shining example of what Team for Kids is all about: working together, supporting one another, and having fun in the process.
But what's the secret to this group's success? We asked their fearless leader, Frank Brown, to describe why he thinks Team Fireass has become a positive force in the Team for Kids Community.
What's the story behind your group's name?
I wanted something that simultaneously would convey passion and silliness. If you can't say it with a straight face, you can't take yourself too seriously -- which means you can be passionate about the running part (which we are) and appropriately humble about the fact that there are Team For Kids runners who can cover two miles in the time it takes us to cover one.
"Fire" conveys the passion for running and excelling; it gives us a real sense of community and pride. We may not be speedy, but we're fiery; we care about each other, and we care about all the other pace groups. We want our Fire to spread to all the pace groups so that "Team For Kids" becomes an unstoppable force, an inferno.
The "Ass" part keeps it fun and light. Originally, I wanted it to convey that while we run like our pants are on fire (Coach Adam calls that Race Pace), there isn't a pace group that has more fun. In the heat, on the hills, in the later miles of long runs, if you aren't having fun, you shouldn't be out there. Everyone has days when they don't feel like running -- when they're sore and their bodies are tired and they don't want to do the push ups or the planks or the reverse crunches.
That's where Fireass pride comes in: There are no shortcuts on Team Fireass. I refuse to let down my pace group or my pace group's name. If you're on Team Fireass, you bring passion and excitement and FIRE to every Team For Kids training session or race. The more passion and excitement, the more fun. It creates itself and builds on itself.
I know "Ass" isn't exactly a word you want sewn into a pillow, particularly when we're running on behalf of children, but in today's world, it's a word with no worse than a 'PG' rating. When young people are around, I call our group "Firebutts" to keep things respectable.
Ours is a benevolent fire -- one that warms but doesn't destroy.
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