Where do you run & other questions
Being a Sole
Can I get involved with the Soles to organize things?
Feel free to reach out to the board members (listed below) with ideas you would like to share.
How do I know what is going on?
As a member of the Soles, you’ll receive the weekly newsletter outlining achievements, plans, new members. You should also join the ‘Soles of Medfield’ Facebook page and its sub page for the #530Fanatics if that is your thing. We have a spreadsheet of planned runs and races that you can access via the website (or weekly newsletter).
I see ‘bacon and beers’ mentioned in the club logo? Do I have to be a drinker and a meat eater to join?
No way! We embrace everyone regardless of race, creed, color, sexual identity and/or preference, bacon enthusiasm or alcohol interest.
Do I have to sign up for races? Or turn up X times a week to stay a member?
No. No obligations whatsoever. We all know the pressure of daily life. Running, when you can join us, is hopefully a break. Come out for the social events even if you haven’t been running for a while. We’ll be there when you have time.
Running
Where do you run?
Our weekly group runs take us all over Medfield, hitting almost every street from one end of town to the other. We have ‘favorite’ routes that crop up regularly. We try to take in some scenic, non-pavement sites when weather permits
Do you run in all weather?
Unless it’s hammering down with rain, or road conditions are too hazardous (too much snow, too slippery), we will get out on Saturday mornings. The weekday morning group (aka the #530Fanatics) are a touch hardier and will run in more rain and more ice, because, well, we are not really sure why
I’m intimidated by the distance/pace I see you people running at...
I think we’ve all felt this particular point of trepidation. Hands down it is a huge step to join a running group regardless of current running ability. If you are looking to get into running or help support a ‘Couch to 5K’ program, we want to help. Let us know what you’re goals are, where you are in your running journey and we’ll seek to support you.
Can I run with my dog?
If your dog wants to run with you (and us), feel free to bring it along.
Is there any age limit on runners?
Not really, but we would ask that you think about planned distance before commiting your young children.
I’ve never run in the dark. How should I prepare?
We often run in the dark during the early mornings (and some evenings). Recommended minimum equipment for any runner in the hours of darkness is a reflective vest. Beyond that we do recommend a flashing light you can attach to yourself and a headlamp or flashlight to help illuminate the way in front of you. Many of Medfield’s side roads away from the center of town and the schools are not lit. You’ll want some light to show the way. Basically you cannot overdo the reflective gear or lighting.
Do you help people with running programs/trainings?
While we don’t have an official coach or program, we do have a wealth of running knowledge for the 5k up to marathons. There is usually someone training for a 5k, 10k, half marathon or full at some point throughout the year. We’d be happy to help point you in the right direction.
What if I get injured during a run?
A couple of key points about group runs:
We try to ensure that everyone has someone to run with or is within hailing distance of runners around them; we want to ensure that no runner is left behind, especially if you are new to the group or a particular route.
See the points above about running with the group (or at any time) during hours of darkness.
Ensure you or someone you are running with has a phone with them to allow you to reach out to the group if something happens to your group during a run.
If an injury does occur during a run, the Soles does provide members with insurance. This insurance is actually covered as part of the member fee and is provided via our affiliation with the RRCA.
Club/Membership
Why a membership fee?
So for our first three years we’ve operated as a loose collection of individuals, roused weekly via email. Becoming an incorporated non-profit and aligning ourselves with the Road Runner Club of America (RRCA) allows us to scale the Soles as our membership grows. We’re still focused on the weekly group runs and helping to establish this running community as a fixture in Medfield. But making the Soles a proper club means we can do more. Now the Soles can actively invest in our community, providing benefits like race and apparel discounts, as well as planning for the day Medfield hosts our own race and gets its own community running program for kids.
What do the Soles do with the local community?
In 2020, we held our first race, the Medfield 10K. While the pandemic forced us to run virtually, the club still managed to raise $1400 dollars for the Medfield Parks & Rec scholarship fund to help increase access to summer camps and programming in the community.
In 2019, as well as supporting all the local races, we did multiple
plogging runs, collecting trash from the side of our route as we ran. We now try to do a plogging run each quarter. We’re always looking for new opportunities to work with the town and local businesses and organizations using running as a way to bring benefits to more people.
I’m a history nut. I’d like to know more about the history of this group. What can you tell me old timer?
Started after Angel Run 2015, a group of neighbors from Indian Hill, some of their friends, and this young woman who’d just moved to New England from New Orleans (via Oregon), started training to run a half marathon. They all got to the start line of the Run to Remember in May 2016, finished that race and decided they were having a good enough time to keep their weekly Saturday runs going.
They ran some more races, added more friends and people they saw, or saw them, on the streets of Medfield. Some folks stepped up to run their first marathons. They organized themselves to run relay races. They even took time to hang out together with their long suffering partners, laugh, not talk about running and share a few cocktails. The group at the start of 2018 numbered around 40. By the end of December 2018, over 100 people were subscribed to the weekly Soles running newsletter. The group had run thru all seasons of 2018. They’d organized track runs, trail runs, running workouts, early morning runs. It was time to take the Soles to the next level and become a formally recognized, though not formal, running club.
And that brings us to January 2019 and the new launch of the Soles of Medfield Running Club, Inc. Now I need to be put back under a blanket and start napping again.
Where can I get that cool Soles swag?
Want more cool Soles gear? We’ve created
a team shop on Squad Locker for you to be able to browse and purchase Soles branded gear for you. Wear it when running, lounging, hanging with friends of the running and non-running variety. The nice thing about any purchase from Squad Locker is that 5% of your purchase will go directly back into the club.
