By Beau Seegmiller
Geovanni Velazquez’s infectious smile and warm handshake is a hallmark feature at the BAR Sunday morning trail run each week. He and his wife Brita joined the BAR shortly after moving to the Treasure Valley a little over a year ago and have made deep connections to those that they run with as well as with each other. He has even found ways to connect more deeply with himself through running.
Geo was not always a runner. “When I lived in Chicago, I was really into cycling–during the summer, that is. It’s really uncomfortable to bike during a Chicago winter. One cold Midwestern March day when Brita and I were sitting around wishing it was spring, we decided to get off our butts and go for a run around our park. It felt so good to move my body despite the cold that I was hooked.” Since that time, they have continued to run and explore the different facets of running. When asked why he runs today, Geo replies, “I run to meet new people, explore the outdoors, and push myself to be my best.”
As Geo has continued to run and train he has discovered important life lessons along the way. “I’ve had to learn that it’s okay to just take time for me. In the past I’ve always felt like I needed to be making money or do something to help a family member, but now I’m learning that it’s okay to do something that will just benefit me and be for my own enjoyment.”
He recalls back to a time earlier this past winter when the first big snow storm hit. “I felt like a little kid running in the snow up 8th street, and it felt like I was flying coming down.” Through many experiences like this, his running has become the treat he looks forward to each week. “Running in the Boise foothills is a special experience for me. There have been days when I look out at the snowcapped mountains in the distance and feel like I could run forever.”
Running isn’t always easy or free of obstacles. “I have experienced some intermittent knee pain, but I’m trying to be smart about strength training and foam rolling to combat it. Also, I have a very physical job in sand and gravel. During weeks when the workload is very physical it’s hard for me to run at all.” But, he has successful worked through these roadblocks to keep growing as a runner.
Running tends to spill over into other aspects of our lives (hence the capacity to create connections). In Geo’s words, “Firstly, running has helped me connect more deeply with myself. I’ve become a more thoughtful and mature person as running has become more significant to me. Also, it has brought my wife and I closer together as it is an enjoyable activity that we share. Lastly, people in the BAR were some of the first people that we became friends with here in Boise. The BAR is a big reason that the Treasure Valley has started to feel like home to us. The Sunday Morning Trail Run is always one of the highlights of my week.”
Running may be the tool someone uses to stay healthy, get fit, or lose those stubborn pounds. But, at some point, every runner discovers something about themselves and those around them through the simple act of running. Geo unearthed this connection with himself, his wife, and his fellow runners through running. Keep it up, Geo!
See you out on a run!
I am Tina, current BAR treasurer and unlikely hobby runner. As a slow-pace, short-distance, non-racing athlete, I provide more in the way of diversity (and mad check-writing skills) than running experience to the leadership team. But despite approaching the sport a bit differently from most people I meet, I love being part of the ranks of the BAR.
