A few weeks ago, Run Club+ Coach Charley and I sit on a Zoom call with Palo Alto Weekly writer, Malea Martin. Malea tells us that this is her last article before she moves to her next job. I ask that she make her final article her best, which smiles and promises me that she will.
We've been highly anticipating what she would write, how she would take our 60 minute conversation and turn it into a condensed article, and it did not disappoint. We chatted all about why I came to FIT4MOM, back in my San Diego days. How I was a client first, then became an instructor. I shared that we moved back to my hometown (I was born and raised in Los Altos, my husband in Mountain View) and teaching at FIT4MOM Sunnyvale seemed like the obvious thing to do. When the previous owner decided to move, it was take over the franchise or let it go, and Elsa is the only one allowed to do that! So in June 2022 I took over this franchise, in my hometown, in beautiful Silicon Valley, and I haven't looked back.
Charley shared her history with FIT4MOM at another franchise, how when she moved to the Bay Area that she immediately looked us up and we connected. She shared her incredible running and coaching background. That coaching Run Club+ with FIT4MOM has been an amazing fit for all of us. Charley's passion for running, and inclusive nature, were so genuine. I'm so proud to have her as our first Run Club+ coach and a member of my team.
The article was published this morning, two weeks before the 39th Annual Moonlight Race. A race that 10+ of our mamas are participating in.
The writer, Malea, focused on why we chose this local race, as Charley so eloquently pointed out: "We want events that are part of the communities that our moms are from. I knew that the moment I introduced this as our race we would have the buy-in from the moms that are involved."
The article also shared our respect for the Bay Area running community as there are many groups already. The one group that was missing? A stroller friendly, mom-focused group. And that was where FIT4MOM's Run Club+ has made a difference. As I said in the article, "There are a lot of incredible running groups in this area, and yet it felt like there was still a need for a place for not just moms, not just women, but one that is specifically stroller friendly."
Please join us in thanking Malea (and wishing her luck in her next role!) and the Palo Alto Weekly for such a wonderful article. See you at the start line, Moonlight Race!
Read the article here: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/print/story/2023/09/22/stroller-friendly-run-club-fit4mom-to-race-at-palo-alto-weeklys-annual-moonlight-run
Want to learn more about joining a FIT4MOM class or Run Club+? Head to our website at sunnyvale.fit4mom.com. Your first class is always free!