Transcript 0:00 Hey everyone, welcome to this episode of Melanin MVP. I am joined today by Sharon Moseley, who is a therapist and runner based in Durham, North Carolina. 0:11 We met and got to know each other really, really well when I followed her around to film a documentary short film called Trail Therapy. 0:19 Me and Sharon knew each other pretty well by this point, so I'm really excited to dive into a question that I have not yet asked her, which is what her experience has been being the star of a documentary short film that is now doing the rounds in a film festival circuit, and getting to meet all the people who are seeing this film and, and experiencing this, and hearing their feedback. 0:40 Oh, wow. I never saw myself being in a film, so this is really, you know, it caught me by surprise. But I will say that I've been pleasantly surprised. 0:48 Been surprised by the turnout, by the response, and just by how the film and everyone has been received, and so I think that has been really positive. 0:58 You know, there are certainly some times when I am out and about and not even thinking about the film, but someone will bring that up to me and how they felt that it was really inspiring and it got them to thinking about movement and just all aspects of their health. 1:15 So I think that's been pretty positive. Yeah. That's awesome. So this podcast is a part of the Everyday Podcast Network, which is a collaboration between myself and Jason of Run Tribe Bike. 1:25 And when we say everyday athlete, we mean people that aren't participating in the Olympics. 1:31 We mean the people that get up every day and run for their health, for their own enjoyment, and to be a part of a community maybe. You are part of Black Girls Run. 1:40 What has it been like finding people to run with in that group? 1:45 Oh, I think it- it's been really not sh- anything short of amazing because literally they make it so easy for you to join the group, and then once you have joined, it's even more so easier to connect with someone. 1:58 Because even though Black Girls Run is a national organization and then they have chapters all throughout, they also have smaller groups of women who are running and within their c- communities. 2:14 And so you always have an opportunity if you choose to, to join into a community. 2:20 And even if that doesn't really work for your schedule, because I find that with my schedule it doesn't always work for me in terms of the times and the days that they're going, but I don't think that that has anything to do with them not being accessible, because they really are. 2:36 But I am still able to connect with them because, for example, on January the 1st they joined in with a local shoe company here and they were part of a inspiration run. 2:49 And so then I had the opportunity to connect with a larger group of women from Black Girls Run during that run. 2:55 And so they may be people that you don't get to run with on a daily or weekly basis, but you're connected with them through Face- Facebook and then other events like that. 3:05 And so it's real cool to be able to come together if you haven't seen them face to face in some time, to be able to make that connection, then go out and have a run. So there's always an opportunity to get connected. 3:17 And then they have also, quote unquote, like national meetups, and so then there's always, uh, opportunities to get connected that way as well, even with folks in other states. So I like... I, I think it's pretty cool. 3:31 We actually ran into them at the Tar Heel 10 Miler. They had a tent. They were helping at a hydration station. 3:37 How often is it for you to bump into them, not only at runs here in the Triangle, but runs where you're going other places, like you've been to Charleston, you've been to other cities. How often is that? 3:47 Oh, I'm gonna say that I don't know if I ever go to a run where I don't see at least one or two, uh, women from Black Girls Run. 3:57 And even when I go out on my personal runs over the weekends and I'm on the trails, I'm likely to run into someone from Black Girls Run. 4:05 And every time it feels like one of the first times because I think we all, we get really excited like, "Oh, hey, hey, hey," you know? Making sure that we see each other and we connect. 4:15 So I think that that's really common. I will say that in the month of, I think it was December, I had an opportunity to volunteer with one of their aid stations. 4:25 And so to do the same thing for other racers during a race here in Durham. 4:30 And so whenever I have a opportunity to do something like that, I, I try to take advantage of it because for as much as I know that I appreciate the aid station, I know the other runners appreciate that as well, and I also know that they could use the volunteers. 4:45 So you mentioned you were volunteering and not running in this race. Yeah. And have you been running this winter? Oh, absolutely. I, the seasons don't stop me in terms of going out for a run. It just changes my attire. 4:58 So I, yes, I've been out running and in the month of December I even participated in a race and it was bitterly cold, but I went out, I did that. 5:09 And like I said, also during that month I had an opportunity to participate as a volunteer. So I've been moving right along. 5:16 I was out this weekend and even the weeks before that when the temperatures had dropped down to the 20s, and I just, I layer and, but I still go out and I get my runs in, so that's what I've been doing. 5:28 Talk to me about the two races in December. What were they called? What was the length of the races, the whole nine? It sounds like they were both in Durham. Is that correct? 5:36 They both were on part of the American Tobacco Trail. So they started at different places. So one was a- I wanna make sure. It was the race 13.1, and that's the race that I volunteered with. 5:51 And then the other was, I think it may have been part of that same series, but it was some- but it was for Christmas, and it started at a different part of the trail. And I didn't run the half in that particular race. 6:03 I ran the 10K. This was my second year participating with the one where I ran the 10K. Like I said, it was bitterly cold, but I went out and I did it anyway, and I survived it. 6:14 And with the, with the volunteer, it was, it was a fun time because whenever Black Girls Run is having or hosting a water aid station, I mean, they're gonna make it a fun event. 6:25 So even though it may be cold outdoors, you kind of... After a while, you kind of forget all about that because you're just having a good time, and you're also meeting other racers. 6:33 Right now, I have been running and going out in these 20-some degree temperatures because in about two weeks, two or three weeks from now, I'll be running in a half marathon in Charleston, South Carolina. 6:48 And so I know that I'll see some other Black Girls Run at, during that race as well. So correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am, 'cause I've watched this film a lot of times. 6:58 But you referred to Charleston in the film as the race where it was raining and sleeting cold. Okay. That was in Wilmington, North Carolina- Okay. Got it... where it was raining and sleeting cold. Yeah. 7:09 [laughs] In Charleston, it was just cold. [laughs] Bitters cold. But no rain, but it was a bitterly cold. Okay. And I did question, um [laughs] why I would do that during [laughs] 7:23 when I arrived for that race that weekend. And so here I am again, as you can see, headed back. 7:31 So I'm just hoping that this year, that the temperatures will be a few degrees warmer because I heard that that was one of the coldest years. So I thought, okay, well, let me give it another try just to [laughs] 7:43 you know. I guess- Yeah... I like a little bit of punishment. I don't know. That is hilarious. [laughs] Whoa. That's okay. I feel like that was me with the Camino de Santiago. 7:54 Like, the first time I went it was raining every day. It was cold. I think it rained every day but one, actually. Mm-hmm. And the, when I went in 2023, I was like, "Oh, maybe it'll be a little bit better." 8:06 [laughs] You just talk yourself back into it. You just have to see, well, like maybe it's just a fluke, you know? So. Exactly. Exactly. So for the rest of 2025, are there races that are on your radar? 8:17 Are there races that you've signed up for already? What, how do you plan for a year of races? How do you plan? 8:24 Typically don't plan the entire year out, but I do tend to have some races that I know I enjoy, and so I try to, uh, keep those on my calendar to go back to do again. 8:35 So there's another race here locally in Durham called Angels Among Us, and it's a 5K, but it's to raise funds for cancer research, particularly for kids, but for adults as well. And I'll plan to do that. That's in April. 8:49 Then there is the Running of the Bulls, which I will be, I think, this year on May 31st, and so that's usually a fun race to do right before it gets blazing hot. So I try to keep that on my radar. 9:03 This year for the first quarter w- my husband and I, we try to kind of sit down and plan out a couple races, as well as some other races that we'd been considering. 9:13 So in February, we'll do the, the Hot Chocolate run, which is gonna, we're gonna do the 15K in Charlotte. And in March, we'll do something local. 9:24 We haven't quite decided what that will be, but it may be something back on the ATT, A- American Tobacco Trail again. And later in the year in October, we're planning to do the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon. 9:36 So that one will take you from Detroit and run you across the bridge into Canada. So we're looking forward to doing that, although that's, like, months away. And w- we may do something else in between. 9:50 There's a women's 5K classic run in Baltimore, and so I'm considering doing that as well. I don't know. And sometimes I just, you know, kind of hear about something and just think, oh yeah, let me just sign up for that. 10:04 But really one of my goals this year is to make sure that I have something that I'm signed up for every month, and it doesn't have to be, uh, a run that i- is away. 10:16 It could be something that's local, and it doesn't have to be a half marathon. 10:19 It can be really any distance, but I thought that that would kind of keep me motivated as long as I have something to look forward to on my calendar every month. Yeah. 10:26 As I was hearing you talk, I'm like, okay, I'm here in January. I'm here in February. I'm here in March. I'm here in April. Running of the Bulls is typically, like, end of May, early June. 10:37 And then, like, basically, I guess when it gets cool enough again, I'm hearing October. Like, I was like, okay, she's, she's got one every month. This is- Yeah... this is a lot. Yeah. 10:45 Um, unless- Just don't have the summer covered just yet. But the summer there, there don't tend to be quite as many because it can get really hot. 10:53 Uh, so that has an impact on in terms of how many races that you're gonna see here locally anyway. So I'm sure we'll figure something out though. Yeah. And I can understand that. 11:03 I think they wanna keep people safe and not have people passing out. So- Absolutely... yeah, that makes a lot of sense. 11:09 I wanna talk about the Detroit run here for a second because I believe off-camera we talked about that last year a little bit. 11:16 That was one you were considering, and I've somehow read about it a little bit online that a lot of people really like that run 'cause they like the opportunity to go into Canada and, and have that experience. 11:26 They felt like that was really cool. I believe, have you done that run before? No. You haven't done it before? No. I've just heard a lot about it, but I've never done it yet. Okay. Okay. Well, that's exciting. 11:37 Have you at least been to Detroit before? I have not. [laughs] You haven't been to Detroit. Have I been to Canada? Have not. It would be my first time. [laughs] Okay. Do they require you to have your passport to run it? 11:47 Yes. They do? Okay. You had to have your passport to register. Oh, wow I'm already registered Okay But, uh, yeah Okay. Well, that's interesting. I like that. 11:56 When you travel, do you try, like if you're going to a new place or going to a place that you like that's just outside the triangle, do you try to plan time around a race to spend time there to explore and eat and that sort of thing? 12:08 Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. You excited to do that in, in Detroit? Yeah. You have some plans you can yell about? Oh, yeah. Absolutely. You know- Okay... 12:16 so I have to do the obligatory visit to Motown and Hitsville, see all those things, so yeah. Oh, that sounds awesome. 12:24 Well, that sounds awesome Looking back on it in terms of reflection, I really, I enjoyed the experience, and I think that I learned a lot maybe even about myself that maybe I had taken for granted in terms of just the determination and drive that it takes to get up each week to go out and to continue, uh, movement and to continue going out running even when the, the weather isn't always agreeable. 12:49 Whether that means that the weather is dipping down really low or it's really hot, but to really just say, "You know what? This is important to me and something that I'm sticking with," right? 13:01 Like, this wasn't something that I tried out for a few months and then said, "Oh, okay." You know, this was something when, when I look back on it, I've been doing it for years now. 13:10 And so I just, I felt really proud of myself for that type of a, a commitment. 13:15 And I don't think that I also had really given enough thought to how many people have been impacted by just watching my journey and how it has inspired them to say, "Okay, you know what? 13:28 If Sharon is out here doing this, I can certainly get out here and try." So I, I think that that's pretty cool. 13:36 Yeah, I think that was amazing to see and to hear both at the in-person screening that we hosted and at the virtual screening that we hosted. 13:44 We got a lot of questions about what's motivating you, how you push through injury, how you stay consistent, that sort of thing. And those feel like common questions because- Yeah... 13:54 again, you're just like everybody else. You just made a decision- Yeah... to start and to keep going. Yeah, yeah. And so that's beautiful. Yeah. That's what I want people to know, that, you know, you can do it. 14:04 Like, I don't have any sort of special superpower other than I have decided that this was a goal and said that, "You know what? I'm gonna stick with it." 14:13 And it doesn't mean that there aren't some days or maybe even many days that I don't question it, that I don't necessarily feel like doing it, that I just think that it's not necessarily that big of a deal. 14:25 But then I do it anyway, you know? So I do have to sometimes stop and just, the same things that I share with other folks, I have to share those words with myself. 14:35 I have to give myself a, a pep talk and have to speak positive thoughts, uh, so that I'll just, you know, get up ultimately and, and make something happen. Yeah. Thank you so much for joining me today. 14:48 I really appreciate it. Super excited for everything you're gonna do in 2025. Yeah. And who knows? Maybe my camera and myself will be there. Maybe I'll run- That's right. Yeah... one of your races. 14:57 [laughs] Come on and join me. Join, [laughs] join me. I'm telling you, you can do it. [laughs] You absolutely can do it. Okay. We're gonna start with a 5K. Okay. [laughs] We're gonna start small. 15:06 [laughs] You have, you just, one foot in front of the other. Okay. Sounds good. Yeah. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. All right. You're welcome.
