The Practice of Groundedness

A piece from Tyler McCandless, FCRC Board of Directors Member at Large

 

One of the most profound books of my life is Brad Stulberg’s The Practice of Groundedness. One of the core concepts of the book is to develop deep community. There’s a great analogy in the book about the giant redwoods in California. How do they stay upright against very strong winds? You might think the answer is very deep roots, but in fact it’s roots that spread horizontally and connect with the community of redwoods around them. Together, their interconnected roots allow these trees to go incredibly tall and stand strong against fierce winds. 

 

Similar to the giant redwoods, as humans we can always use support from each other. We moved to Fort Collins almost two years ago and as competitive athlete I wanted to get connected to the running community. Through a series of meeting new friends through running, I got introduced to Adrian Macdonald who shared with me his experience being on the Board of Directors for the Fort Collins Running Club and encouraged me to join the board at the next elections. I did and it has been truly a great experience. 

 

My life is full…a full time job, a husband, a parent to one and three year old boys and running 100 mile weeks doesn’t leave a ton of free time. But, the FCRC and the running community here in Fort Collins is so welcoming and encouraging I was able to find enough time to feel I’m able to make a meaningful contribution to the board in chairing the race sponsorship committee. It’s truly help me feel more grounded – more connected to this special community that we feel incredibly grateful to call home. 

 

There are so many options to volunteering and supporting the FCRC and the broader Fort Collins running community. Try volunteering at a Tortoise & Hare, signing up to be a running buddy or mentor, or volunteer at one of the terrific running races. If you can find an appropriate amount of your time to volunteer, I trust that you’ll find the right avenue to volunteer and you’ll feel a greater sense of belonging and purpose. 

 

The Fort Collins running community is so strong – similar to the redwoods there’s tights roots spread throughout this community. One great example is the Horsetooth Half, which is celebrating its 50th year in 2023! Let’s continue to build on this special running community by making this year extra special at Horsetooth Half Marathon. I’ll be running and hope to see you there, too!

 

Tyler McCandless
FCRC Member-at-Large