Testimonial: “We Are a Tribe”

By Elena
Recovery Road Runners Member
I found Recovery Road Runners (RRR) at a point in my recovery where I had been sober for a little over a year and was desperate for a recovery community. Everyone in my life still drinks and although they could have been supportive I really wanted to talk to people who knew what I was going through. I had tried a local women’s AA meeting, but I had a tough time accepting my drinking problem was due to a “personality defect” instead of alcohol being an addictive drug to which I had become addicted after 2 decades of drinking. I had primarily been a weekend binge drinker but in my thirties as my life was becoming more full (kids and work), my hangovers were becoming increasingly harder to manage. Where it used to be I could sweat off a night of drinking with a run or a hot yoga session, a hangover was turning into days of crippling anxiety and fatigue once the rest of my physical symptoms subsided.

In RRR I found a tribe of other sober runners (and wannabe runners!) who knew exactly what I was talking about when I said I used to sweat out a hangover! Also, there were members who were way more knowledgeable than me who could actually help me become a BETTER runner. At first I was intimidated by all the people training for marathons (and beyond) but I quickly realized they were on a similar journey of recovery. I joined a 16 week challenge where a group of us training together check in daily with our workouts and sweaty selfies and I found more people who understood me at the weekly meetups where we talk about life in recovery. I now have people in my life who I can call when I’m having a tough day and with whom I never have to filter the struggles of not drinking in our booze filled culture.
 
The thing I appreciate most about RRR is that we are a tribe of people with a growth mindset and are focused on making a better lives for ourselves without alcohol. Together we are dedicated to getting physically and mentally healthier and want to help each other on our respective journeys. Thank you Amber for starting this community and giving us all a safe sober space where we can heal!

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