march 1 ,2002 »
SPORTS
implicity.
It’s a mixJem conundrum that
we have to work to find a little piece
of it. We have to leave projects
undone, say “no,” turn the phone off,
stand still, escape traffic and silence the
constancy of our internal monologues.
At best, we are able to eke out pockets
or serendipitously stumble across moments
that inspire calm, that don’t cost anything
and that feel good.
For some, that sense of simplicity is
found running.
“It’s an inexpensive, entry-level sport.
Anyone can do it. All it’ll cast you is a pair
of shoes,” says June Kansopon, outreach
cixirdinator for Portland Frontmnners.
President Don Robinson explains: “Run
ning is kind of an inward thing. You get the
heartbeat pumping, and you’re so connected
to what’s around.”
But it’s not always connection to the
scenery or thoughts within that keep many
runners going. Sometimes, collecting the will
to step out the front dair is the hardest piece of
the puzzle to find. Anyone from the seasoned run
ner to the novice has stared out at the drizzling
rain and dark skies and wondered, “Do 1 have to?’
As club member Eileen O ’Connor puts it,
“When 1 saw people ninning I wondered what
they were ninning from.”
And both Kansopon and Robinson have
lamented the difficulty of ninning alone. “When
a person trains it can get monotonous and being
with people can break that up,” Robinson says.
And that’s where this club steps in. “Front-
ninners is a good stx:ial outlet, and I like hav
ing that incentive. That’s what life is all about:
sharing your time and experiences with other
people,” Kansopon says.
SCHMIDT
rontmnners is an international running club
for sexual minorities that began 28 years ago
in San Francisco. Since then it has
rituals— like not being able to turn
around until you touch a specific piece
of pavement at the end of a certain path
or the ever-popular avoidance of step
ping on sidewalk seams. These are the
necessary habits that help runners stay
focused and honest, keeping them from
quitting too easily or cutting comers.
Also, all of this intimate sharing of
idiosyncrasies allows people to forge a
community with other lez-hi-gay-trans
people with interests outside the bar
Portland
scene.
Frontrunners
As Kansopon puts it: “I ran with
gear up for
running every
Frontrunners because it was the first gay
organization I finally found on campus
Tuesday,
that I could relate with and express my
Saturday and
identity. Because...One: I have to be
k Sunday A
myself— runner and now triathlete— not
softball.player, not barfly, not poker play
er. Two: lesbian. 1 needed to get out and
make more gay friends. Three: to feel
connected with where I live. Running,
and meeting people through it, gives me
a sense of community.”
choose from
branched
trail runs, dis
out with affili
Not surprisingly, many of the Portland
BY
MELISSA
S
a
YLER
ates in most major
tance runs, short
Frontrunners are recent transplants— from
runs (ending with
California, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Texas, to
U .S. cities as well as Europe,
brunch!), trips to San Francisco for the “Lit
name a few. Most of them were familiar with
Canada, Australia and South Africa.
tle Black Dress” run or adventurous outings
the organization as a way to meet new people.
Portland Frontrunners began in the early
that require beer drinking or clawing one’s
“I’m happy to say that my first and best friends
'80s and enjoyed several years of popularity
in Portland have come from this group,”
way up the muddy face of Ski Bowl on a
before membership began to dwindle and the
summer afternoon.
Schmidt says.
club disbanded. When Robinson returned to
Portland from Boston in 1999, he joined with
Schmidt recalls his journal entry from the
Travelers also look for Frontrunners when
“Kevin’s Cup X” adventure race last Novem
they visit new cities. The international Web
the Adventure Group to make running one
site lists clubs around the world. Robinson says
of its Saturday morning activities. Last Sep
ber: “This nasty lil’ trailfest served up a variety
the Boston group offers housing to out-of-town
of challenges: mud, creeks, trails, brutal ankle
tember, Robinson, Kansopon, Damon
Frontrunners who come in for races like the
twisting switchbacks, hone-jarring downhills,
Schmidt and Brian Craig of the Saturday
Boston Marathon.
lung-searing uphills and more. This was no
morning running group spun off to resurrect
Craig says he’s run with various Frontrunner
Portland Frontrunners.
cutesy downtown commercial road race! The
groups—Orlando, Gainesville and Tampa, Fla.;
real fun came later during the hot-dog half-
Since then, the group has tried to focus
Washington, D.C. “Everyone has always been
mile and the ultimate beer mile!”
on making running accessible for all levels
Kansopon has her own adventurous war sto very accepting and friendly to the new guy who
and interests. Experienced marathoners,
shows up for a run."
ries: “A group of friends and I did this race
triathletes, walkers, trotters or “newbies” can
And there’s always someone to run with
called the Ski Bowl Scramble.... A hunch of us
for every level. For all those who started run
ran and crawled up and down the mountain. It
ning marathons at 15 or who want to keep
was a horrible climb marked with stunning
heating their personal bests, there is someone
views of Mount Hood from the top. My thighs
who won’t run faster than she can carry on a
and lungs were burning, I couldn’t think
conversation or who is more interested in
straight, there were times when I wanted to cry.
what’s on the breakfast menu at Compass
But when we all cheered for each other into
Cafe. JF]
the finish line, we were elated and celebrated
with cold microhrew from the kegs.”
P o rtla n d F r o n tr u n n er s head out every Tuesday
evening and every Saturday and Sunday mommg.
ontrast those races with the laid-back,
Contact
them at 503-239-7705 or visit
three- to six-mile Saturday morning mns
wuv.’.portlaridfrontrunners .org.
along the Portland waterfront.
The international site is uwu>. frontrunners.org.
After taking a count o f who’s going to
brunch after the run, faster people take off,
|||p r io n n a H y they take their running
MELISSA S ayler is the Production Assistant and
leaving the rest to their occasionally breath-
very seriously— we swear
go-to
sports uniter at Just Out.
challenged conversations and running
....... ¿ .......
* ' s' v
Ó Í-
Portland Frontrunners find peace
in a pair of running shoes
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