We asked the community members featured in our Mostly Heartbroken, Still Going campaign to share a little bit about what the themes mean to them.
Shannon McAndrew is a Boston community fixture. She's a Pacer at our wildly popular Tuesday morning sessions and one of our Flyers. She ran track and cross-country at UMass Amherst before she dove into the Heartbreak scene. Now, she's connecting with athletes, racing with friends, and going big the majors of Boston & Chicago. We caught up with her after our shoot in Orlando. Shop the collection here.
Heartbreak: What comes to mind for you when you hear: Mostly Heartbroken, Still Going?
Shannon McAndrew: What comes to mind to me when I hear Mostly Heartbroken, Still Going, is the resiliency that is so necessary to participate in our sport. Running is incredibly challenging physically, but it is often the challenges we face mentally that can be our biggest barrier to achieving our next goal.
HB: What was something that didn't work out for you and how did you bounce back?
SM: 18:03, 18:04, 18:07, 18:15, countless 18:2x's. Breaking 18:00 in the 5k was something that trolled me for a few years. So many times, I got on the starting line saying to myself, "Today's the day, I'm ready for that sub-18:00", and would just miss it. It got to the point where I was starting to laugh about it! Summer 2023, I said to myself, "I'm just going to keep signing up for 5ks until I do it". July 2023, I finally got my 17:48 and Fidelis was there to capture pictures of me, beer in hand and huge smile on my face after. One of my favorite recent running memories!
HB: What keeps you running?
SM: Running and I have a funny relationship. When I first started, I totally resented the hard work that was required at high school practice, but when it came to meet day, I loved to compete. It was mostly about competition for me for a long time, but it was not really until COVID, when everyone's daily routines changed and for the first time in many years, I did not have a practice that I was required to show up to. During those first months, I just listened to my body, ran when I wanted to and didn't when I didn't! It was during this time that I transitioned into just enjoying the process more than the competition. I love to run because it makes me feel good, it's a way I can challenge myself in a different outlet in life beyond work, and now more than ever it is the community of runners that I train with that keep me running!
HB: In one sentence please answer the question: what is love?
SM: Love is consistent and unconditional.
