You Belong Here

Welcome! There’s a lot I’ve been wanting to share with you. June was a busy month as I officially took over this company from Sarah and began shaping the new path forward. My hope is to use this monthly newsletter as a way to communicate with you about all things Rise Run Retreat.

My intent for this month’s newsletter is to tell you a little bit more about myself and my vision.

I was born and raised in Southern Maine, and have lived on the Seacoast of NH for the past 20 years. I simply love it here.  I’m a proud mother to three teenage children (shout out to all the mamas with teenagers!!), two wildly energetic golden retrievers, two curmudgeonly cats, and my husband.

Owning a business was never on my bingo card, but creating and being part of a community, moving my body and challenging what it can do, searching for that elusive balance between work and play, effort and ease….  That’s long been what drives me.  I think that's why, although it seems like a big leap to take on Rise Run Retreat, it also feels like a natural evolution for me.

I wasn't a runner in high school or college or hell, even in my 20's. It came after a long night with a little too much red wine while on a beach vacation. My friend had the brilliant idea to go for a 2 mile run to see if that would help us feel better. Spoiler alert: it did not, that day, but something inside me did spark. I picked up a real pair of running sneakers and a running app and I was off. It was a bit of a rollercoaster relationship at first. I would find a race, train - albeit haphazardly -  cross the finish line, and then there would be long quiet seasons between runs. It really wasn't until I started working with Sarah Canney and the Rise Run Collective, incorporating strength training and dynamic running drills, that something started to shift inside me. Whether it was the speed pick-ups I did on Wednesdays or gathering with the Collective for our monthly calls listening to other women navigate running and life, I started to feel a shift. Slowly I started to take on and truly embody the identity of a runner. Today, I am able to find deep joy and satisfaction from running. That said, the other day I just didn't have it. My legs were heavy, my breathing was labored, I felt like I was pushing through mud as opposed to running through my neighborhood. Here's the difference: at the end of that run, I just let it go. I didn't speak harshly to myself about how things "should" have gone. I simply let that run go, popped a handful of sour patch kids, and moved onto my strength session, which turned out to be great. I think that's what I'm learning: how to be a runner, how to be strong, and also how to be kind to myself.

Sarah built us a beautiful foundation at Rise Run Retreat. Now I’m honored  to add my own flair and personal touches to something that has already inspired community, strength, and deep connection for so many women. My vision is simple: I want Rise Run Retreat to be a place where women can be truly seen and known, where connections spark and friendships take root.  Running may be what brings us here, but why we stay is the way it draws us closer to ourselves, our community and the world.

June has been a wild and wonderful month. There is so much happening behind the scenes and I'm excited to be sharing it with you. First, I'm learning my way around Instagram. It's clunky, and I'll be honest, it's hard to put myself out there in such a public way, but I'm trying. I'm working on securing venues for future events, talking with potential presenters, and dreaming up wonderful ways for us to gather and connect.

My ask of you today is simple:

Check us out on Instagram @rise.run.retreat  That's our primary mode of communication. Please like, follow along, comment, and share with friends.

Tell me what you want to see. I'd love to hear what you'd like to read about in future newsletters — and whether newsletters are even your thing, or if you'd rather connect with us mostly through social media. Either way, I want to hear from you.

I'm so excited you're here. This feels like the beginning of something wonderful, and I truly can't wait to see where this journey takes us together.

You Belong Here.

Kelly