NatNews

Sometimes a shared love of running can bring people together more than they thought possible.

Local Dallas runners Kyle Burnett and Carolyn Macduff are both members of the Brooks Run Happy Team. Burnett is in his second year of serving as a Brooks ambassador, while this is Macduff’s first year. Earlier this month, both were able to attend Brooks’ Run Happy Camp in Park City, Utah.

The camp allowed members of the Run Happy Team from throughout the U.S. and Canada to meet and interact in a face-to-face setting, rather than solely on Instagram, and spend a weekend running, sharing stories of inspiration and encouragement, learning how people’s differences can make them stronger when they share them together, and much more.

“I think Brooks hosts events like this to truly bring people together,” Macduff said. “I discovered a love of running and of Brooks during camp. Our Brooks family has 200 members, but I developed personal friendships with so many of them.”

And, as Burnett said, it also allows Brooks to show its appreciation for the runners who consistently show love for its products.

“I think it has a twofold benefit of all of the ambassadors getting to meet in person, and it’s a way for Brooks to thank us for supporting the brand,” Burnett said.

This year’s camp was the first in-person event for both Burnett and Macduff, as last year’s was virtual because of the pandemic. For Macduff, it was meaningful to be able to spend time with so many people with whom she had only previously connected on social media and reminded her of why it’s such an honor to be a member of the Brooks team.

“It’s important to connect because I feel like it makes things more personal,” she said. “I can tell people that Brooks is more than a running company. They love on their ambassadors, athletes, and Olympians, and I can learn from my fellow teammates about social media, running, and so much more.”

To be a member of the Brooks Run Happy Team, one can complete the application process available each year. As an ambassador for the brand, Burnett said there are significant benefits far beyond simply wearing Brooks gear on a regular basis.

“For me, it gives me the chance to promote and inspire—with my special blend of crazy,” Burnett said.

And it allows individuals on the team to form special bonds that aren’t as common in all areas of life.

“Being an ambassador means sharing my love of Brooks with other people,” Macduff said. “It means connecting with others who love running, endurance, and connection. This has been the coolest program I’ve been part of, and I really hope I can continue to be on this team for years to come.”

Individuals who were around in the late ‘90s and early 2000s might have noticed that certain fashion trends they once enjoyed are making their way back into people’s wardrobes. Whether it’s overalls, flare jeans, crop tops, or butterfly clips, the styles that once defined an era of pop stars who played with your heart and got lost in the game have returned.

“Fashion kind of recycles,” White Rock Running Co-op member Lisa Krutmeier said. “A lot of them will return, but they return with a flare. Crop tops, for example—they’re back, but now they’re a little bit different.”

But just because they have returned doesn’t mean they’re good. WRRC admin and IT specialist Josh Odegard said that there are some styles that should be left in the past.

“Some of the trends that kids are trying to bring back—like the porn stash and the mullet—are pretty awful,” he said. “But the one that I hate the most is absolutely the mom jeans trend. Maybe they’re bringing things back because they come up with ideas they never heard or saw before, and they think they’re the first to make them trends. I think it’s also possible that it’s because these younger people are the first generation who were raised by social media. Everyone can see everything that’s going on all over the world, and I think that makes it a lot harder for people to find their identities.”

For many individuals, as they get older and discover their unique identities, keeping up with the latest trending fashions becomes much less important.

“I don’t think most people in their 30s and older care as much about standing out or being cool,” Odegard said. “I know I’m cool, so I don’t need to prove it to everyone with my appearance.”

And with that maturity comes the opportunity for people to create their own individualized looks that work best for them.

“While I enjoy fashion, I am at the age where personal style is more important than anything in a magazine,” local high school teacher Megan England said. “I fuse the trends into my classic looks. Lately I have been enjoying the chunky shoe (Doc Martens) throwback. I haven’t bought a pair of flare pants yet, but I’m not ruling it out, either.”

England also said she believes that familiar styles are likely to keep resurfacing as the latest options become a bit more mundane.

“Maybe fashion trends are like movies,” she said. “All of the creative storylines have been done, so we are cycling back through the good ones—and not-so-good ones."

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