Brochman died last December after a one-year battle with cancer. She will be honored posthumously at the St Patrick's Day Human Race on Sunday, March 28. Her highly competitive Run N Fun team will be there, as well as dozens of teams of citizen athletes.The event allows you to create your own team, so amidst the teams like Target Run Club and Cargill Club Run you'll find Dandy Long Legs, Team Bumble, True Players and The Heavy Breathers. There's also Team RED (Run Eat Drink) and Hot Sauce, The Fantastic Five, Run&Brunch and the A Team. A few team names reflect the St Patrick's Day theme, including McLovin, Irish Pigs and the O'Runners. Finally, the largest team so far is a group of work friends: Boogers and Bones. They all work at Regions Hospital, so their name, besides being fun to say, reflects their professional duties.
Some teams train together, others will only gather for this race. Each team has its own set of reasons why they exist. One common theme: teams add fun! Whether you race together or just meet afterward, being on a team raises the fun quotient.
Some of my most fun running experiences have come when I was on a team. From formal racing teams to pick-up teams for relays, I like being a part of something bigger than myself. The competitive side can be fun, but the camaraderie is the thing. I can't really say it any better than the team description for the O'Runners: "For our team name we had a difficult time deciding between O'Drunkards and O'Runners...most of us would consider ourselves better drinkers than runners so maybe we should've stuck with that!" Going with your strengths is always a good idea, but I think you'll be okay with O'Runners.
Got team? What's your story?
PS It's not too late to form your own team, and not all the good team names are taken. Check out our special contest on The Sporting Life page on Facebook.
