Jenn Hayes and teammates at the Hood to Coast finish line: fiance Jackson Warner (in the NOPO shirt), Lincoln Burns (in green), and Brian Lilley (on the far right).
It’s time for another NoPo Run Club profile! And then, it’s time for you to join them for one of their Thursday night runs. They meet at Amnesia Brewing at 632 North Beech Street in Portland at 6:30p, and the run starts a 6:45p. Post-run, many people hang out for a well-earned beer!
Jenn Hayes, 30, lives in Vancouver, Wash., and works as an occupational therapist at a skilled nursing facility. She’s been a runner since a young age, ranking 12th in the state of South Carolina during her freshman year of high school. Nowadays, she’s still running, but not with the same competitive drive (except on race day, she still gets “in the competitive spirit”). Now, she runs 5-10 miles/week at a pace around 9:00/mile.
“My running goal has always been to up my pace, and get more mileage in,” Hayes says. “I don’t have a target mileage or pace. I just want to feel strong when competing in races.”
Engaged to another NoPo Run Club runner, Hayes found the group through meetup.com. Coincidentally, the group had just started up when she was new to the area, so she was one of the first members. Since 2011, she’s even helped with organization of club events from time to time.
Because Hayes views running as a form of exercise and social time, NoPo Run Club’s mix of “nice people,” running, and beer was just what she was looking for. She says it also helped her learn about the area and to meet a lot of new people. Even though she enjoys the beer, it’s much more about the opportunity to socialize. “There have been months when I abstained from drinking and just had a water and hung out.” But when she feels like a cold one, her favorite at BarBar is “Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ from Lagunitas. Outside of Run Club, she likes anything brewed by Crux.
Come September, Hayes and her fiance will be bringing a new four-legged runner to NoPo Run Club events. The runs are laid-back and pet-friendly – kiddos are welcome too (but not so much in the bar). The group welcomes EVERY fitness level and all paces of runners. “About 30-80 people will be right there with you,” Hayes says. And if you’re motivated by deliciously brewed rewards, “There is beer at the end.”
In addition to running with the group at their scheduled runs, it’s a great place to meet people that share other interests of yours – especially if those interests include fitness, being outside, or beer. In other words, many Oregon-type events and activities.
So check them out – and have fun doing so! Learn more and see what fun they’ve got planned on the NoPo Run Club facebook page.
