Why Nick Runs
Running is how I get away, deal with the stresses of life and reconnect with myself. All kinds of things make sense when I’m running though sometimes.
Nick Newbold has been part of Every Mother Counts since before it was born. As Christy’s former assistant, he was there when the idea for No Woman No Cry sparked and there when we filmed, produced, and finally released our documentary. When the opportunity came for Christy to run her first marathon last year, it was only natural Nick would be there too. This year, as co-captain of team-EMC with his brother Alex, Nick keeps our team running in the right direction. Nick is now Marc Jacob’s personal executive assistant. We sat down with Nick and were treated to some very insightful answers to our questions about running, the marathon and Every Mother Counts.
Why do you run?
I was always active as a kid and loved being outdoors. During college, I fell in love with weight lifting, but after college, I went through a sedentary period. Running only started about four or five years ago. I’d just moved back home with my parents after leaving a job in New York. I was a few years out of college and didn’t really know what I was doing. Then it was almost like a Forrest Gump thing. I just felt like running and within six months, I discovered distance running. I love to push myself. I read a book about an ultra marathoner and I when I finished the book, I went out and ran 18 miles. By the end of a year, I ran my first two marathons within one week. Running was euphoric, which was very addicting. I wanted to run further and further and see how far I could go. I’d run 35 miles on a Sunday. One week I ran over 100 miles.
When I moved back to New York to work with Christy and her husband, my priorities shifted. I became really invested with her family and my work and my running tapered off. Still, it was my only way to find a release. No cell phone, no music, not even keys. It’s really the place I go to find complete solace. Now it’s less about putting in the mileage and more about finding balance. I don’t have to run 20 miles to get that feeling. I can get it with five or six, but I need it mentally to feel in control.
Running is how I get away, deal with the stresses of life and reconnect with myself. All kinds of things make sense when I’m running though sometimes, they don’t make sense anymore when I get back. People say I should record what I’m thinking, but I don’t think that’s the point. I think somethings happening that’s beyond that. I see things with more clarity when I’m on a run.
Running has been very profound for me. It has shaped me in a way that nothing else has. One time I was running this ten-mile loop that I’ve run a million times, especially when I lived with my parents. It was fall and there were leaves on the ground. I was by myself but had this sensation somebody was running beside me. Wherever we live, I think we leave some of our energy behind and when Iwent back there and ran it again, I revisited that time. I think there was a piece of the old me still running that loop. When I run it now I look back on that time as one of the greatest times of my life. I reconnected with my parents as adults. I was healthy and giving my life a lot of thought.
Why are you running for Every Mother Counts?
I worked for Christy when she had the idea to make No Woman No Cry. When she launched Every Mother Counts, there was a very personal connection. Christy and her family are some of the most special people. They’re really incredible human beings, truly down to earth, caring and giving. They’re great parents and wonderful examples for anybody who has the privilege of spending time with them. I run the marathon every year and when an email popped up saying there were spotsavailable if Every Mother Counts wanted to run it, I said, “Yes. We have to do this.” Christy trained in under 12 weeks and we ran it together.
Coincidentally, my grandmother died of complications due to pregnancy when my mom was only three or four. It didn’t really hit me until after the film that this issue affects everybody. What Christy is doing is really important. She’s bringing the issue of maternal mortality into people’s homes. Mothers are central to families and communities. At the end of the day, running can be sort of a selfish pursuit and this year, it’s not just about me. It’s about something more important. Alex and I dedicate our runs to our grandmother and mother.
How do you keep your mind busy while you’re running?
My mind repeats the same cycles every run. I leave the door and I’m like “Ugh, why am I doing this?” I feel stiff and heavy and the first mile or two I spend hating it. I really do. Christy always makes fun of me because I sound like an old man. But by mile four, everything loosens up. I find a stride and start feeling good. Then I start thinking about the week ahead, how much time I have to run, emails, if I’ll have time to get a coffee. It’s all business. Then there’s a period of time that I don’t even remember anything. I don’t know what I’m thinking about. On the longer runs, I get to the profound place where I feel inspired and creative. I’ll daydream about how I used to play music with bands and how I want to join a band and how it would be so fun to do a show and have all my friends come. Then I’ll think about some story I want to write. That creative phase lasts for miles and I always run faster. In the higher miles when my feet are tired, I get to this really weird place where I’m thinking, “I’ve got 12 miles to go. I’m tired, thirsty; my stomach’s bothering me. I’m really questioning why I’m doing this. Then, I go beyond that to another state and next thing I know, I’m done. I feel really good. That tired feeling is gone.
I never get bored. I feel like I could run all day just to get these things out of my brain. Running is my therapy. I love to be alone and don’t have to have somebody to talk to when I run though Christy will tell you, I’m always saying, “I’m starving. Burrito. I just want a burrito.”
If we use the word run as a metaphor for going the distance or striving, what do you wish people would run for?
People say, “What are you running from? Are you running away from problems?” I actually think I’m solving them. I want people to run to connect with themselves on a more spiritual level. Running allows you to put yourself in a place where you’re uncomfortable, either physically or mentally and to challenge yourself. You leave yourself for a minute, get back to nature and find comfort being alone. I feel like running allows me to be a better person.
To learn more about why Nick is running for Every Mother Counts, check out our new film,The Walk. To support Nick and Team-EMC, donate to his Crowdrise page here.
