CADENCE: THE RIFF THAT BRINGS US TO OUR FEET
Derived from the Italian for the word cadence, Cadenza signifies a specific passage in a musical composition where the soloist has the freedom to showcase their creativity. For one breathtaking moment a solitary member of the group steps outside the already stunning artistry of the ensemble as a whole, and delivers a virtuoso performance, one that not only brings to the fore the soloist’s talent, but magnifies the cooperative talent of the orchestra. For a shining moment one voice, one cadence, steps from the cadence of the collective, the harmonious togetherness of the group, to shine alone. The musical Cadenza is an apt metaphor for the purpose of Cadence, a new series of runner profiles from rabbit. Every quarter, a soloist, duet, or perhaps a trio of runners will step from the harmonized cadence of the running community, and take their moment under the spotlight.
Most of us who have become geeked-out over running are pretty deeply immersed in the running community, both in our hometowns and on a global scale. Our social media runneth-over with video of the world’s elite making short work of tracks, roads and trails from spots all over the world. We talk about Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Courtney Dauwalter like they are family: last names not required. Our non-running friends could be forgiven for expecting to see Jakob and Courtney at our next neighborhood picnic or party, such is the way their names are bandied-about. And we happily allow ourselves to be bombarded with marketing campaigns featuring fit and beautiful athletes, famous and not, wearing gear that will, more likely than not, soon hang in our own closets, adorn our own bodies.
This is all quite natural given the simplicity of the sport. Just like Courtney and Jakob (and Desi and Walmsley and Mo) we all – from our grandma in Duluth training for a 5k spin around the harbor, to the new guy at work tapering for his first ultra – simply lace ‘em up and put one foot in front of the other. Again and again, day after day, season upon season, we run until we cross that finish line and bathe in our own well-deserved sliver of limelight. In that respect, every runner’s journey is the same, which offers a sense of community other sports cannot reproduce. Sure, the elites get to the finish a little sooner, but when the gun goes off, we all run the same course, pass under the same banner as the very fleetest among us.
But still….
As happy as we are to be a part of this great orchestra of gazelles and brown bears and penguins, there are many among us who deserve a chance to play their own solo, display their own unique artistry against the backdrop of group movement. So many in our community have hidden gifts, untold stories, experiences that would lift the rest of us up if only we knew about them. Which is what Cadence is all about. Over the months to come we will bring new stories from members of our communities to light, stories that celebrate the underdogs and unknowns, the ones who tirelessly and without recognition lift up the communities they represent, to bring out into the open what we can see behind the eyes when we pass on the road or trail. We’re different. We see it in ourselves and we celebrate it in each other. We’re all running the same race, all playing the same tune, but sometimes a solo jam is just what the conductor calls for. A cadenza; the cadence that brings us all to our feet.
Stay tuned for our first feature on February 24th.
