Mad Miles Changed My Life
I just showed up one day by myself and the rest is history
It’s pretty wild to think about. I made, what seemed like such a simple decision on July 27, 2021, turn into a moment that would forever change my life and give me a vision beyond just being a sports broadcaster. I just showed up one day by myself to this run club called Mad Miles.
I actually ran 4 miles earlier that same day and then went to this run club. I vaguely remember how I first heard about Mad Miles. Had to be through Instagram. It looked like a small run club with 20–30 people. The numbers have absolutely skyrocketed ever since. The momentum is crazy. The vibes can hit you at any moment of any day. If you are frustrated about something in your life, pause. Think of Mad Miles and you will feel uplifted.
I’ve had a front row seat to witness the unstoppable growth at Mad Miles and it has given me the confidence to go out and embrace any challenge. The unthinkable is achievable. There are no limits. It also has taught me to constantly think about ways to bring people together. Be curious. Be passionate. Love harder.
Mad Miles has helped me reduce my fear of failure. When I show up to Mad Miles, I am my true authentic self. Prior to joining Mad Miles, one of my biggest struggles with my sports broadcasting career was showcasing my personality. I showed flashes of it, but I was not consistent with it in front of the camera.
In the past, I occasionally had negative self talk about whether or not I thought it was okay to show part of my personality in a certain setting. No one said anything to me. It was just all in my head. I started to grow out of this somewhat while at Wingate University. I still fight this inner dialogue from time to time, but when I think of the people at Mad Miles it goes away.
I will never forget a powerful conversation I had with Deon at Pins Mechanical on a random Tuesday. He told me to interview athletes and coaches using the same personality I have everyday at Mad Miles. There are plenty of other powerful convos I could share with you all.
When I joined Mad Miles, the run club was at 1501 S. Mint Street in Charlotte, NC. Since then it moved to 100 West Worthington Ave and now, because of the amazing growth, is at Camp North End every Tuesday. Saturday runs are at Elizabeth Park.
Anyways, back to my first run on July 27, 2021. I parked on the side of the street and got out of my car. I started to walk up to the spot when someone asked me … “how did you hear about this?” The person who asked me this question was Henelle Davis! She told me I was going to have a good time. Appreciate you, Henelle!
I was greeted immediately with energy. I knew this was a special place. I didn’t know anyone, but I felt supported and welcomed from the get go. And from that moment, I watched something take off like I have never seen before.
I quickly found out that Mad Miles isn’t just a run club. It’s a beautiful community filled with incredible people. A community founded by Cornell Jones, who is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University — one of the best HBCUs in the country. Cornell’s energy is unmatched. It is contagious in such an incredible way. Thank you, Cornell. There are many other people at Mad Miles who went to an HBCU. My appreciation, love, and knowledge towards HBCUs and the black community has grown even more since joining Mad Miles.
There is nothing like a Tuesday night at Mad Miles. The energy builds throughout the day. When I sat in my room at home or office around 1 or 2 o’clock in the afternoon, I already felt the energy.
I remember early on I would pull up right around 6:30pm (when we start the warmup), but now I want to be there around 5:45pm to assist with any of the set up and just get hype. Our warmup is next level with Cornell, Curtis Walls from YVY training, Bre, and the various DJs. Then we take off and run!
Our cool down is led by Brittany. Shoutout to the Dip ‘N Sway! If you know, you know! We have photographers, Joe and Harris to name a few, who take incredible pictures. Then we dance and sing!
It took me a while to learn some of the dance moves. In fact, I was once nervous to even try dancing. I have a few of them down, but some are still tough! It is amazing to watch the energy and love from people during these dances.
After the dancing, the fun doesn’t stop! Flashback to August 2021 … I didn’t know anyone. I was hesitant to stay after the run to eat and hang out with everyone at 1501 S Mint Street. One Tuesday I decided to give it a shot and observe. It was just the same feeling as pulling up to the run. So welcoming. This is where I learned how to play my favorite card game ‘Spades’. It took me so long to understand the rules, but I got it down for the most part. Now, we go to Pins Mechanical after every Tuesday run and vibe out.
The Saturday runs had a unique element, especially early on. After the run, Cornell would ask each person to state his or her name, hometown, and a fun open-ended question (goal for the year, favorite candy). This sparked great connection and conversation. Area codes became a big hit to hype up. One time I mentioned my high school and someone had heard of it!
I’ll resurface a word I used in a previous paragraph. Observe. Entering a new environment with new people can be tough at first, but if you wire your brain to understand the potential of just sitting and observing a particular space, you’ll embrace the initial moments of being shy. I will now take this mentality anywhere I go. That is exactly what I did at Mad Miles. Over time, my personality grew through Mad Miles and I am forever grateful. The love from everyone is undefeated and I know that is how they feel about the support I give them right back.
There are so many memories over the last year and a half with Mad Miles. Our two-year anniversary run on May 3, 2022 was unreal. There were so many people outside and active! I made sure to cheer on as many people as possible. This was a moment when I realized that it doesn’t matter how fast you are. If you are outside and putting in the work, you deserve your flowers. We had an HBCU Day with the mayor of Charlotte, Vi Lyles during the summer of 2022. The inaugural Mad Miles Ball and Spades Tournament was a major success as well on December 2, 2022.
The volunteers at Mad Miles are amazing. It is all out of true love for one another. There are people who stand and cheer at different parts of the running loop. The finish line has so much energy. The hydration team makes sure ice, water, and BioSteel are all in order. We even have a giant QR code for people to easily check in! Our merchandise team is outstanding and very relatable. I could go on and on.
Another big part of Mad Miles is our energy at races in Charlotte. We made our presence felt! Around The Crown 10K, NODA 5K, and Charlotte Half/ Full Marathon [Relay] are three of the big ones. We had people running their first 10K and first ever half marathon. It is inspiring. Another fun race is the New Year’s Eve 5K at the Whitewater Center.
I joined Mad Miles at a very uncertain time in my sports broadcasting career. As a refresher, it was July 2021. I had just finished up working at Wingate University, which is roughly 45 minutes from the Queen City. I took a part-time job at lululemon. I freelanced as a broadcaster in the fall at Davidson College, Gardner-Webb, Coastal Carolina, and UNCG. It was a very inconsistent and chaotic lifestyle. I questioned myself a lot and experienced self doubt. In January 2022, I took a remote part-time job with the PGA TOUR’s social media team.
There were plenty of times where I sat in my room at home wondering if all of this was going to pay off. Work just felt uncertain and sporadic. I questioned whether or not I was getting better. I thought about maybe working in the running space at lululemon or within the running community in general. Those places always put a smile on my face.
Mad Miles kept me motivated and grounded during this time of uncertainty in my sports broadcasting career. It made me realize that running isn’t just about personal growth. It is also about uplifting others on a regular basis. I knew I always had that trait within me, but like I mentioned previously, Mad Miles gave me the confidence to use it more.
In the most organic way possible, I tried my best to connect Mad Miles with lululemon. Once again, the energy and support of Mad Miles gave me the confidence to push for this idea.
I will never forget a conversation I had with Alyson Bailey who is a lululemon store manager in Charlotte. She told me the store was thinking about approaching Cornell Jones with regards to him being a store ambassador. My eyes instantly lit up. I was so hype. From that moment, a lightbulb went off. What if I use my broadcasting skills to interview Cornell inside the lululemon store? I would use it to welcome him as an ambassador and amplify the visibility of Mad Miles. I made this happen.
I left lululemon at the end of August in 2022, but this gave me a vision to stay connected with the company. I want to continue to interview local and global ambassadors at lululemon.
Through Mad Miles, I found another vision as well. I decided to try and use my broadcasting platform to amplify the visibility of people through running. I would run with anyone at their preferred pace. No one told me to do this. I wanted to do it because I care about uplifting those around me. I did casual interviews while running with people. I asked different questions. How did you get into running? What are your personal and career goals? How would you describe Mad Miles?
There would be times where I would make last-minute decisions to run with people. I am so glad I did this because not only did we run, but I got to have real authentic conversations. I will give you an example. I went for a run with Travis P. Jackson who is the CEO and founder of HBCU PRIDE NATION. We spoke about our childhood. I told him I had a lot of friends from different backgrounds (race, ethnicity, etc.) growing up.
Think about this for a second. As a kid, did you often go over to your friends’ houses to hang out or did they always come to your house? I tried my best to do a little bit of both. You may think you know someone, but you can always get to know that person a little bit better by going into his or her environment.
When you seek that new environment, there is the potential to discover so much about someone. Build a special bond. Understand someone’s journey and even if it is different than yours there is a mutual respect. That’s what makes the fellowship at Pins Mechanical, after the run, on a Mad Miles Tuesday so cool. We are able to bond and go deeper than that surface layer dialogue. We encourage and learn about our different career paths.
Speed workouts were also a fun spontaneous activity. When we had the time, a group of us hit the track or did an all out mile!
In August 2022, I tried a part-time role with Learfield as a Studio Host. When October 2022 arrived, I rolled the dice and took a job with the NJCAA’s national office as a Multimedia Associate. It was my first full-time job.
The NJCAA gave me an opportunity to be the sideline reporter for the JuCo DI Football National Championship game on ESPNU December 14, 2022. This was my first time ever on ESPNU. I was nervous, scared, and uncertain as to whether or not I would perform at a high enough level to impress people. Right before the camera’s red light turned on, I thought of all the people at Mad Miles. The undefeated amount of support uplifted me.
Just a month earlier, I was fortunate to be the sideline reporter for a few college basketball games in The Bahamas on CBS Sports Network. Out of the blue I got a FaceTime from Travis P. Jackson who attends Mad Miles regularly. I mentioned him earlier in this article. He gave me a motivational speech and said a prayer.
Now the question you may be wondering after all this is why? Why am I leaving Charlotte? Why am I leaving a place that has meant so much to me since 2018? As a refresher, I spent 3 years working part-time at Wingate University not too far from the city. I met amazing people there as well.
My current work situation has been stressful. I haven’t been able to interact with athletes and coaches in person as much on a regular basis since I left Wingate. My announcing schedule has been hectic and stressful.
I am leaving because I could not pass up an opportunity that came to my doorstep. I wasn’t actively looking for a job outside of Charlotte. I didn’t want to leave. But an opportunity came to me and I really want to give it a shot …
Ohio University is giving me the chance to broadcast games on ESPN+, create video content, amplify the visibility of student-athletes/coaches, and teach aspiring sports broadcasters. I will be the Director of Video Services in the athletic department. I am incredible thankful to the athletic department for this chance. I also hope to mold my passion for running and broadcasting at Ohio University in some way similar to my time in Charlotte.
This role at Ohio University would be a no brainer if it was in Charlotte. But it is not. Am I uncertain about the transition? A little bit, yes. However, I believe in order to grow, you sometimes have to seek uncertainty and new environments (as previously discussed earlier). And you have to embrace it.
I believe this is a major opportunity in my sports broadcasting career. I am very excited and can’t wait to meet everyone at Ohio. Let’s go Bobcats.
I may be leaving Charlotte, but I will be back to visit. And who knows, I may come back to live here one day. In the meantime, I will support Mad Miles from afar.
For someone who has never been to Mad Miles before, I hope it changes your life like it did for me. This isn’t goodbye. It is see you around.
Want to learn more about Mad Miles Run Club? check out the website.
