Opinion – On the Run: Influencers: on social media, you don’t run alone

This was supposed to be a text about laziness. But it is not.

Laziness is a KEY topic when discussing street racing. There are days when it is very difficult to break the inertia and leave the house to run. There’s the sun, there’s the rain, there’s the cold, there’s the wind, there’s pain, and there’s the human being’s natural desire to preserve his energy reserve and simply sleep later. We’ve all succumbed to laziness – and the subject will be the subject of a future post, I promise.

But this text will be on another topic. I explain.

One of my weapons to fight laziness is digital influencers. I see some photos of healthy and happy people on Instagram, I watch some videos of runners pushing their limits on TikTok, I listen to some upbeat music and that’s it: I got the push I needed to hit the streets and start my workout. After all, I want to be like them. Who doesn’t?

I looked for influencers I already followed to confirm my thesis. And I found much more than a mere “sloth scarecrow”.

I talked to Alana Sicoli. Creator of the profile @euescolhicorrer, she entered the world of racing in one of the most difficult moments of her life.

“My story began on a Sunday, when my twin sister completed her first marathon, in Rio de Janeiro. It was Sunday, an ugly day, she finished the race and called me happy to tell me what had happened. That day I was lying in my room. dark, in postpartum depression and with anorexia. I didn’t even know how far a marathon was, and I didn’t believe that someone could run 42 kilometers without stopping. And that’s the day I hit it. After all, we are identical twins. Physically, we’re the same person. If she can do it, so can I. The next day, I went on a Smart Fit, got on the treadmill and never stopped.”

Casual posts gained more traction in 2015 when Alana decided to create a running-specific profile on Instagram.

“My husband was transferred to New York. Winter is a very hard season for those who have depression. I decided to get ahead and set myself a big goal to stick to. I signed up for the New York Marathon. And to help me get motivated, I created a profile to share my training for the marathon”.

And what did this new profile mean to her?

“After I started @euescolhicorrer I discovered a new world. And many people accompanied me in this discovery. I suffered a lot to find a good running top, I improvised bras, I had a lot of pain. Then a follower gave a tip, I tested it and shared it. And so we created a network, sharing doubts about menstruation, equipment and everything else that involves running.”

And I follow Alana because she runs, but it’s people like us, with dilemmas and difficulties, and I identify with that.

With Julia Sette (@sette_julia) from Rio de Janeiro, the path was different. A runner since adolescence, when she plucked up the courage and decided to literally set foot on the street, she started posting to keep in touch with friends after leaving Rio de Janeiro for São Paulo. “At the time, it was a closed profile, just for friends. Gradually, I took a liking to it and I increased my follower base. But, deep down, I saw it as a hobby and was prejudiced with all the exposure I did. of my life on Instagram”.

Julia didn’t stop running, but she stopped posting. “In 2018, I was very busy, focused on my profession, and I realized that I didn’t have time to post so much about racing. The hobby became heavy for me.”

That was the end of the first season of the influencer Julia. The second season started two years later.

“The truth is that I overcame the prejudice I had against social networks and decided to come back. But with a different mind, I take content production more seriously”. When Julia says she’s serious, she doesn’t take it literally. “Videos need to be light. Women are excelling in so many areas, and they’re showing that they can be funny and entertaining.”

And I follow Julia because Julia is light. She runs for pleasure, and with pleasure. And lightness is one of the greatest virtues for those who run.

Is that you? Who do you follow, and why? Leave it in the comments or write to [email protected]. Or follow this blog’s profile on Instagram @rodrigofloresnacorrido.