The power of the posse

Why training groups are way more than just about running

More than 15 years ago, Polly Sparling began organizing a community of Dutchess County area women (men were invited too!) for organized group runs and walks. A recent illness has curtailed Polly’s ability to participate in the group outings she created, but it has hardly dampened the enthusiasm of the group – affectionately called “Polly’s Posse.”

At Saturday’s Angels of Light event in Millbrook, NY, that group reconvened to celebrate all that Polly has done for the Posse through the years. It was a reunion of sorts, as participants have rotated in and out of the group through varying stages of their lives.

One of the Posse’s participants summed up the vibe quite nicely: “It’s hard to imagine my life without our running group. I will forever be grateful to Polly for putting us all together.”

There is such power in social networks – the real, in-person ones. We’ve seen it locally with Polly’s Posse through the decades, and most recently with the social-media generated hype – which spills over incredibly well into the real world – of the Eastern Dutchess Road Runners Club.

There’s something really special about Polly Sparling’s group, though. They started meeting in Spratt Park in Poughkeepsie all those years ago. I’ve noticed them on countless Saturday mornings at Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve in Poughkeepsie – I’d usually be there with athletes from the Marist College cross country teams. They can also be spotted at the “Millbrook Dirt Roads” on the weekends. Big, energetic, full of passion — for the sport, and for creating and maintaining strong bonds of friendship.

The posse is notorious for its steadfastness in all conditions. They just don’t skip runs because of bad weather. That metaphor is powerful – the posse is there for each other in all conditions, not to mention in varying stages of their personal, professional and athletic lives. Which is why Polly’s recent absence from the group she formed is so jarring, and why it leaves such a chasm. But alas, the power of the group prevails, and these pictures from Saturday’s Angels of Light event tell that story.

Polly’s Posse deserves more than one post, and we’ll be sure to follow up with a few more thoughts from past and present members of the posse, which have been circulating via email. Meanwhile, Polly, know that there are dozens of women (and yeah, even some men) who are eternally grateful for the connections that have been formed through your posse.  In the words of Neil Young, “long may you run.”