By Sarah Hauge
Cover photo courtesy of Ken Coburn
Nicole Coburn began running as a kid in British Columbia and has stuck with it through many seasons of life: while parenting young children, in times when she raced frequently, while going through a divorce and then dating her current husband, and in leadership with local running clubs. Nicole is Fleet Feet’s director of merchandising and coaches some of Fleet Feet’s running groups. Her husband Ken is a fellow runner. She has five children and two stepchildren.
On how she got started
I started running when I was in high school. I’m the oldest of 10 kids and it was a way to get out of the house, and to escape babysitting duties [laughs]. I had undiagnosed ADHD as a kid, so running was a really good way to focus my brain. I could go out for a run and come back refreshed.
On the ways her running life has adapted
I’ve run for over 30 years and it has definitely changed through every stage of life. I think it has to ebb and flow for everybody. For me, when I was having babies and then small kids, there were 10 years when I really didn’t run at all. Then before my divorce, my ex and I tried hard to work things out. We would go do four-hour runs together. I think that helped us get through some difficult times. Running helped us process those feelings. I think the understanding of each other’s perspective we gained on those runs let us still have a civil relationship after things didn’t work out.
On running after turning 50
In previous stages of life, I could do a half Ironman at the drop of a hat. I was teaching spin classes, coaching groups, and attending run clubs. That’s not where I’m at. But life balances out. The rest of my life is really happy. I have a great partner. It’s ok. I think some of those large volumes and higher achievements were coping mechanisms.
As a not-quite-empty nester, it’s different now. I have a much more open schedule but not necessarily the durability in joints and muscles. I’m truly running for the enjoyment of it and not the competitive aspects, which I thrived on in my 30s and 40s. There have been times in my life when a 10-mile run was my daily run, and now a 10-mile run is something I have to build up to. I turned 50 this year, and I’m hoping to do a 50k in the fall.
On running as a source of community
My closest friends are people I’ve run with. We know everything about each other through what we’ve shared and overshared on runs. We’ve bonded over doing hard things and processing hard things, whether it’s relationship problems, job issues, or anything else we deal with in our lives.
On competing priorities
There were times when I prioritized my own mental health and went for a run and missed out on a bit of time with my kids when they were younger. But I think that sets an example for them too—this is one tool you always will have in your arsenal. You can get out there and use your body to help reset your brain.
On how running brings people together
I have friends I didn’t think I shared perspectives with until we started running together. My sister Nyla and I, part of our relationship to this day is how many miles we’ve put in together. My husband and I met through a running club and the running community. After we’d started dating, we got to know each other better by taking “runcations.”
Brain chemistry studies show that strong bonds form while accomplishing hard tasks and doing hard things together like training for a first 5k, 10k, or half. You form these bonds of community and friendship that continue throughout your lives.
Editor’s Note: Interview responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Sarah Hauge is a writer, editor, and grant writer who lives in Spokane with her husband and children. She plans to run the Sundae Sunday 10 miler in September.
