Stay True Collective – The Saturday Morning Run That Tested Us All

Stay True Collective – The Saturday Morning Run That Tested Us All

Saturday morning, 9 a.m. sharp… well, sort of. The plan was simple: meet in front of the Parliament of Ottawa for a 30-minute run. The crew this time: me (Ricardo), Saica, Eve, Jonathan, and our newest member, Wildgins — his first time joining a Stay True Collective event.

Fresh from our last hiking adventure, you’d think we’d be in better shape. Spoiler alert: we were not.

Saica showed up late, rocking Converse as her “running shoes” (bold choice), Eve — who is not a runner — had no idea what she’d signed up for, and Jonathan decided today was the day to challenge me to see who’s faster. Of course, I had to accept. Competitive? Absolutely. Winning? Non-negotiable. Meanwhile, Wildgins was just there for the vibes, looking unbothered by the chaos around him.

We started with stretches, led by Saica. She was in the front all flexible and confident, while I was in the back stiff as a frozen pretzel. The energy was already high — partly from excitement, partly from nervous laughter — because 30 minutes suddenly felt like a very long time.

Once we hit the pavement, the group split into their natural rhythms: Jonathan and I pushing each other with friendly trash talk, Saica running like her Converse were secretly high-performance sneakers, Eve powering through pure willpower, and Wildgins cruising along like it was just another Saturday stroll.

By the end, we were sweaty, out of breath, and already laughing about how unprepared we were. But that’s the beauty of the Stay True Collective — it’s not about being the fastest or fittest. It’s about showing up, sharing the moment, and pushing yourself just enough to surprise yourself.

Here’s to more runs, more laughs, and maybe… better shoes next time.

Stay True. Always.