Finding My Community Through Running! Building Connections Beyond the Classroom

After only a single tour of the Marian University campus and four hours in the city, I decided to move to Indianapolis. I did not return to view my apartment before my move-in date and did not know anyone else at Marian. I dove off the deep end into a new state, a new community, and a new challenge. I assumed that my hardest adjustment would be adapting to the strenuous aspects of medical school and the time it would take to be successful. I was wrong. I quickly found myself alone, in my single apartment, with a lot of new peers and potential new friends, but with no close relationships. I dearly missed those deep connections I had with my family, my friends, and even with my home state.

Indianapolis and I were strangers before joining Solemates, and the relationship I had with this city would have remained that way if not for our run club. Solemates is not an official Marian club, and that’s the way it should be. First and foremost, we are a social club. We are an outlet, a break, and a welcoming environment outside of academics. During the semester, we run/jog/walk as a group every week at various locations in the city. Before I knew it, I began exploring new neighborhoods while simultaneously staying active outside of studying and meeting new people who would change my life. Solemates gave me a common open space to find connections outside of the academic walls that classes had.

I have always been athletic, and though I lost some of my form during my gap years, I knew that I was a new person in Indy and could be whomever I wanted to be. The people I met at Solemates and the group itself showed me how to push myself and set high goals in both school and life outside of studying. I remember after one of our runs, the group headed to the Garage downtown. I randomly sat with three members, who I now consider some of my closest friends. At the time, I was only a surface-level acquaintance with them; however, we ended up sitting, eating ice cream, and talking for over two hours. I was sweaty and probably smelled, but I felt accepted by people here in Indianapolis for the first time.

Now it is my goal to continue implementing that aura into our little club. I want to be able to come back as a fourth-year student and share my experiences with those new students at Marian, telling them everything will be okay, that they will find their footing, people, and a new home. I know that running isn’t everyone’s forte, but we do not judge. We like to chat, we like to run, we like to stay active, and we like to call ourselves a community.

If you haven’t ran/jogged/walked with us before, come join us on a Tuesday evening. Maybe you’ll get to see part of the city that you haven’t experienced yet, challenge yourself physically, and interact with some of your peers who are your future friends in waiting.

Find us on Instagram: @solemates_Indy and GroupMe!

About the Author

Drake Toms is a second-year osteopathic medical student at the Marian University Tom and Julie Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine. Originally from Michigan, his passion for the medical field has brought him to Indiana, where he is planning to pursue a career in Pediatrics. Outside of studying and running, he enjoys spending time with loved ones, reading, and taking care of his kitten, Pheobe!