Our next Runner of the Month didn’t come to the club fresh off the couch on her way to a 5K nor did she stalk us on Facebook before braving a Wednesday night run. Nope. Allison Kusch found her inspiration to lace up with NRC crewing for her then boyfriend, Kyle Prince, deep in the muddy, hill-acious trails of the Stump Jump 50K with the infamous DES trail tribe! Talk about a making a big impression! 😊
That was four years and many epic finish lines ago – from trails to road races and a ton of Wednesday/Saturday runs in between. That’s why we couldn’t believe it when we reached out to Allison for this interview that she was a little shocked to be called out as “Runner” of the Month.
Well, we are here to tell you, Allison is not only 100% a tough runner, but a positive force on any course and one of the most kind and welcoming members of our crew. But, there’s so much more to her incredible story, so read on to learn more about what got her into running, how her family almost got arrested on a football field one summer vacation, and the exciting walk down the aisle that will have our entire running crew high-fiving.
NRC: So, you’ve been a part of NRC since 2018, but we’d love to know more about your childhood and life before moving to Nolensville.
Allison: I was born and raised in Murfreesboro (aka The Boro)! Which, fun fact, is the geographical center of the state of Tennessee. I am a Riverdale High School graduate! After graduating high school, I moved to Norman, Oklahoma for college (Boomer!). After graduating college, I moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma (just… Boo!) for my very first “big girl” job! Within a year, I was promoted to the company’s headquarters which brought me full circle back home to middle Tennessee!
NRC: Hah! Bet that was hard moving from OU into the land of OSU! Growing up were you into sports, the arts, academics, all of the above?
Allison: My parents put me and my brothers in sports as soon as we were old enough – or at least old enough to pass as old enough! I was on travel teams for soccer, basketball, and softball growing up. My travel softball team made it to the Softball World Series three years in a row which, as a kid, was THE coolest!! We got to travel to North Carolina, Oklahoma, and even Florida where we got to play in Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando! I played sports throughout high school, lettering in softball and volleyball. I was not ready to give up sports in college, so I joined my sorority’s intramurals team. We played every sport they offered – flag football, water polo, basketball, pickle ball, you name it! You are lookin’ at the winner of mixed-partner horseshoes, all-girls whiffle ball, and 2-time winner of 2-(wo)man sand volleyball! Safe to say I did not peak in high school! 😉
NRC: That’s so awesome! I vote you as the new NRC horseshoes and whiffle ball committee chair! LOL! Sounds like your family was really outgoing and supportive of you in all those adventures.
Allison: My family is truly the greatest!!! I feel so lucky to have such a tight knit family! I don’t know what I would do or who I would be without them! Most of my family still lives in Murfreesboro, with the exception of my mom who lives in Norman. We try to get together for a Sunday-funday as often as possible. And if nothing else, I try to see my two sweet little nephews once a week. They love “family dinners” and I literally cannot say no to that!
NRC: How cool that you have so many in your family right down the road and such a blessing that you all are so close! What awesome memories you must have over the years. Any memorable moments from your childhood that stand out?
Allison: Part of the University of Oklahoma’s fight song is “Sooner born, Sooner bred” and I truly was! My parents went to and met each other at OU. My brothers and I did not stand a chance! We have been wearing Crimson and Cream since we were born! Growing up, the main characters of our bedtime stories were Barry Switzer, Bill Sims, and Brian Bosworth!
Over the summers when we were little, our parents would take us on road trips to see our grandparents who lived in Oklahoma and Kansas. We would always stop in Norman on our way to Enid, OK (which was about an hour and a half north). One time we pulled up to the stadium and as luck would have it, the gate to get onto the football field was wide open! It was my dad and brothers’ dream come true! They walked onto the field, taking it all in, throwing and catching fake passes and in less than a minute the campus police came rolling up, sirens blaring! Apparently there were silent alarms on the field! Whoops! Needless to say, we did not get out to look at the field on any future trips!
NRC: No way!!! That is so awesome! So, you mentioned that work brought you back to middle TN. Would you share a little about what you do?
Allison: I work for a company that partners with state and government officials to provide halfway housing and residential reentry facilities for justice-involved individuals. We provide housing, meals, programming, and services to help assist returning citizens with reintegration into their communities. The goal for us is to provide the men and women in our care with the tools they need to stay out of the criminal justice system. It is so amazing to hear the success stories of people who have the odds against them and come out on top!
NRC: Wow! I can imagine that is challenging, but really rewarding! Now, word on the street is that you and Kyle “Birdman” Prince, of the NRC DES crew, are planning a wedding for sometime this fall? If so, will you be wearing sneakers with your dress?
Allison: It is true!!! That cutie is off the market! We are getting married in November overlooking the Smokey Mountains! Shoes are undecided at this point, but I’m thinking maybe some heels to match Kyle’s forest green suit for the ceremony and then switching into some flats for the reception so we can tear up the dance floor! Weddings are just a fancy party after all, aren’t they?!
NRC: Absolutely! That’s gonna be one epic party! Y’all are such a cute couple! How long have you known Kyle? Any fun or favorite dating stories?
Allison: I met Kyle through work! I procrastinated a project I was responsible for and I emailed Kyle at 9pm the day before it was due to ask for information I should have gotten from him WEEKS before! He came in early the following morning to meet with me and bail me out!
Through conversation in future work projects (that I did not procrastinate on) I figured out he was a runner! So he quickly became my Educational Services Subject Matter Expert annnnddd my running Subject Matter Expert!
Funny dating story – Our relationship evolved so organically that we didn’t even know when we “officially started dating” until 2021! We finally decided it was something we’d like to know, so we sat down at a brewery in Asheville, NC and started pulling up old bank statements. Our first date was November 18th, 2017!
NRC: Heh! Not pulling up old bank statements?! That’s awesome! Bet that was fun looking back on all the fun times to finally find that first date. 😊
So, I guess I should ask about running at some point! LOL! When did running become a part of your life?
Allison: One of my brothers talked me into doing the Murfreesboro Middle Half in 2017. That was my first long distance race ever. He had done a few half marathons before and was very dedicated to his training program. I noticed what a difference it made for him both mentally and physically. And I was at a point in my life where I needed the discipline and a positive change. So I signed up! He ran every step of the way with me while my dad and stepmom rode their bikes around to cheer us on at as many points in the race as possible! (We ran 13.1 miles and they biked 8! I told you my family is the best!)
NRC: That is such a fun race and a perfect one to start with as your first! When you did start running with NRC?
Allison: I let Kyle talk me into a flat route run with NRC, pre-COVID when the bigger group was still meeting at Town Hall. I had recently moved closer to Nolensville from the Hermitage area. For the first time in my life, I was living by myself and was in a “new city.” Running was part of my fitness routine and I needed to meet people in the area, so it just made sense!
Kyle and I moved in together in the spring of 2020 and COVID was in full force! Wednesdays were always off-limits for date nights because “on Wednesdays we run!” so I thought… if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!
The club was doing Webex Wednesdays, but a handful of folks met IRL at Campo and got some miles in from there! Kyle and I were training for a race we hoped would still take place in the fall, so I used the NRC Wednesday run as my mid-week run and eventually found friends around my pace to run with on Saturdays for my long runs!
NRC: What is one of your most memorable moments with NRC?
Allison: While we were on a long-weekend trip with some of the DES crew in September, some of the less “runner-y” wives, such as myself, got talked into signing up for the Stump Jump 10 Miler… that was in October! I had never run on a trail a day in my life, but within a week of us getting back home I had all the gear I needed (fake it ’til you make it, right?!). We got out to Smith Park two times a week for the 6 weeks we had to train! And we freaking did it! We crossed the finish line marking our first trail race and our longest time spent running. It was so awesome! To this day I am still so proud of us! (Shout out to Grace Michael and Angie Bivens!)
NRC: YES! That is so awesome! One of the first times I talked with you, I think you were training for the Yamacraw 25K or some other uber-tough trail race. Would you share a few of your favorite running accomplishments or races?
Allison: It is soooo crazy to me to think this all the way through, because even now, today, I truly do not even consider myself to be “a runner.” There is just so much I don’t know about the sport. And honestly, for me personally, I don’t even consider it “sport” when I am doing it!! It is just exercise, or better yet – social hour!
My first half marathon was the Murfreesboro Middle Half in 2017. To date, I have run two 25ks, a 20k, 8 half marathons, a 10 miler, and a Ragnar (Chattanooga to Nashville) – with a handful of holiday 5ks peppered in here and there!
NRC: What races are on your calendar for this year?
Allison: I talked Traci Boswell and Wendy Cook-Mucci into signing up for the Swinging Bridge Half Marathon trail race which we just ran at the end August! I also have the Ragnar Bourbon Chase in KY in Sept. and the Middle Half (again, I know) in October!
NRC: Aside from Kyle, of course, are there any NRCers who have made a difference in your running story?
Allison: I would not show up to any run/race/etc. if it were not for Traci Boswell or Wendy Cook-Mucci. Traci is the BEST training partner and running spouse a girl could ask for! Why she slows down to run with me I will never know! But boy am I thankful she does! And I think EVERY NRC member could say this, but Wendy is the absolute best cheerleader! She is the team mom, the action photographer, and the life of the run party! I would not have been able to complete my longest trail runs without her being my carrot, motivating me to keep moving forward. Both Traci and Wendy make it easy to escape into conversation and forget about how mundane/hard/hot/etc. running can be. These two ladies are NRC gold!
NRC: 100% agree! For our final question, if you could go back in time and give a message to yourself, when you first started running, what would you say?
Allison: Keep lacing up those shoes and keep showing up for yourself!
It really is so hard to put into words, but more than anything running (and running with NRC) has helped me grow so much, in many different aspects! I have become more mentally tough and I now KNOW I can do hard things! Running has brought me closer to my family (who shows up to cheer for me at all of my races), closer to my best friends from college (who, even now from four different states, are my running accountability buddies each and every month for the last three years), and it has given me new friends (NRCers) who make me WANT to show up on Wednesday nights and get up early on the weekends – which if you know me really says a lot! Last but not least, running gave me my future husband! It does not get better than that!
NRC: You’re so right! You can’t beat that! Congratulations and best wishes for the big day and we look forward to lots more celebrations with y’all in the future. We’re so glad you’re a part of the NRC family!
SPEED ROUND – Allison Kusch
Go-to hype song: My “power song” is a Marine Corp running cadence chant – for me it is sentimental and inspiring and it puts things into perspective!
Game Changing Gear: What is a run-life without Body Glide and Feetures?
Game Changing Fuel: I have started putting Liquid IV in my water and it is definitely a game changer! Flavor, calories, electrolytes, salt – it is LIFE in this heat! Also, there is nothing better than post-race chocolate milk and you cannot change my mind!
Favorite summer treat: ICE CREAM!!!!!!! I am surprised I have not yet gotten kicked out of Jeni’s for sampling basically every single flavor they have every single time I go in!