October 2, 2025 • 43 mins
From house parties to half marathons, Alrick “Butta” Augustine has transformed his life and community through Keep It Run Hundred, the South Central LA-based run club changing the culture of wellness. In this powerful conversation, Chuck Dizzle dives Live & Direct into Butta’s journey, the impact of running, and the upcoming Through the Westside With Love half marathon.
In this Home Grown conversation we discuss...
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In this Home Grown conversation we discuss...
- How running became Butta’s therapy and inspired Keep It Run Hundred
- The growth of a community where kids, elders, and everyone in between belong
- Stories from members like 9-year-old Kamari and 60-year-old Miss Evette
- Building a nonprofit and overcoming challenges with resilience
- The vision for Through the Westside With Love and future marathons
Stay Connected with Home Grown | homegrownradio.net
🎙️Subscribe on YouTube & all podcast platforms
📍Follow HomeGrown on IG | TikTok | FaceBook | X
👕 Home Grown Merch
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Are we back at it?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Chuck Dizzl Live and Direct keep it at home Grown
Live on Real ninety two three. Of course here in
Los Angeles listening to course all across iHeart stations. So
whether you're listening there, listening across all these iHeart stations,
or subscribe to the Homegrown podcast, I appreciate you in the.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Building with me right now.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
He's a homegrown homie, he's a father, he's an activist.
He's somebody we used to party with back in the days.
He has changed his life over for the better. He's
still parties too. Man, My man, Aric Augustine, I don't
know you as that.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
That's so wild.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
I know, miss butter y'all, butter Man, keep it run hundred.
How you feeling, bro, I'm amazing man, so had to
be here. Thank you so much for having met you.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
The voice got the radio.
Speaker 5 (00:48):
I don't know, I don't know who listened hey, man,
but no, I'm thank you so much for giving me
the opportunity to be here and letting my crew come
with me.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Of course, man, you know we here about turn it up.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
I love what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I love everything that you stand for, and I kind
of want to take it from the beginning, because again,
I've known you from from days of throwing house parties
and on top literally on top of the house. You
know what I'm saying, turning up, but you're turned up
in a different way, man. So how does how does
butter go from you know, that turn up lifestyle to
your run club that you celebrate.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
How many years now?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
It's seven years now, I'll be eight in April.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
And you got to you got a half marathon through
the West Side with Love, third annual and you're doing
amazing things. Man, But let's talk about the transition from
that lifestyle to this lifestyle. Why you started the other
run club and here we are today.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
I mean, you know that that previous lifestyle is still
you know, it's still there. Yeah, But nah, man, running
is something that I fell in love with seven years ago,
and the feeling that I got from there, I just
felt like everyone around me, everyone any everyone in the
world has just experienced that same feeling. Running became very
therapeutic for me. It became like a safe space for me.
(01:57):
It became my coffee in the morning. You know, it's
it bettered me as a just a human being.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Overall, So going from the turn up.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Lifestyle, I wish I still do to just see what
I'm saying, Trying to knock out fifty sixty seventy miles
a week, you know what I'm saying, you know, is
a shift, but it's been a great one. I've been
able to through my run club, been able to impact
where I'm from South central LA in ways that you know,
I never imagined, and just been able to impact people
(02:27):
where I'm from, you know, and it's been an amazing
you know, it's been a blessing.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, man, And I've seen you transform lives, I mean
just literally left and right. And it's a testament to
some of the folks that's in the building as well.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
But the third annual through the West Side, would love
through your community talk about this half marathon that you
started up and you know, you're seeing grow every single year.
And it's so funny even with the run Club and itself,
I see and I've seen the growth you know from
you know, a few runners that you had in the
beginning where you actually start off at was down.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
The street from our old homegrown studio.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Right so that location now and just seeing a lot
of people out there running with you, Man, talk about
the growth and you know, you seeing people actually you know,
go out there and the different types of people.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
That are welcome within the club as well.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Well.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
To ask you that you starting with the half marathon.
It was simply just an idea that I had, Man,
I was doing racists. I've been doing racists for a while,
was going across the world to do them, and like
they weren't place they weren't in places that looked like
where I grew up. People who looked like myself weren't
running them like in large numbers, and it's for me.
(03:43):
Instead of complaining about it, I said, let me just
make a change, or be the change, you know. So
I wanted to. I wanted a race. There isn't a
race through south central LA. So I said, let me
just create my own. The first two years have ran
through the neighborhoods I grew up in. Passed my elementary school,
my uh, my middle school, my high school. I've literally
all the schools I've gone to gone to have been
(04:04):
in the same zip code.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
I'm nine zero zero four seven till the death. So
everything I know is there. Everything I've you know, I've
known growing up, has been in that area, and it's
the people like you said that have have been a
part of what's going on. That's why I bought a
couple of them with me. We have Kamarai in the buildings.
K Kamari ran his first half marathon last Camari is
nine years old. Kamari is nine years old. We got
(04:29):
miss event in the building as well. She walks to
half marathon, you know, thirteen point one miles. You know,
this is her third year doing it as well. She's
ran multiple half marathons herself, probably the healthiest, she's been,
the most active she's been in her entire life. We're
not gonna put her age out there. She only twenty four,
but you know what I'm saying, But she out here
getting to it. But no, yeah, just being able to
just impact people like them, you know, have and have
(04:51):
a strong supportive team around me.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Just you know, it's been a great situation.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Now, it's it's an all positive thing. You you're improving
people's lives. You know, you're building community. But I'm sure
that there's some challenges that you have run into or
you know that that you currently a're going through. You know,
building the company, h building the nonprofit, building the organization
of itself, and even with the of the half marathon,
can you kind of speak on those things like little
(05:18):
challenges that that maybe you've gone through overcome just so
people can kind of get in a sense of like, Okay,
no matter what the situation may be, you're gonna go
through some challenges that you can figure out how to
overcome them.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
There are any challenges, I could kind of like pinpoint,
but in life, in anything, there will be challenges. But
I'm I live in a space of controlling what you
could control. If something gets in the way, move around it,
figure it out, you know what I'm saying, and get
it done. My example, there is always people tend to
like harp on things. If you wake up one morning
and you have a flat you know it could affect
(05:52):
your day, But if you have the means to get
it fixed, get it done, keep going.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
You know. So you know I don't really triple on
you know, things that just getting my way. I'm gonna
just run.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I'm over no puny right pun intended for sure? No,
but one thing that I because I got a chance
to running the.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
First first, Hey, guys, Chuck this was a half marathon.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
If you guys didn't know, you know, he ran thirteen
point one miles two years ago, So give it up
for him.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I'm gonna tell you why. Yeah, because we're gonna get
your on camera second.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
But the thing that for me, I'm gonna tell you
why this is so special for me.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
Man.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
When I growing up, I had asthma, so it was
always a challenge to do sports, always a challenge to run.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
For sure.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I just started running, you know, some years back, and
you know, kind of around the same time when you
started it, and I'm not gonna lie, even when you
were talking heyo, come out and do it. I was intimidated.
I'm like, yeah, but I might not be able to
keep up, or you know, my asthma, myight flare back up.
All these things popped in my mind. But when I
decided to just jump into it, that's literally my first
half marathon, my first long distance running experience, and you
(06:55):
guys opened your arms like welcome me with love, and
I felt comfortab actually doing it. Man, it's just a
testament to the club itself. With the environment that you've created. Man,
you was running alongside instead of I went to high
school over there, over to junior high, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
And I felt like.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
In my mind, I felt like, and maybe some people
can kind of resonate with this, but I thought, when
you ran marathons or half marathons or then any long distance,
you had.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
To go at a certain time or speed.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
And I was, you know, cautious about that, but you know,
doing it in the time that I did, I felt
good that I completed it, for one and it was
something that I looked back. It was one of those
things from my childhood that I was like, oh, that
was something I was holding me down for years and
I didn't even realize it. And when I completed that,
I'm like, dang, dang, it felt so good to actually
do it. Man. So for me to you, I want
(07:47):
to say thank you because that it was something for
my child and that I realized, oh damn, I got.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Over that, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
I appreciate that and to that point, that's what running does, right. Well,
It's a lot of things in life to do like that,
But for me before I run my first marathon in
twenty eighteen, and I'm quite sure we can all feel
we all feel the same like we would look at running.
It's like running was a punishment. So like you look
at it, especially long this is running, It's like that's hard.
(08:13):
I would never like, you're crazy, you know what I'm saying.
But to push yourself mentally and physically the points you
never thought you'd get to changes your life. You know
what I'm saying. Like it changed you mentally, It changed
you in so many just different ways. And you know,
it's like the day I ran my first marriage, the
day I fell in love for running, because I never
thought I'd do something like that.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
So what was it? I mean, did you play sports
in high school?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah? Hoop?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
You hooped in high school.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Getting I'm wondering what was What was it about running
specifically that kind of attracted you to that versus any
other sports?
Speaker 1 (08:44):
I mean anything to kind of like go beyond.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
So you know in high school and you know, as
you're growing up running, like I said, there's a punishment
when you get in trouble.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
You gotta get on the line. So you look at
running as a negative.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
When I was thirty, I had my daughter and uh
I got fat, picked up bad Way, the shot story,
picked up Dad Waite, and you know, running you know,
you get it. Your father's like, you know, you're not
trying to spend any extra, buddy. So I didn't want
to get a gym membership. You know, it's running with
something I could go outside and just do it was free,
you know, and like you know, one mile, turn to two.
(09:16):
You know, I was doing a couple of miles. You no, no,
nothing more than like five or six. And then you know,
I was documenting on Instagram. A friend of mine south
of Phield. He told me, you're gonna run the La Marathon.
I told him, like I like we spoke about earlier.
I said, I'd never do nothing like that. That's crazy.
And we trained for it and it honestly changed my life.
It helped me create keep it one hundred and it's
(09:37):
been an amazing seven years.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Talk about the different partnerships that you've been able to get,
you know, throughout the years, even from like Nike.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
I saw some video of rock Nation.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I mean, you was an honor at at the Staples Center, Crypto.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
There's a lot of things. You run it in Paris.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I mean this, this, this has taken you places that
you probably and I'm assuming I'm not sure if you
imagine that that my life.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Never in my life, bro, Like like you said, I've
been with Nike going on well six years now, great
relationship with them. I've done stuff with everybody from death
jam to uh.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I see with the Dodgers the other day.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
I was with the Dodgers the other day. I just
I played on my first celebrity softball game in June.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
They don't act like you you've been a celebrity.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
You're the mayor.
Speaker 6 (10:25):
Bro.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I'm just a getto kid that run a lot.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
That's a surprise, you know what I mean, Just.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
A ghetto kid that run a lot. But like I said,
so many opportunities have come my way. I got to
run the Olympics last year in Paris, which was huge.
You gotta take my whole family out there with me,
just off of something I you know, just fell in
love with. So I tell people, you know, your gifts
can take you, you know, places you never even expected.
So please do not be shy with them. Do not
(10:51):
keep them to yourself. People can utilize them, you know,
so keeping them to yourself is selfish.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
So you know that's special to be able to take
your your your family out to Paris. Man as a father, Man,
how how does this kind.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Of hit different? Right?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
You know, going for you going through these things and
these experiences, but having your daughter be able to see,
you know, and experience these things with you, man.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Just as a father and itself.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I want you to kind of touch on that, because
I think that's a it's a completely different experience from
your inn at this point.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
It's honestly the coolest shit ever having her being able
to see it and wulitness it, right, Because I always
say that a lot of people live in what's like
they live off like what I call our Bundy memories.
You know, if you watch Mary with Children, as budget
had that story, I was, I had three touchdowns blah
blah blah blah blah, and like that's cool, but like
that can't do anything for now. So my daughter getting
(11:41):
to see it and be a part of it in
real time goes so much further than like, hey, look
at what daddy used to be able to do.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
She sees and she's impacted like by you know, everything
that's going on now, Like when she goes out when
she's with her mom, people stop her like I know
your dad, Like they go to the store and get
discounts soft stuff because of people people knowing like brocking
with me. So you know she loves she well, I
won't say she loves it. She kind of gets irri
she's irritated by a lot of the times. But she
(12:09):
just you know, when she goes out to me, she's like,
you always got to stop and talk to people. And
I'll be like, exactly, But to that, I tell her,
you know, it could be in reverse. People could not
want to talk to me. People could speak negatively about
your father. But you know, you're out here and you're
you're you're supported by a whole community when when you're
not with me.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
So you know, I think that's that's very important. And
I don't think I've ever asked you this, and you
know I do da advice man, But just as a father, man,
what what dad advice could you give to other dads
and other fathers out there?
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Your experience as a father.
Speaker 5 (12:43):
Parenting is the craziest freestyle you'll ever do in your
life because there's no there's no manual to it, you
know what I'm saying. But my dadvice is just to
be present, you know, Like that that goes a long
way like being able to, you know, give set just
a solid example for your child or your children, you know,
(13:05):
you know, and just be able to see them grow
and spend you know, quality time with them and get
to know who they are. And like me and my daughter,
we we have all type of random talks when she
turns a new age every year. I'm you know, we
have this conversation like, you know, well she's eleven now,
so I'm like, you're eleven. I've never been a parent
of an eleven year old. Like, we don't know what
this looks like, but we're gonna go through it together,
you know. And it's like having her you know, understand that,
(13:27):
you know that, you know it's gonna be ups and downs,
but we're gonna figure it out. And you know, like
we're on the same team. We we might bump here
a little bit, but we're gonna be all right now.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
You and I'm assuming this is on purpose, you know.
And this goes back to the turn up lifestyle. But this, uh,
this half marathon that you've put together, it also runs
through your birthday as well, So it's the celebration of
your birthday.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
You turned up in a different way and and uh.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
Talking, We're gonna gonna still turn up that way too,
even don't even trip, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
So it's a balance running and rump shaking.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Give them a breakdown of what's gonna take place, Okay,
from day one to day three, you know, throughout the.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Whole week for sure.
Speaker 5 (14:06):
Okay, through the West Side with love weekend man. Three days,
five events. It's kicked off Friday morning, five events. Bro
it's whooping my feet. But three days, five events. First
event Friday mornings kicked off. As we all do community service,
So this year I create a senior walk to get
the elders in the community active and moving. We're gonna
meet at the track, you know, do a couple of
(14:27):
laps with them, you know, interact with them, things like that.
So Senior Walk that morning. The middle three events are
for runners only because they paid for registration, you know
what I'm saying. So I have like a mixer, a
big pick up type situation, Like this year, I rented
out a piece of spot. We're gonna h carbload, you know,
a bunch of food everywhere. We're gonna just have a
good time and just you know, get to just hang
(14:48):
with each other before the race. Saturday morning is the
actual race. Uh, Sunday morning, we do a recovery day
which is yoga at Nike's office, you know, and a
you know, just make sure everybody get their body back
together after running all those miles. And then we ended
with you know, like I said, the rupt shaking part
of the.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Watch. This is like, how could I get invited to
that half of the Let me get.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
A third of that?
Speaker 5 (15:15):
Yeah, but no, you know, partying is something that's you know,
I've always done, it's been It's a big part of
my life.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
That's a big part of who I am.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
So I try to just get people out to just
enjoy themselves, get them away from the running aspect of things.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
You know. So what are you going up?
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I think the biggest lesson that you've learned about yourself
going through building this community.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Oh man, that's a good question about myself. Man, that
I don't know it all, you know, I don't know
it all, you know, And like this year has been
a big year and just realizing that, you know, leaning
like being able to lean on others and you know,
asks for help and be you know, so shout out
(15:56):
to my team and for stepping up whenever I ask them.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
So, well, let's get into some of the individuals that
you do have in the house, because it is.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
A ganggang experience. Gang is here, this is let's let's
start with a little man.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Man, bring little man up, and I want to hear
his comor come on here, come on, come on, come on.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
First of all, tell people how old you are again?
You're nine years old? Nine years old? Man?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
So how's it being apart? Is this your your first
experience running with keep it run hundred?
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So you've been running with him for a while. So
how is the experience for you? It's fun? You like it?
Do you get tired a little bit sometimes?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Is it getting easy and easy to run and and
and kind of get through the experience?
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Do you do it with your family as well? Okay?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
So, so who introduced you to actually start participating in this?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Your mom?
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Okay, and you have a good time, have you know
going out there running with her as well?
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Did she run with you? Okay, that's good.
Speaker 6 (16:56):
Mom.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Mom's come over here, man, come on, yeah, get on there.
She tried to get this. Look, So step up, say
your name? Where you from?
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Hi?
Speaker 7 (17:04):
Sonny?
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Sonny?
Speaker 2 (17:05):
And where you from Sunny from La, Sonny from La
speaking to the mic real quick and want to make
sure that people can hear you and see you. So
talk about your introduction to keep it run hundred and
how this experience has been going for you.
Speaker 7 (17:16):
Oh that's an interesting I was getting my hair done
and Butta came to the shop. We were just talking
and having conversation, and so I'm pretty sure he hears it's
a million times like I'm gonna pull up.
Speaker 8 (17:27):
I'm gonna pull up.
Speaker 7 (17:28):
And I was like, no, I'm coming, like I'm a
woman in my word, I'm gonna come. So backstory, some
health stuff happened. I had to have emergency situation and
I hit him DM. I was like I'm coming still,
but I just got away and then he was like,
take care of yourself when you're done, like pull up.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
So I came.
Speaker 7 (17:45):
It was about three years ago now wow, and I
haven't looked back since. And you see me, you see them.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
That's amazing. This is the three mile Thursdays or is
it so you hate So if you guys.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Don't know, he does a three mile Thursday in Englewood
and this is where people you know come and get
that in introduction and so for you, were you intimidated
by all?
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Had you had experienced running prior to this?
Speaker 8 (18:04):
No?
Speaker 1 (18:05):
No, I hated running.
Speaker 7 (18:06):
Actually I love working out, but like I'm a strange
training resistant person, right, So I came again backstory because
of that, I had to walk, so I went with
the walkers and crazy enough, he was like, I want
to run, and I was like, I don't know anybody, right,
So I kept coming every week. But as I was
coming every week, I was creating relationships with people. Kelsey,
(18:31):
she kind of took him over, like he would go running,
where's Kamari on you?
Speaker 8 (18:35):
With somebody?
Speaker 7 (18:36):
Like literally like what it would pass me running.
Speaker 8 (18:39):
And he was like where cam ay at?
Speaker 7 (18:40):
And I don't know. He's like all right, I'm gonna
look for him and then like he'll kind of meet
halfway because he slows down and like make sure everybody's okay.
He was an awesome COMORRW he good.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Wow.
Speaker 7 (18:48):
So I knew I was in a good place, in
a space, a safe space at that because my child.
But I just let him go and I like, I said,
I love it. It's been welcoming. The moment you come like
this is that like, hey, how are you because you know,
unfamiliar faces. Yeah, so you're like, hey, are you new here,
like it's your first time whatever? Yeah, And that is
(19:09):
really great about making sure he goes around to everybody
and this is your first time. All nice to meet you,
and he you know, introduces himself. And I really love
like the commarodity and like the community that the space has.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Man, that's amazing. You went from hate and running to
now enjoying it.
Speaker 9 (19:24):
Now.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Now you got the sweatsuit and you got the jacket on.
Speaker 7 (19:27):
I'm going on my fourth half, speaking of my fourth half,
and then next year I'm.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Running LAMB amazing, amazing, So congratulations on that.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I'm glad to hear that story.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Man.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Who else we got in the building? I heard she said,
missus bet.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Miss come on down just a little bit so they
can see there we go, let her sit down, missy Vet.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Man, so the people are talking about.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
You, you you know, let people know your role and
keep a run one hundred, you know, and what's been
going on with yourself?
Speaker 9 (19:57):
Okay, so yeah, I'm missy Vet. That's what they all came,
which I love. I've been with keep it since twenty
twenty one wow, and my daughter started me off and
she says, Mom, come on, you can do the three miles.
And I kept saying, it is no way I can walk,
because I walk, There's no way I can walk three miles.
And so I came out. I was a little nervous,
(20:18):
and the club is so welcoming. When I came in
after the three miles, everybody was clapping and cheering. I
thought they were clapping and cheering for me, and knows
we clapped for everybody, but I started crying because it
was such a big deal for me. And I have
been coming ever since. I don't miss a Tuesday or Thursday.
My week is actually scheduled around Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
So it's now you have you have Tuesdays and Thursday
nights because I just remember the Thursday.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
So now it's so Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
In Inglewood, Tuesdays in City.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Tuesdays and Cubra City Thursdays in Inglewood. And you said
that that first once was emotional for you because you
were able to complete that three miles.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Now, prior to that, do you do you remember how.
Speaker 9 (20:57):
Long I had never walked. I didn't want to walk
I didn't want to exercise, none of that. But since
I've been coming out, I absolutely love it. Again. I'm
a walker. This Saturday's uh, but it's half will be
my third half but with butter.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, but I've walked.
Speaker 9 (21:17):
I think this is going to be my eighth.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
She cheating on you, she said, I'm going out. I'm glad.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I gotta get my keep more one hundred somewhere else.
Speaker 9 (21:30):
I've done LAMB. This was my first time doing LAMB.
But it's so important. Oh that's the La Marathon. Okay,
I walked the whole thing twenty six point two miles.
But I absolutely love it, and it's it's for me.
Walking is a part of my life now, is my
lifestyle at sixty years old. It is so important to
keep moving, keep going. I absolutely.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Clock that's what they're doing.
Speaker 8 (21:56):
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 9 (21:57):
It's so important to just keep moving, keep going, especially
again at my age and it doesn't feel like work
is actually fun. Every Tuesday and Thursday, after we've finished
our three miles, there's always a celebration that we've got music, line, dancing, conversation, everything.
It's really an amazing club. Butta has put together the
(22:19):
most comfortable space for me at my age and again
there's a few other people in my age group, but everyone,
all the young people so supportive, very encouraging. The men.
When the time changes and it gets dark, the men
wait for the women, and even some of the ladies
who are the season runners, they wait. No one leaves,
(22:42):
but it does not shut down until everyone has come in.
It's just a really safe space and it's fun. I
have a really good time. They accept me even when
I'm unhinged, and they accept me their respect, their respect
and the encouragement.
Speaker 8 (23:00):
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 9 (23:01):
Again. When I go out and I walk, I'm so
focused on walking. It just it's easy for me. Now
it's easy.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
I love that man, and I love how now you
have a role in it, so everybody knows you's Missy vetting.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
You know, oh.
Speaker 9 (23:15):
I love it. But you know the first time when
I when I when I first came out the first time,
and but he has all this energy and I remember
seeing him run up Prairie, but he was in the
street and he was just screaming and yelling, and I
can hear him saying, Missy ven I thought, okay, it's
something wrong, like what yeah, like what's going on with this?
Speaker 8 (23:35):
But he's like that all the time.
Speaker 9 (23:36):
He's just high energy. So he brings that energy and
everybody else just kind of flocks around that same energy.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
I love it, Yeah, I love how contagious it is.
And again it's such a welcome inspirit man, So I
appreciate you coming on as well. Man, who else do
we have in the building with us right now?
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Is keeping it run?
Speaker 5 (23:52):
I'm gonna call these three people up here together, let's
do they got something special coming up. We got e Bail,
my brother Ebail. We got Kelsey who is Missy Vest's daughter,
and we got Nama. These are some of my seasoned
veterans doing their thing. They're actually all about to go
run their first world major marathon in Chicago in two
weeks so, and Lissen two weeks so.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
They've been putting in the work for years.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Man, he Bill showed up many many moons ago, and
they ain't left mazag.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
You know what I'm saying. The ladies, man, they be
crushing it.
Speaker 5 (24:23):
They hold it down, They look out for everybody on
the route, They pace people and show up and Nama
the speech throughout the group. See what I'm saying she
six minute miles out the gate. But no, now I'm
just some No, these folks have been holding me down.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
I want to get into you guys's introduction to Budda
and what made you guys comfortable enough to say, you know, hey,
let's kind of get together, and you know, I want
to continue to show up and be a part of
this thing because I don't know if you had a
history with running or you know, kind of talk about
that introduction between yourself and butter.
Speaker 10 (24:53):
Okay, so my introduction was September twenty eighteen, Wow, in
Manhattan Beach. This is see before official, keep it one hundred.
My niece posted it on Instagram. I was looking for
something just to say active, and so I was surprised you.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
I showed up and.
Speaker 10 (25:09):
About six and a half years later, we're still here.
Did my first marathon at fifty five Wow. SOZ jumped
in and had an opportunity and say, hey, who wants
to train?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Who wants to do it? I said, let's just try it. Yeah,
and I'm fifty nine.
Speaker 10 (25:22):
So four marathons later, coming up on number five, so
we're still here, plugging at it. My wife is active,
she's a walker, so you know families that is involved.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
At first, I thought I was crazy. I thought I
had joined the cult. Right, what is this?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Keep it running? You said it was before they even
had the name. So he's out there running in Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
So they also say he's crazy, he's crazy. But now
my biggest supporter. See my dad does it. My dad
does that. So you know they see what I'm doing.
They appreciate it.
Speaker 10 (25:52):
They they've come to every every marathon, you know, supported me.
So it's good to see them out there. Good to
get your family involved, and so you know they know
you not crazy. You know, I'm not crazy's still coming
a little crazy concept, but they're there for me. So
I just love being here, love his energy, love just
helping out on the route, just being there for the
people that are there.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
How important is it to you as a as a
you know they always say, you know, black men, we
need to be you know, conscious of our health and
really like stand on that man, so talk I want
you to kind of dig into that as well, and
why that's important. Any message for the people that you
know around your age that feel like, oh man, it's
it's over.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Man, I don't I can't do that it's I'm too
up there for that.
Speaker 10 (26:28):
Many people say that I can't do that, I can't
do that. It's only can't until you try it. And
once you try to say I did that. And it
was the greatest feeling for myself just to get into
the training space and say okay, four months later, once
you started it, I can do it. Yeah, you know,
and just encouraging the other brothers that are out there.
So if you think you can't, you can't. If you
think you can, you can't.
Speaker 11 (26:48):
Wow.
Speaker 10 (26:48):
So however you look at it, and it doesn't have
to be run a marathon, yeah, you know, walk around
the block something twice around the block, through a mile,
then two, then three. And I think with the brothers
that we have in our community, we all support one another.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
You know. No one's like trying to outdo one another.
Speaker 10 (27:05):
It's like, hey, let me help you get to the
next block, you know, and just just seeing the camaraderie
that's out there, it's great.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Gotcha. And I want your steps to the MIC as well.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Let us know your introduction to butter, how you got in,
you know, informed about the club, you.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
Guys at the vets.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
So I'm interested to.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Hear I.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Said Vet that he called y'all season.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
So the season individuals that are part of keeping run hundred.
But what was it about you or what about this
situation that if you say, okay, yeah, I can actually
see myself doing that.
Speaker 8 (27:33):
Well, you know what. It all started with a hoodie.
A hoodie. I was on Instagram where they will First
of all, I grew up running. I ran track. Shout
out to the la Jets.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
I ran cross country in high school. I ran track
in high school, so I come from a running background.
But I remember I'm on Instagram in the middle of
the pandemic, like just hit and I saw somebody with
a all black keep It one hundred hoodie on and
it was the Juneteenth colors, red, black and green.
Speaker 8 (28:04):
I'm like, oh, that's fire.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
So I click on you know you tag people. So
I found his page. I was like, oh, he knows
my cousin. So I sided stepped my cousin and I
DMed him and I'm waiting like forever.
Speaker 8 (28:18):
I'm like, this dude is not gonna respond to my dance,
but who knows. But then I text my cousin.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
I'm like, hey, you know this dude, can you give
me a hoodie, like, I'm so thirsty for this hoodie.
And so my cousin said, okay, bet got the hoodie
Brits in my house.
Speaker 8 (28:36):
I said, okay, cool.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
So then from the hoodie I found run Club on Instagram.
But but I just shut it down for the pandemic
for COVID. I had just had my son twenty nineteen.
He had just or he was about turn one, and
I remember I'm like, okay, I haven't run in years.
So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna run three
miles every day just to keep just to get myself
(28:59):
conditions so that when he does open it back up,
I'm ready to go.
Speaker 8 (29:03):
So ever, since then he opened it back up, I said, oh,
you know my cousin. Who's your cousin? I ain't gonna
say the name camera. He was like, oh okay, yeah,
what show you look like him? I said, okay, for sure.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
So it's been going on six years now. I've been
running with Buta and I remember my very first long run.
It was eight miles wow. And he was like, okay,
you're gonna run a marathon? Same thing? What like, are
you out of your mind talking about what I'm saying?
And I come from this is ridiculous, no, And I
(29:38):
remember I signed up for LA Marathon. This was the
very first LA Marathon that they had after the pandemic.
All right, cool, So I'm training, training, I hurt myself
running the Pasadena Half.
Speaker 8 (29:49):
I hurt my.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
Knee, and so I said, you know what, I'm gonna
keep going. I remember this dude's saying. He kept telling me,
as long as it's taped on.
Speaker 8 (29:58):
You good.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
And I'm like, okay, okay, do my first marathon. And
I remember I'm coming up. If anyone knows how Elle
marathon the route is, once you get to my nineteen,
it's kind of like you do an out and back,
so you're running out and then on the other side
of the street or people running towards the finish line,
so it's like a mind trick almost. He's waiting on
(30:21):
the other side, so kind of towards the finish line,
I see him. We both start crying and he gave
me a hug and he was telling me, he was like,
go get that medal for your son. And I never
forgot that. All these years later, I never forgot that.
And so I finished my very first marathon. It took
(30:43):
me six and a half hours. Ever since then, I've
run quite a few half marathons, marathons, I brought my
mom out, I read my second marathon last year. Just
dealing with injuries and I'm a full time student, I'm
getting my doctorate. Just a lot going on, and I
went from six and a half to four hours and
(31:05):
fifty seven minutes. And I'm praying and hoping that I
pr with Chicago. But it has definitely played like a
huge role.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
I dealt with depression. I had things going on.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
While I was in run club and I would be
gone for weeks at a time, and he was always
checking on me all the time.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
So I think that that's very important. Again, you had
that sense of community again, I think that's what that's
the thing that I see from the outside end, and
even kind of being on the inside as well, like
just kind of knowing.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
What he does.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
But talk about real quick, your experience from going from
running and having the experience of running to now being
a part is how is this experience different from you know,
having that history of being somebody that that you know
was more active.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
It's actually fun, I mean, and this is no slight
to the high school athlete.
Speaker 8 (31:55):
But if it really felt in.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
High school like a competition, felt like I was competing
with all the other people out there.
Speaker 8 (32:03):
It didn't feel fun. It felt like punishment.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Although I liked to run, I dreaded going to practice.
I didn't really have a community out there.
Speaker 8 (32:13):
So the difference.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Between high school running and running as an adult now
is the community. I tell people all the time, I'm like, yeah,
but the cool but I.
Speaker 8 (32:23):
Love the people there. The community that he's created. Like bro,
but it's no but all joke to society. It's because
of him. It's because of him. Why this community is
the way that it is.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
It's because of him. Why I have friends here or
who I can call brothers and sisters, it's because of him.
I Mean this might seem kind of like silly, but
anytime my son had a fundraiser at school, my community
showed up.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
If my mom is not at run club for whatever reason,
my community says, hey, where's your mom? And like I said,
I was going through a whole lot of depression. This
man he checked on me, had people checking on me.
They they're praying for me at run club, like really
rallying behind me.
Speaker 8 (33:09):
When I'm not there. So it's the community that he
has built that makes.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
A huge difference.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Now, speaking of competition, speeding Gonzales, get over there. You know,
we were talking about no competition and you over here
running a mile in six six minutes. Your introduction. I'm
sure you have history with running, right or no.
Speaker 11 (33:29):
Despite me being the speedster of the group, I actually
have no background in running.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Yeah, that is interesting. So where is your introduction? To
keep it run one hundred?
Speaker 11 (33:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (33:39):
How is today?
Speaker 11 (33:40):
So I actually just started running in the pandemic. I
was one of those twenty twenty runners. The gym's closed,
I had to get off my couch exactly. So I
went out and I thought, let me run a few miles,
let me run five six miles super slow. And I
decided to train for my first Man marathon. It was
(34:01):
a stupid idea in hindsight, but trained for that first
one by myself. And that was back in twenty twenty two.
And after my first marathon, I was super discouraged. I
actually hated running. I was hurt. It was a really
tough training cycle. It was really isolating, and at that time,
you know, the world is like just opening back up,
(34:22):
and I feel like my world is closing in. And
I'm not from here. I'm from the East Coast, so
I don't have any family. I'm from Jersey, Jersey, okay.
And so I stopped running after my first marathon, and
then I would see Keeper one hundred just kind of
running around, and I'm like, those people look like they're
having a great time. And I took about five six
(34:44):
months off running, and then I just pulled up one
day and I was so nervous. I didn't know anybody,
and I stood in the corner and I felt super uncomfortable,
and of course Buda came up to me and he
was like, you're new here, and I just kept coming back,
kept coming back, and it was actually but it's first
half that I was still fairly new to the group
(35:05):
and kind of getting to know people, and I didn't
think i'd be able to even keep.
Speaker 8 (35:09):
Up with everybody.
Speaker 11 (35:10):
So I skipped the half because I was nervous and
not confident. And I forced myself though, to go to
the party.
Speaker 6 (35:17):
And you know, exactly, there's there's nothing that brings people
together like Boody shaken. So met a whole bunch of
people and I was so inspired. I said, let me,
let me try this again, let me train again, and
let's fast forward. I've shaved almost an hour from my
first marathon to my second marathon. I have officially run
(35:39):
miles in the sixes, and I am hoping to run
Chicago and pr there and I'll be running two World majors.
So I'm running Chicago and then New York three weeks later.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
Yo.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
I look forward to see with the record it ends
up becoming and just how you kind of take this.
But it's it's so dope to see just the different
walks of life within this community and what you've built, bro,
And what I want to get into before we close
out is some of the best practices. Okay, somebody that's
that's getting introduced to this right you know, they might
be scared to pull up on Thursdays or Tuesdays or
(36:12):
maybe afraid to DM you for a hoodie, and you know,
but what are some of the best practices somebody as
a beginner can can do right now?
Speaker 1 (36:20):
You know, just to stay active.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
I mean just get out there, like start to walk
a block, run a block. We'll just walk fifteen minutes
one way, turn around and walk back. Like, just get
the body moving. You know, it's extremely important. We're all
getting older, you know, we're combating so many just different things,
so activity is extremely important. I want to shout out,
blessed by the way, who's to my right, who's out
here killing it in the gym?
Speaker 3 (36:41):
All right?
Speaker 5 (36:42):
How miss out here doing her stuff? Man, I'm so
proud of you. But no, like, just get out there
and do it. Man, sitting around because people hit see
me every day and they get some of my nerves and
they stop me into it and they said, I gotta
get with you, and you know, and blah blah blah
blah blah. And I'm like, man, I'm the easiest person
in the later. Fine, all my everywhere I'm at is posted,
(37:03):
So what up?
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Hot me?
Speaker 5 (37:04):
Show me better? You could tell me, so, you know,
keep it. One hundred is there for you. You don't
even have to join me. I just want you to
do something. Just better yourself in some kind of way,
eat healthier, or you know what I'm saying, like jump rope, skip,
moon walk whatever, get the get the blood going, somebody walking.
I mean, but what I'm saying it just do something.
(37:25):
You know what I'm saying just like because it's it's
so important. We're losing people every day. Last month, I
lost two homies at the age of forty to heart attacks.
You know, so we act like we could do this
thing again. You only get one life, bro, you know
what I'm saying, So let's make the most of it.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (37:42):
And we're talking, and I was talking about like your
kids are watching. Your kids gonna represent and repeat what
they see. You know, your kids see you being active,
they gonna get out there and do the same. But
they see you on your ass all day, you know,
for sure, for sure.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
For one thing I like to ask before we close out,
is the year can end without butter keep it run
one hundred doing?
Speaker 1 (38:02):
What?
Speaker 7 (38:03):
What? What?
Speaker 1 (38:03):
What are the things that you're setting up for for the.
Speaker 5 (38:07):
I gotta, I gotta, I got, I got something in
the tuck that I'm gonna keep to myself.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
What can I just ask you and maybe maybe you
can answer or not not answer based off of what
I'm gonna ask you. Are you gonna think about doing
a marathon? Is that one of the things you want
to keep tuck?
Speaker 5 (38:22):
I mean no, no, So that's that's a that's a.
That's a goal of mine, definitely to get my own
full marathon like this, this half marathon I have going
is to what's to really? Like I said, do it
for my community. But then like I've gotten so many
people that look like myself to do their very first
half marathon with me. You being one of them, right,
you know what I'm saying, Like it's something that people
(38:43):
are I can say afraid of.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
But you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
As the people have spoken, you know what I'm saying,
They show you how supportive we are.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
We will get you through whatever.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
You know what I'm saying, Like to do this run thing,
it's better to do it than the group as opposed
to do it by yourself. You know, like we all
need people, we all need community. We are many people
to lean on and help us in support us and ways.
So I'm saying, pull up on keep one hundred.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
That's one thing that I can't say when I did
that the Havelf Marathon. Running it with people is a
different experience than doing it by yourself. And I tend
to I like, I like doing things on my own,
so I have that experience of running by myself. Nothing
beats nothing had beat that experience of doing it with
with a lot with everybody else.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
It doesn't feel as daunting. And it's like you have
people there.
Speaker 5 (39:32):
Talkers a tequila all along the route. Come come rock
with me, you know what I'm saying, Come rock with me.
I want to give a huge shout out to my
little sister. She's here as well. We didn't get to
get her on the mic, but she she she's been
down from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
It's my sister, you know.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
I mean, I just want to ask, how proud of
you of him? Are youative?
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Please?
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Do you want to hear all the business but no,
how proud of him? Are you that that you've seen
this kind of transform and see you know, he's still
gonna be who he is, but what he's been able
to build. And you know the people that rally behind him,
and uh, you'll speak so highly of them.
Speaker 12 (40:11):
You know, I'm extremely proud of him. They're like, people
can't I'm talking about this man. And you know how
many people coach me like I know your brother, I
know your brother. I'm like, okay, like well, young young
thugs said, whooped the ude? So but to see his
growth with this community of people. It's just been an
(40:32):
amazing journey because I started off I don't run.
Speaker 8 (40:36):
I don't run, and.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
So I started you don't keep it run hundred You know, I've.
Speaker 12 (40:40):
Run my first marathon thanks to him, and you know,
in the communities. But originally when he started out, I
think I ran one time and I was out of breath,
like within like half a mile. I was I could
not keep I could not keep up. But you know,
I as he started bringing the walking crew out, I
started walking with them and I did my first half,
which was the Pasadena Half in twenty twenty three, and
(41:03):
then it was a drunken night where all of us
we were at a friends giving and they were like,
let's do the marathon.
Speaker 8 (41:08):
Let's do La Marathon. And so it's.
Speaker 12 (41:10):
History from there. And that was one of the biggest
moments for me running in LA Marathon. That that moment
right there let me know that there is nothing that
I cannot do, especially going through certain things in your life.
I just there was nothing I couldn't do at that moment.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
And you take that with you, and you know, they
use that as motivation pin that moment of like yo, okay,
if I can do this, then I can take on
any challenges that come through exactly. I think that's such
an inspiring message. Man, Butter, thank you so much for
what you're doing for the community. Is there anything else
you want to let the people know?
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Keepun through the West Side?
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Would love keep it run hundless and just could pull
up on this man.
Speaker 5 (41:43):
We're in Coover City Tuesday night, seven pm, Veterans Park, Inglewood.
We are at Zipper Saunder Thursday. Pull up, great energy.
It's a great time and you won't You'll definitely come back.
You won't want to miss it, I said, let me see,
bes said. We turned up partying. I got music every week,
every time we double dutch. We uh, you know, we
(42:03):
be going crazy out there. I got you, but no,
man like my said, you can, you know, push yourself
out there. You can do anything. I tell people all
the time, don't be a buster. A lot of people
tend to make excuse you know what I'm saying. You
don't where to find me? Run miles not your mouth people,
y'all be talking too much. All right, Listen, all these
people behind me are like marathoners. And I tell people
(42:26):
people it's hard for people to do marathons. So I
want them to brag on themselves. He let them know
I'm better than you. These so many people tend to
want to push their negative, their their negativity onto you
and because they aren't able to do certain things and
be like No, I tell them all the time, brag
about yourself because you are amazing. You are better than
the next. See what I'm saying. And with me, I'm
just I know I'm gonna talk.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
Me some ship. Listen, listen if you if you don't
like it, can line it up all right, line it
up all right. But no, I love this. I love them,
I love all y'all. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
I love what you're doing. Man, just keep it going.
I can't wait to see you celebrate ten and fifteen, twenty.
Speaker 3 (43:02):
Years and keep this thing.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Inspire these lives and you know, really help people from
the inside and out.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
Man, So through the West Side.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
Would love Keep it locked, you know, keeping one hundred
dot org dot org.
Speaker 5 (43:13):
Yes, yes, keep it one hundred dot org. You know
you can find us on Instagram at keep it one hundred.
You can follow me on Instagram. Barack underscore old butta
you know what I'm saying, I got all the names.
I'm about to be forty two. You call me Benjamin Butter.
My hairline still work, hairlines you feel just crack it
out here. You know what I'm saying, bad Buddy for
do the Super Bowl? You called me bad Butter. It's on,
(43:34):
nah man, but keep it run.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Thank you guys so much for coming on through. There's
a Homegrong Live rightful catch out.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Next show
Are we back at it?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Chuck Dizzl Live and Direct keep it at home Grown
Live on Real ninety two three. Of course here in
Los Angeles listening to course all across iHeart stations. So
whether you're listening there, listening across all these iHeart stations,
or subscribe to the Homegrown podcast, I appreciate you in the.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Building with me right now.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
He's a homegrown homie, he's a father, he's an activist.
He's somebody we used to party with back in the days.
He has changed his life over for the better. He's
still parties too. Man, My man, Aric Augustine, I don't
know you as that.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
That's so wild.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
I know, miss butter y'all, butter Man, keep it run hundred.
How you feeling, bro, I'm amazing man, so had to
be here. Thank you so much for having met you.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
The voice got the radio.
Speaker 5 (00:48):
I don't know, I don't know who listened hey, man,
but no, I'm thank you so much for giving me
the opportunity to be here and letting my crew come
with me.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Of course, man, you know we here about turn it up.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
I love what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I love everything that you stand for, and I kind
of want to take it from the beginning, because again,
I've known you from from days of throwing house parties
and on top literally on top of the house. You
know what I'm saying, turning up, but you're turned up
in a different way, man. So how does how does
butter go from you know, that turn up lifestyle to
your run club that you celebrate.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
How many years now?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
It's seven years now, I'll be eight in April.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
And you got to you got a half marathon through
the West Side with Love, third annual and you're doing
amazing things. Man, But let's talk about the transition from
that lifestyle to this lifestyle. Why you started the other
run club and here we are today.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
I mean, you know that that previous lifestyle is still
you know, it's still there. Yeah, But nah, man, running
is something that I fell in love with seven years ago,
and the feeling that I got from there, I just
felt like everyone around me, everyone any everyone in the
world has just experienced that same feeling. Running became very
therapeutic for me. It became like a safe space for me.
(01:57):
It became my coffee in the morning. You know, it's
it bettered me as a just a human being.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Overall, So going from the turn up.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Lifestyle, I wish I still do to just see what
I'm saying, Trying to knock out fifty sixty seventy miles
a week, you know what I'm saying, you know, is
a shift, but it's been a great one. I've been
able to through my run club, been able to impact
where I'm from South central LA in ways that you know,
I never imagined, and just been able to impact people
(02:27):
where I'm from, you know, and it's been an amazing
you know, it's been a blessing.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, man, And I've seen you transform lives, I mean
just literally left and right. And it's a testament to
some of the folks that's in the building as well.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
But the third annual through the West Side, would love
through your community talk about this half marathon that you
started up and you know, you're seeing grow every single year.
And it's so funny even with the run Club and itself,
I see and I've seen the growth you know from
you know, a few runners that you had in the
beginning where you actually start off at was down.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
The street from our old homegrown studio.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Right so that location now and just seeing a lot
of people out there running with you, Man, talk about
the growth and you know, you seeing people actually you know,
go out there and the different types of people.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
That are welcome within the club as well.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Well.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
To ask you that you starting with the half marathon.
It was simply just an idea that I had, Man,
I was doing racists. I've been doing racists for a while,
was going across the world to do them, and like
they weren't place they weren't in places that looked like
where I grew up. People who looked like myself weren't
running them like in large numbers, and it's for me.
(03:43):
Instead of complaining about it, I said, let me just
make a change, or be the change, you know. So
I wanted to. I wanted a race. There isn't a
race through south central LA. So I said, let me
just create my own. The first two years have ran
through the neighborhoods I grew up in. Passed my elementary school,
my uh, my middle school, my high school. I've literally
all the schools I've gone to gone to have been
(04:04):
in the same zip code.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
I'm nine zero zero four seven till the death. So
everything I know is there. Everything I've you know, I've
known growing up, has been in that area, and it's
the people like you said that have have been a
part of what's going on. That's why I bought a
couple of them with me. We have Kamarai in the buildings.
K Kamari ran his first half marathon last Camari is
nine years old. Kamari is nine years old. We got
(04:29):
miss event in the building as well. She walks to
half marathon, you know, thirteen point one miles. You know,
this is her third year doing it as well. She's
ran multiple half marathons herself, probably the healthiest, she's been,
the most active she's been in her entire life. We're
not gonna put her age out there. She only twenty four,
but you know what I'm saying, But she out here
getting to it. But no, yeah, just being able to
just impact people like them, you know, have and have
(04:51):
a strong supportive team around me.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Just you know, it's been a great situation.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Now, it's it's an all positive thing. You you're improving
people's lives. You know, you're building community. But I'm sure
that there's some challenges that you have run into or
you know that that you currently a're going through. You know,
building the company, h building the nonprofit, building the organization
of itself, and even with the of the half marathon,
can you kind of speak on those things like little
(05:18):
challenges that that maybe you've gone through overcome just so
people can kind of get in a sense of like, Okay,
no matter what the situation may be, you're gonna go
through some challenges that you can figure out how to
overcome them.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
There are any challenges, I could kind of like pinpoint,
but in life, in anything, there will be challenges. But
I'm I live in a space of controlling what you
could control. If something gets in the way, move around it,
figure it out, you know what I'm saying, and get
it done. My example, there is always people tend to
like harp on things. If you wake up one morning
and you have a flat you know it could affect
(05:52):
your day, But if you have the means to get
it fixed, get it done, keep going.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
You know. So you know I don't really triple on
you know, things that just getting my way. I'm gonna
just run.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I'm over no puny right pun intended for sure? No,
but one thing that I because I got a chance
to running the.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
First first, Hey, guys, Chuck this was a half marathon.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
If you guys didn't know, you know, he ran thirteen
point one miles two years ago, So give it up
for him.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I'm gonna tell you why. Yeah, because we're gonna get
your on camera second.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
But the thing that for me, I'm gonna tell you
why this is so special for me.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
Man.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
When I growing up, I had asthma, so it was
always a challenge to do sports, always a challenge to run.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
For sure.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I just started running, you know, some years back, and
you know, kind of around the same time when you
started it, and I'm not gonna lie, even when you
were talking heyo, come out and do it. I was intimidated.
I'm like, yeah, but I might not be able to
keep up, or you know, my asthma, myight flare back up.
All these things popped in my mind. But when I
decided to just jump into it, that's literally my first
half marathon, my first long distance running experience, and you
(06:55):
guys opened your arms like welcome me with love, and
I felt comfortab actually doing it. Man, it's just a
testament to the club itself. With the environment that you've created. Man,
you was running alongside instead of I went to high
school over there, over to junior high, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
And I felt like.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
In my mind, I felt like, and maybe some people
can kind of resonate with this, but I thought, when
you ran marathons or half marathons or then any long distance,
you had.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
To go at a certain time or speed.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
And I was, you know, cautious about that, but you know,
doing it in the time that I did, I felt
good that I completed it, for one and it was
something that I looked back. It was one of those
things from my childhood that I was like, oh, that
was something I was holding me down for years and
I didn't even realize it. And when I completed that,
I'm like, dang, dang, it felt so good to actually
do it. Man. So for me to you, I want
(07:47):
to say thank you because that it was something for
my child and that I realized, oh damn, I got.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Over that, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
I appreciate that and to that point, that's what running does, right. Well,
It's a lot of things in life to do like that,
But for me before I run my first marathon in
twenty eighteen, and I'm quite sure we can all feel
we all feel the same like we would look at running.
It's like running was a punishment. So like you look
at it, especially long this is running, It's like that's hard.
(08:13):
I would never like, you're crazy, you know what I'm saying.
But to push yourself mentally and physically the points you
never thought you'd get to changes your life. You know
what I'm saying. Like it changed you mentally, It changed
you in so many just different ways. And you know,
it's like the day I ran my first marriage, the
day I fell in love for running, because I never
thought I'd do something like that.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
So what was it? I mean, did you play sports
in high school?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah? Hoop?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
You hooped in high school.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Getting I'm wondering what was What was it about running
specifically that kind of attracted you to that versus any
other sports?
Speaker 1 (08:44):
I mean anything to kind of like go beyond.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
So you know in high school and you know, as
you're growing up running, like I said, there's a punishment
when you get in trouble.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
You gotta get on the line. So you look at
running as a negative.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
When I was thirty, I had my daughter and uh
I got fat, picked up bad Way, the shot story,
picked up Dad Waite, and you know, running you know,
you get it. Your father's like, you know, you're not
trying to spend any extra, buddy. So I didn't want
to get a gym membership. You know, it's running with
something I could go outside and just do it was free,
you know, and like you know, one mile, turn to two.
(09:16):
You know, I was doing a couple of miles. You no, no,
nothing more than like five or six. And then you know,
I was documenting on Instagram. A friend of mine south
of Phield. He told me, you're gonna run the La Marathon.
I told him, like I like we spoke about earlier.
I said, I'd never do nothing like that. That's crazy.
And we trained for it and it honestly changed my life.
It helped me create keep it one hundred and it's
(09:37):
been an amazing seven years.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Talk about the different partnerships that you've been able to get,
you know, throughout the years, even from like Nike.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
I saw some video of rock Nation.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I mean, you was an honor at at the Staples Center, Crypto.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
There's a lot of things. You run it in Paris.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I mean this, this, this has taken you places that
you probably and I'm assuming I'm not sure if you
imagine that that my life.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Never in my life, bro, Like like you said, I've
been with Nike going on well six years now, great
relationship with them. I've done stuff with everybody from death
jam to uh.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I see with the Dodgers the other day.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
I was with the Dodgers the other day. I just
I played on my first celebrity softball game in June.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
They don't act like you you've been a celebrity.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
You're the mayor.
Speaker 6 (10:25):
Bro.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I'm just a getto kid that run a lot.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
That's a surprise, you know what I mean, Just.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
A ghetto kid that run a lot. But like I said,
so many opportunities have come my way. I got to
run the Olympics last year in Paris, which was huge.
You gotta take my whole family out there with me,
just off of something I you know, just fell in
love with. So I tell people, you know, your gifts
can take you, you know, places you never even expected.
So please do not be shy with them. Do not
(10:51):
keep them to yourself. People can utilize them, you know,
so keeping them to yourself is selfish.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
So you know that's special to be able to take
your your your family out to Paris. Man as a father, Man,
how how does this kind.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Of hit different? Right?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
You know, going for you going through these things and
these experiences, but having your daughter be able to see,
you know, and experience these things with you, man.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Just as a father and itself.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I want you to kind of touch on that, because
I think that's a it's a completely different experience from
your inn at this point.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
It's honestly the coolest shit ever having her being able
to see it and wulitness it, right, Because I always
say that a lot of people live in what's like
they live off like what I call our Bundy memories.
You know, if you watch Mary with Children, as budget
had that story, I was, I had three touchdowns blah
blah blah blah blah, and like that's cool, but like
that can't do anything for now. So my daughter getting
(11:41):
to see it and be a part of it in
real time goes so much further than like, hey, look
at what daddy used to be able to do.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
She sees and she's impacted like by you know, everything
that's going on now, Like when she goes out when
she's with her mom, people stop her like I know
your dad, Like they go to the store and get
discounts soft stuff because of people people knowing like brocking
with me. So you know she loves she well, I
won't say she loves it. She kind of gets irri
she's irritated by a lot of the times. But she
(12:09):
just you know, when she goes out to me, she's like,
you always got to stop and talk to people. And
I'll be like, exactly, But to that, I tell her,
you know, it could be in reverse. People could not
want to talk to me. People could speak negatively about
your father. But you know, you're out here and you're
you're you're supported by a whole community when when you're
not with me.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
So you know, I think that's that's very important. And
I don't think I've ever asked you this, and you
know I do da advice man, But just as a father, man,
what what dad advice could you give to other dads
and other fathers out there?
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Your experience as a father.
Speaker 5 (12:43):
Parenting is the craziest freestyle you'll ever do in your
life because there's no there's no manual to it, you
know what I'm saying. But my dadvice is just to
be present, you know, Like that that goes a long
way like being able to, you know, give set just
a solid example for your child or your children, you know,
(13:05):
you know, and just be able to see them grow
and spend you know, quality time with them and get
to know who they are. And like me and my daughter,
we we have all type of random talks when she
turns a new age every year. I'm you know, we
have this conversation like, you know, well she's eleven now,
so I'm like, you're eleven. I've never been a parent
of an eleven year old. Like, we don't know what
this looks like, but we're gonna go through it together,
you know. And it's like having her you know, understand that,
(13:27):
you know that, you know it's gonna be ups and downs,
but we're gonna figure it out. And you know, like
we're on the same team. We we might bump here
a little bit, but we're gonna be all right now.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
You and I'm assuming this is on purpose, you know.
And this goes back to the turn up lifestyle. But this, uh,
this half marathon that you've put together, it also runs
through your birthday as well, So it's the celebration of
your birthday.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
You turned up in a different way and and uh.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
Talking, We're gonna gonna still turn up that way too,
even don't even trip, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
So it's a balance running and rump shaking.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Give them a breakdown of what's gonna take place, Okay,
from day one to day three, you know, throughout the.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Whole week for sure.
Speaker 5 (14:06):
Okay, through the West Side with love weekend man. Three days,
five events. It's kicked off Friday morning, five events. Bro
it's whooping my feet. But three days, five events. First
event Friday mornings kicked off. As we all do community service,
So this year I create a senior walk to get
the elders in the community active and moving. We're gonna
meet at the track, you know, do a couple of
(14:27):
laps with them, you know, interact with them, things like that.
So Senior Walk that morning. The middle three events are
for runners only because they paid for registration, you know
what I'm saying. So I have like a mixer, a
big pick up type situation, Like this year, I rented
out a piece of spot. We're gonna h carbload, you know,
a bunch of food everywhere. We're gonna just have a
good time and just you know, get to just hang
(14:48):
with each other before the race. Saturday morning is the
actual race. Uh, Sunday morning, we do a recovery day
which is yoga at Nike's office, you know, and a
you know, just make sure everybody get their body back
together after running all those miles. And then we ended
with you know, like I said, the rupt shaking part
of the.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Watch. This is like, how could I get invited to
that half of the Let me get.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
A third of that?
Speaker 5 (15:15):
Yeah, but no, you know, partying is something that's you know,
I've always done, it's been It's a big part of
my life.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
That's a big part of who I am.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
So I try to just get people out to just
enjoy themselves, get them away from the running aspect of things.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
You know. So what are you going up?
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I think the biggest lesson that you've learned about yourself
going through building this community.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Oh man, that's a good question about myself. Man, that
I don't know it all, you know, I don't know
it all, you know, And like this year has been
a big year and just realizing that, you know, leaning
like being able to lean on others and you know,
asks for help and be you know, so shout out
(15:56):
to my team and for stepping up whenever I ask them.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
So, well, let's get into some of the individuals that
you do have in the house, because it is.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
A ganggang experience. Gang is here, this is let's let's
start with a little man.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Man, bring little man up, and I want to hear
his comor come on here, come on, come on, come on.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
First of all, tell people how old you are again?
You're nine years old? Nine years old? Man?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
So how's it being apart? Is this your your first
experience running with keep it run hundred?
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So you've been running with him for a while. So
how is the experience for you? It's fun? You like it?
Do you get tired a little bit sometimes?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Is it getting easy and easy to run and and
and kind of get through the experience?
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Do you do it with your family as well? Okay?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
So, so who introduced you to actually start participating in this?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Your mom?
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Okay, and you have a good time, have you know
going out there running with her as well?
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Did she run with you? Okay, that's good.
Speaker 6 (16:56):
Mom.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Mom's come over here, man, come on, yeah, get on there.
She tried to get this. Look, So step up, say
your name? Where you from?
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Hi?
Speaker 7 (17:04):
Sonny?
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Sonny?
Speaker 2 (17:05):
And where you from Sunny from La, Sonny from La
speaking to the mic real quick and want to make
sure that people can hear you and see you. So
talk about your introduction to keep it run hundred and
how this experience has been going for you.
Speaker 7 (17:16):
Oh that's an interesting I was getting my hair done
and Butta came to the shop. We were just talking
and having conversation, and so I'm pretty sure he hears it's
a million times like I'm gonna pull up.
Speaker 8 (17:27):
I'm gonna pull up.
Speaker 7 (17:28):
And I was like, no, I'm coming, like I'm a
woman in my word, I'm gonna come. So backstory, some
health stuff happened. I had to have emergency situation and
I hit him DM. I was like I'm coming still,
but I just got away and then he was like,
take care of yourself when you're done, like pull up.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
So I came.
Speaker 7 (17:45):
It was about three years ago now wow, and I
haven't looked back since. And you see me, you see them.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
That's amazing. This is the three mile Thursdays or is
it so you hate So if you guys.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Don't know, he does a three mile Thursday in Englewood
and this is where people you know come and get
that in introduction and so for you, were you intimidated
by all?
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Had you had experienced running prior to this?
Speaker 8 (18:04):
No?
Speaker 1 (18:05):
No, I hated running.
Speaker 7 (18:06):
Actually I love working out, but like I'm a strange
training resistant person, right, So I came again backstory because
of that, I had to walk, so I went with
the walkers and crazy enough, he was like, I want
to run, and I was like, I don't know anybody, right,
So I kept coming every week. But as I was
coming every week, I was creating relationships with people. Kelsey,
(18:31):
she kind of took him over, like he would go running,
where's Kamari on you?
Speaker 8 (18:35):
With somebody?
Speaker 7 (18:36):
Like literally like what it would pass me running.
Speaker 8 (18:39):
And he was like where cam ay at?
Speaker 7 (18:40):
And I don't know. He's like all right, I'm gonna
look for him and then like he'll kind of meet
halfway because he slows down and like make sure everybody's okay.
He was an awesome COMORRW he good.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Wow.
Speaker 7 (18:48):
So I knew I was in a good place, in
a space, a safe space at that because my child.
But I just let him go and I like, I said,
I love it. It's been welcoming. The moment you come like
this is that like, hey, how are you because you know,
unfamiliar faces. Yeah, so you're like, hey, are you new here,
like it's your first time whatever? Yeah, And that is
(19:09):
really great about making sure he goes around to everybody
and this is your first time. All nice to meet you,
and he you know, introduces himself. And I really love
like the commarodity and like the community that the space has.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Man, that's amazing. You went from hate and running to
now enjoying it.
Speaker 9 (19:24):
Now.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Now you got the sweatsuit and you got the jacket on.
Speaker 7 (19:27):
I'm going on my fourth half, speaking of my fourth half,
and then next year I'm.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Running LAMB amazing, amazing, So congratulations on that.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I'm glad to hear that story.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Man.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Who else we got in the building? I heard she said,
missus bet.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Miss come on down just a little bit so they
can see there we go, let her sit down, missy Vet.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Man, so the people are talking about.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
You, you you know, let people know your role and
keep a run one hundred, you know, and what's been
going on with yourself?
Speaker 9 (19:57):
Okay, so yeah, I'm missy Vet. That's what they all came,
which I love. I've been with keep it since twenty
twenty one wow, and my daughter started me off and
she says, Mom, come on, you can do the three miles.
And I kept saying, it is no way I can walk,
because I walk, There's no way I can walk three miles.
And so I came out. I was a little nervous,
(20:18):
and the club is so welcoming. When I came in
after the three miles, everybody was clapping and cheering. I
thought they were clapping and cheering for me, and knows
we clapped for everybody, but I started crying because it
was such a big deal for me. And I have
been coming ever since. I don't miss a Tuesday or Thursday.
My week is actually scheduled around Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
So it's now you have you have Tuesdays and Thursday
nights because I just remember the Thursday.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
So now it's so Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
In Inglewood, Tuesdays in City.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Tuesdays and Cubra City Thursdays in Inglewood. And you said
that that first once was emotional for you because you
were able to complete that three miles.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Now, prior to that, do you do you remember how.
Speaker 9 (20:57):
Long I had never walked. I didn't want to walk
I didn't want to exercise, none of that. But since
I've been coming out, I absolutely love it. Again. I'm
a walker. This Saturday's uh, but it's half will be
my third half but with butter.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, but I've walked.
Speaker 9 (21:17):
I think this is going to be my eighth.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
She cheating on you, she said, I'm going out. I'm glad.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I gotta get my keep more one hundred somewhere else.
Speaker 9 (21:30):
I've done LAMB. This was my first time doing LAMB.
But it's so important. Oh that's the La Marathon. Okay,
I walked the whole thing twenty six point two miles.
But I absolutely love it, and it's it's for me.
Walking is a part of my life now, is my
lifestyle at sixty years old. It is so important to
keep moving, keep going. I absolutely.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Clock that's what they're doing.
Speaker 8 (21:56):
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 9 (21:57):
It's so important to just keep moving, keep going, especially
again at my age and it doesn't feel like work
is actually fun. Every Tuesday and Thursday, after we've finished
our three miles, there's always a celebration that we've got music, line, dancing, conversation, everything.
It's really an amazing club. Butta has put together the
(22:19):
most comfortable space for me at my age and again
there's a few other people in my age group, but everyone,
all the young people so supportive, very encouraging. The men.
When the time changes and it gets dark, the men
wait for the women, and even some of the ladies
who are the season runners, they wait. No one leaves,
(22:42):
but it does not shut down until everyone has come in.
It's just a really safe space and it's fun. I
have a really good time. They accept me even when
I'm unhinged, and they accept me their respect, their respect
and the encouragement.
Speaker 8 (23:00):
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 9 (23:01):
Again. When I go out and I walk, I'm so
focused on walking. It just it's easy for me. Now
it's easy.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
I love that man, and I love how now you
have a role in it, so everybody knows you's Missy vetting.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
You know, oh.
Speaker 9 (23:15):
I love it. But you know the first time when
I when I when I first came out the first time,
and but he has all this energy and I remember
seeing him run up Prairie, but he was in the
street and he was just screaming and yelling, and I
can hear him saying, Missy ven I thought, okay, it's
something wrong, like what yeah, like what's going on with this?
Speaker 8 (23:35):
But he's like that all the time.
Speaker 9 (23:36):
He's just high energy. So he brings that energy and
everybody else just kind of flocks around that same energy.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
I love it, Yeah, I love how contagious it is.
And again it's such a welcome inspirit man, So I
appreciate you coming on as well. Man, who else do
we have in the building with us right now?
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Is keeping it run?
Speaker 5 (23:52):
I'm gonna call these three people up here together, let's
do they got something special coming up. We got e Bail,
my brother Ebail. We got Kelsey who is Missy Vest's daughter,
and we got Nama. These are some of my seasoned
veterans doing their thing. They're actually all about to go
run their first world major marathon in Chicago in two
weeks so, and Lissen two weeks so.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
They've been putting in the work for years.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Man, he Bill showed up many many moons ago, and
they ain't left mazag.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
You know what I'm saying. The ladies, man, they be
crushing it.
Speaker 5 (24:23):
They hold it down, They look out for everybody on
the route, They pace people and show up and Nama
the speech throughout the group. See what I'm saying she
six minute miles out the gate. But no, now I'm
just some No, these folks have been holding me down.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
I want to get into you guys's introduction to Budda
and what made you guys comfortable enough to say, you know, hey,
let's kind of get together, and you know, I want
to continue to show up and be a part of
this thing because I don't know if you had a
history with running or you know, kind of talk about
that introduction between yourself and butter.
Speaker 10 (24:53):
Okay, so my introduction was September twenty eighteen, Wow, in
Manhattan Beach. This is see before official, keep it one hundred.
My niece posted it on Instagram. I was looking for
something just to say active, and so I was surprised you.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
I showed up and.
Speaker 10 (25:09):
About six and a half years later, we're still here.
Did my first marathon at fifty five Wow. SOZ jumped
in and had an opportunity and say, hey, who wants
to train?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Who wants to do it? I said, let's just try it. Yeah,
and I'm fifty nine.
Speaker 10 (25:22):
So four marathons later, coming up on number five, so
we're still here, plugging at it. My wife is active,
she's a walker, so you know families that is involved.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
At first, I thought I was crazy. I thought I
had joined the cult. Right, what is this?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Keep it running? You said it was before they even
had the name. So he's out there running in Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
So they also say he's crazy, he's crazy. But now
my biggest supporter. See my dad does it. My dad
does that. So you know they see what I'm doing.
They appreciate it.
Speaker 10 (25:52):
They they've come to every every marathon, you know, supported me.
So it's good to see them out there. Good to
get your family involved, and so you know they know
you not crazy. You know, I'm not crazy's still coming
a little crazy concept, but they're there for me. So
I just love being here, love his energy, love just
helping out on the route, just being there for the
people that are there.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
How important is it to you as a as a
you know they always say, you know, black men, we
need to be you know, conscious of our health and
really like stand on that man, so talk I want
you to kind of dig into that as well, and
why that's important. Any message for the people that you
know around your age that feel like, oh man, it's
it's over.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Man, I don't I can't do that it's I'm too
up there for that.
Speaker 10 (26:28):
Many people say that I can't do that, I can't
do that. It's only can't until you try it. And
once you try to say I did that. And it
was the greatest feeling for myself just to get into
the training space and say okay, four months later, once
you started it, I can do it. Yeah, you know,
and just encouraging the other brothers that are out there.
So if you think you can't, you can't. If you
think you can, you can't.
Speaker 11 (26:48):
Wow.
Speaker 10 (26:48):
So however you look at it, and it doesn't have
to be run a marathon, yeah, you know, walk around
the block something twice around the block, through a mile,
then two, then three. And I think with the brothers
that we have in our community, we all support one another.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
You know. No one's like trying to outdo one another.
Speaker 10 (27:05):
It's like, hey, let me help you get to the
next block, you know, and just just seeing the camaraderie
that's out there, it's great.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Gotcha. And I want your steps to the MIC as well.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Let us know your introduction to butter, how you got in,
you know, informed about the club, you.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
Guys at the vets.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
So I'm interested to.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Hear I.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Said Vet that he called y'all season.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
So the season individuals that are part of keeping run hundred.
But what was it about you or what about this
situation that if you say, okay, yeah, I can actually
see myself doing that.
Speaker 8 (27:33):
Well, you know what. It all started with a hoodie.
A hoodie. I was on Instagram where they will First
of all, I grew up running. I ran track. Shout
out to the la Jets.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
I ran cross country in high school. I ran track
in high school, so I come from a running background.
But I remember I'm on Instagram in the middle of
the pandemic, like just hit and I saw somebody with
a all black keep It one hundred hoodie on and
it was the Juneteenth colors, red, black and green.
Speaker 8 (28:04):
I'm like, oh, that's fire.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
So I click on you know you tag people. So
I found his page. I was like, oh, he knows
my cousin. So I sided stepped my cousin and I
DMed him and I'm waiting like forever.
Speaker 8 (28:18):
I'm like, this dude is not gonna respond to my dance,
but who knows. But then I text my cousin.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
I'm like, hey, you know this dude, can you give
me a hoodie, like, I'm so thirsty for this hoodie.
And so my cousin said, okay, bet got the hoodie
Brits in my house.
Speaker 8 (28:36):
I said, okay, cool.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
So then from the hoodie I found run Club on Instagram.
But but I just shut it down for the pandemic
for COVID. I had just had my son twenty nineteen.
He had just or he was about turn one, and
I remember I'm like, okay, I haven't run in years.
So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna run three
miles every day just to keep just to get myself
(28:59):
conditions so that when he does open it back up,
I'm ready to go.
Speaker 8 (29:03):
So ever, since then he opened it back up, I said, oh,
you know my cousin. Who's your cousin? I ain't gonna
say the name camera. He was like, oh okay, yeah,
what show you look like him? I said, okay, for sure.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
So it's been going on six years now. I've been
running with Buta and I remember my very first long run.
It was eight miles wow. And he was like, okay,
you're gonna run a marathon? Same thing? What like, are
you out of your mind talking about what I'm saying?
And I come from this is ridiculous, no, And I
(29:38):
remember I signed up for LA Marathon. This was the
very first LA Marathon that they had after the pandemic.
All right, cool, So I'm training, training, I hurt myself
running the Pasadena Half.
Speaker 8 (29:49):
I hurt my.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
Knee, and so I said, you know what, I'm gonna
keep going. I remember this dude's saying. He kept telling me,
as long as it's taped on.
Speaker 8 (29:58):
You good.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
And I'm like, okay, okay, do my first marathon. And
I remember I'm coming up. If anyone knows how Elle
marathon the route is, once you get to my nineteen,
it's kind of like you do an out and back,
so you're running out and then on the other side
of the street or people running towards the finish line,
so it's like a mind trick almost. He's waiting on
(30:21):
the other side, so kind of towards the finish line,
I see him. We both start crying and he gave
me a hug and he was telling me, he was like,
go get that medal for your son. And I never
forgot that. All these years later, I never forgot that.
And so I finished my very first marathon. It took
(30:43):
me six and a half hours. Ever since then, I've
run quite a few half marathons, marathons, I brought my
mom out, I read my second marathon last year. Just
dealing with injuries and I'm a full time student, I'm
getting my doctorate. Just a lot going on, and I
went from six and a half to four hours and
(31:05):
fifty seven minutes. And I'm praying and hoping that I
pr with Chicago. But it has definitely played like a
huge role.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
I dealt with depression. I had things going on.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
While I was in run club and I would be
gone for weeks at a time, and he was always
checking on me all the time.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
So I think that that's very important. Again, you had
that sense of community again, I think that's what that's
the thing that I see from the outside end, and
even kind of being on the inside as well, like
just kind of knowing.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
What he does.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
But talk about real quick, your experience from going from
running and having the experience of running to now being
a part is how is this experience different from you know,
having that history of being somebody that that you know
was more active.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
It's actually fun, I mean, and this is no slight
to the high school athlete.
Speaker 8 (31:55):
But if it really felt in.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
High school like a competition, felt like I was competing
with all the other people out there.
Speaker 8 (32:03):
It didn't feel fun. It felt like punishment.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Although I liked to run, I dreaded going to practice.
I didn't really have a community out there.
Speaker 8 (32:13):
So the difference.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Between high school running and running as an adult now
is the community. I tell people all the time, I'm like, yeah,
but the cool but I.
Speaker 8 (32:23):
Love the people there. The community that he's created. Like bro,
but it's no but all joke to society. It's because
of him. It's because of him. Why this community is
the way that it is.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
It's because of him. Why I have friends here or
who I can call brothers and sisters, it's because of him.
I Mean this might seem kind of like silly, but
anytime my son had a fundraiser at school, my community
showed up.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
If my mom is not at run club for whatever reason,
my community says, hey, where's your mom? And like I said,
I was going through a whole lot of depression. This
man he checked on me, had people checking on me.
They they're praying for me at run club, like really
rallying behind me.
Speaker 8 (33:09):
When I'm not there. So it's the community that he
has built that makes.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
A huge difference.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Now, speaking of competition, speeding Gonzales, get over there. You know,
we were talking about no competition and you over here
running a mile in six six minutes. Your introduction. I'm
sure you have history with running, right or no.
Speaker 11 (33:29):
Despite me being the speedster of the group, I actually
have no background in running.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Yeah, that is interesting. So where is your introduction? To
keep it run one hundred?
Speaker 11 (33:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (33:39):
How is today?
Speaker 11 (33:40):
So I actually just started running in the pandemic. I
was one of those twenty twenty runners. The gym's closed,
I had to get off my couch exactly. So I
went out and I thought, let me run a few miles,
let me run five six miles super slow. And I
decided to train for my first Man marathon. It was
(34:01):
a stupid idea in hindsight, but trained for that first
one by myself. And that was back in twenty twenty two.
And after my first marathon, I was super discouraged. I
actually hated running. I was hurt. It was a really
tough training cycle. It was really isolating, and at that time,
you know, the world is like just opening back up,
(34:22):
and I feel like my world is closing in. And
I'm not from here. I'm from the East Coast, so
I don't have any family. I'm from Jersey, Jersey, okay.
And so I stopped running after my first marathon, and
then I would see Keeper one hundred just kind of
running around, and I'm like, those people look like they're
having a great time. And I took about five six
(34:44):
months off running, and then I just pulled up one
day and I was so nervous. I didn't know anybody,
and I stood in the corner and I felt super uncomfortable,
and of course Buda came up to me and he
was like, you're new here, and I just kept coming back,
kept coming back, and it was actually but it's first
half that I was still fairly new to the group
(35:05):
and kind of getting to know people, and I didn't
think i'd be able to even keep.
Speaker 8 (35:09):
Up with everybody.
Speaker 11 (35:10):
So I skipped the half because I was nervous and
not confident. And I forced myself though, to go to
the party.
Speaker 6 (35:17):
And you know, exactly, there's there's nothing that brings people
together like Boody shaken. So met a whole bunch of
people and I was so inspired. I said, let me,
let me try this again, let me train again, and
let's fast forward. I've shaved almost an hour from my
first marathon to my second marathon. I have officially run
(35:39):
miles in the sixes, and I am hoping to run
Chicago and pr there and I'll be running two World majors.
So I'm running Chicago and then New York three weeks later.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
Yo.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
I look forward to see with the record it ends
up becoming and just how you kind of take this.
But it's it's so dope to see just the different
walks of life within this community and what you've built, bro,
And what I want to get into before we close
out is some of the best practices. Okay, somebody that's
that's getting introduced to this right you know, they might
be scared to pull up on Thursdays or Tuesdays or
(36:12):
maybe afraid to DM you for a hoodie, and you know,
but what are some of the best practices somebody as
a beginner can can do right now?
Speaker 1 (36:20):
You know, just to stay active.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
I mean just get out there, like start to walk
a block, run a block. We'll just walk fifteen minutes
one way, turn around and walk back. Like, just get
the body moving. You know, it's extremely important. We're all
getting older, you know, we're combating so many just different things,
so activity is extremely important. I want to shout out,
blessed by the way, who's to my right, who's out
here killing it in the gym?
Speaker 3 (36:41):
All right?
Speaker 5 (36:42):
How miss out here doing her stuff? Man, I'm so
proud of you. But no, like, just get out there
and do it. Man, sitting around because people hit see
me every day and they get some of my nerves and
they stop me into it and they said, I gotta
get with you, and you know, and blah blah blah
blah blah. And I'm like, man, I'm the easiest person
in the later. Fine, all my everywhere I'm at is posted,
(37:03):
So what up?
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Hot me?
Speaker 5 (37:04):
Show me better? You could tell me, so, you know,
keep it. One hundred is there for you. You don't
even have to join me. I just want you to
do something. Just better yourself in some kind of way,
eat healthier, or you know what I'm saying, like jump rope, skip,
moon walk whatever, get the get the blood going, somebody walking.
I mean, but what I'm saying it just do something.
(37:25):
You know what I'm saying just like because it's it's
so important. We're losing people every day. Last month, I
lost two homies at the age of forty to heart attacks.
You know, so we act like we could do this
thing again. You only get one life, bro, you know
what I'm saying, So let's make the most of it.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (37:42):
And we're talking, and I was talking about like your
kids are watching. Your kids gonna represent and repeat what
they see. You know, your kids see you being active,
they gonna get out there and do the same. But
they see you on your ass all day, you know,
for sure, for sure.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
For one thing I like to ask before we close out,
is the year can end without butter keep it run
one hundred doing?
Speaker 1 (38:02):
What?
Speaker 7 (38:03):
What? What?
Speaker 1 (38:03):
What are the things that you're setting up for for the.
Speaker 5 (38:07):
I gotta, I gotta, I got, I got something in
the tuck that I'm gonna keep to myself.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
What can I just ask you and maybe maybe you
can answer or not not answer based off of what
I'm gonna ask you. Are you gonna think about doing
a marathon? Is that one of the things you want
to keep tuck?
Speaker 5 (38:22):
I mean no, no, So that's that's a that's a.
That's a goal of mine, definitely to get my own
full marathon like this, this half marathon I have going
is to what's to really? Like I said, do it
for my community. But then like I've gotten so many
people that look like myself to do their very first
half marathon with me. You being one of them, right,
you know what I'm saying, Like it's something that people
(38:43):
are I can say afraid of.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
But you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
As the people have spoken, you know what I'm saying,
They show you how supportive we are.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
We will get you through whatever.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
You know what I'm saying, Like to do this run thing,
it's better to do it than the group as opposed
to do it by yourself. You know, like we all
need people, we all need community. We are many people
to lean on and help us in support us and ways.
So I'm saying, pull up on keep one hundred.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
That's one thing that I can't say when I did
that the Havelf Marathon. Running it with people is a
different experience than doing it by yourself. And I tend
to I like, I like doing things on my own,
so I have that experience of running by myself. Nothing
beats nothing had beat that experience of doing it with
with a lot with everybody else.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
It doesn't feel as daunting. And it's like you have
people there.
Speaker 5 (39:32):
Talkers a tequila all along the route. Come come rock
with me, you know what I'm saying, Come rock with me.
I want to give a huge shout out to my
little sister. She's here as well. We didn't get to
get her on the mic, but she she she's been
down from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
It's my sister, you know.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
I mean, I just want to ask, how proud of
you of him? Are youative?
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Please?
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Do you want to hear all the business but no,
how proud of him? Are you that that you've seen
this kind of transform and see you know, he's still
gonna be who he is, but what he's been able
to build. And you know the people that rally behind him,
and uh, you'll speak so highly of them.
Speaker 12 (40:11):
You know, I'm extremely proud of him. They're like, people
can't I'm talking about this man. And you know how
many people coach me like I know your brother, I
know your brother. I'm like, okay, like well, young young
thugs said, whooped the ude? So but to see his
growth with this community of people. It's just been an
(40:32):
amazing journey because I started off I don't run.
Speaker 8 (40:36):
I don't run, and.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
So I started you don't keep it run hundred You know, I've.
Speaker 12 (40:40):
Run my first marathon thanks to him, and you know,
in the communities. But originally when he started out, I
think I ran one time and I was out of breath,
like within like half a mile. I was I could
not keep I could not keep up. But you know,
I as he started bringing the walking crew out, I
started walking with them and I did my first half,
which was the Pasadena Half in twenty twenty three, and
(41:03):
then it was a drunken night where all of us
we were at a friends giving and they were like,
let's do the marathon.
Speaker 8 (41:08):
Let's do La Marathon. And so it's.
Speaker 12 (41:10):
History from there. And that was one of the biggest
moments for me running in LA Marathon. That that moment
right there let me know that there is nothing that
I cannot do, especially going through certain things in your life.
I just there was nothing I couldn't do at that moment.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
And you take that with you, and you know, they
use that as motivation pin that moment of like yo, okay,
if I can do this, then I can take on
any challenges that come through exactly. I think that's such
an inspiring message. Man, Butter, thank you so much for
what you're doing for the community. Is there anything else
you want to let the people know?
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Keepun through the West Side?
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Would love keep it run hundless and just could pull
up on this man.
Speaker 5 (41:43):
We're in Coover City Tuesday night, seven pm, Veterans Park, Inglewood.
We are at Zipper Saunder Thursday. Pull up, great energy.
It's a great time and you won't You'll definitely come back.
You won't want to miss it, I said, let me see,
bes said. We turned up partying. I got music every week,
every time we double dutch. We uh, you know, we
(42:03):
be going crazy out there. I got you, but no,
man like my said, you can, you know, push yourself
out there. You can do anything. I tell people all
the time, don't be a buster. A lot of people
tend to make excuse you know what I'm saying. You
don't where to find me? Run miles not your mouth people,
y'all be talking too much. All right, Listen, all these
people behind me are like marathoners. And I tell people
(42:26):
people it's hard for people to do marathons. So I
want them to brag on themselves. He let them know
I'm better than you. These so many people tend to
want to push their negative, their their negativity onto you
and because they aren't able to do certain things and
be like No, I tell them all the time, brag
about yourself because you are amazing. You are better than
the next. See what I'm saying. And with me, I'm
just I know I'm gonna talk.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
Me some ship. Listen, listen if you if you don't
like it, can line it up all right, line it
up all right. But no, I love this. I love them,
I love all y'all. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
I love what you're doing. Man, just keep it going.
I can't wait to see you celebrate ten and fifteen, twenty.
Speaker 3 (43:02):
Years and keep this thing.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Inspire these lives and you know, really help people from
the inside and out.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
Man, So through the West Side.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
Would love Keep it locked, you know, keeping one hundred
dot org dot org.
Speaker 5 (43:13):
Yes, yes, keep it one hundred dot org. You know
you can find us on Instagram at keep it one hundred.
You can follow me on Instagram. Barack underscore old butta
you know what I'm saying, I got all the names.
I'm about to be forty two. You call me Benjamin Butter.
My hairline still work, hairlines you feel just crack it
out here. You know what I'm saying, bad Buddy for
do the Super Bowl? You called me bad Butter. It's on,
(43:34):
nah man, but keep it run.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Thank you guys so much for coming on through. There's
a Homegrong Live rightful catch out.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Next show
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