With a long run on the books Sunday morning, I planned to get at least six in with a friend from my group who is very similar in speed to myself most days. Lucky for me, enough groups were out running Sunday morning that I was able to coordinate every mile of my 11 with friends! I started off with some ladies from my running group who were starting at 6am. They are a little too fast for me, but I can hang for a couple miles at their faster pace. So, I ended up getting 2.75miles in with them, meeting my original group at 6:30 for six more, and while on a walk break, texted a friend who had slept in and asked her to meet me for the last three miles. It worked out perfectly for me, and I got lots of good conversation in. Running with friends has so many benefits!
- It can help keep you on track. When others have certain paces to hit, you are more likely to push yourself to stay on track because you know if you're lazy with your paces, that will poorly effect their workout, not just yours.
For example, last week I ran eleven in well over two hours when I ran by myself. Even with a 10 minute walk break this passed Sunday, running with my buddies helped me break 2 hours, right about the pace I hoped I could keep for a training run.
2. Accountability
Knowing you are going to meet someone before sunrise, is likely going to get you out of bed on time, and done with your run when you should be. I know when I'm not meeting anyone, I tend to let myself sleep in and end up running in the heat of the day which definitely causes my runs to suffer.
Views like this one from Sunday morning make getting up early worth it!
3. Distractions
As I'm sure I have described more than enough on this blog, I love running but we all know it can get boring when you've got a lot to run. Eleven miles alone, is much more mentally challenging due to the fact that you don't have anyone to talk to. With a group or buddies, you can meet for weekly runs and use that as your catch up time to chat. It makes the miles go by so much faster!
Nobody can empathize with a runner, like another runner. Whether your working through an injury, nervous for an upcoming race, or need simple advice on the best fuel belt to use, outside of your coaches if you use one, your fellow runners are going to offer the best support!
5. Safety
Remember when I talked about running/biking safety here? One of my main tips was to do outdoor activity in pairs, or even better, groups! Having even one person with you can help in the case of serious injury or other safety concerns.
6. Learn new routes or discover new gear
Sometimes you have things like a chaffing underarm and have no idea that there is this thing called body glide that will help with that. Having a buddy is great because when you start to complain about aches and pains or the annoyance of not being able to carry any water for example, they tell you about the hydration belt they use or offer advice that has worked for them in the past. Plus, they will likely have a new route you have yet to discover which is always great if you're like me and often run the same routes over and over when you are alone.
7. Cultivate Friendships
There's something about getting through challenging workouts with others, that really starts to cultivate a bond between all parties involved in the challenge. In a sense, even though running is very individual, you create a sense of teamwork when everyone has the same goal in mind. When you have a common interest with a group, there's a good chance you are going to find some like-minded individuals within that group. I like to hang out with some of my friends even outside of running practice, especially on mornings like Sunday. We finished before 9am and had time to stop and get some iced coffee at Starbucks.
Check it out, Michael talked me into wearing sunscreen. Or maybe it was that blister I got on my nose last week.... ;)
We are approaching the finish line of this 10 Day You Challenge! Two songs, how does one pick just two? Because it would be extremely difficult to choose my two favorite songs ever, I'm going to choose two songs that I'm enjoying this Summer.
1. Leave the Night On - Sam Hunt
2. Close Your Eyes - Parmalee
I'm on a country kick right now!
Share with us!
What is one of your favorite songs right now?
Do you run with a buddy? Stay tuned for a discussion on tips to pick a running buddy!
Have a great Tuesday!
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