It's been said, by myself and others, that there are no friends like runner friends.
Heck, we all know the ins and outs of running. If there's anything we don't yet know, the odds are greater-than-great one of our runner friends can enlighten us.
Have you ever taken the time to list the many ways we benefit from running with these awesome friends? I'm not talking about our online running friends (who are invaluable in their own right), but our in-person running comrades.
Let me cite a few (or several) ways these particular peeps are beneficial to runners...
First of all, there's the companionship. While many of us are self-sufficient about lacing up and hitting the road (or track or trail) on our own, having a live human being to chat and laugh with makes for a fun run. It's true, the miles go much faster when you're conversing with others.
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| The same goes for walking...more fun with someone else! |
Having a running buddy can keep you accountable. This is especially beneficial if one (or both) have a big race on the roster. Showing up (and not procrastinating) those long, long runs is much easier to do when someone else is showing up with you.
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| 16 miles, anyone? |
Running with a buddy can (and probably) will enhance your breathing technique. Many of us will not be chatting non-stop during an actual race. But talking with a friend, while running, will train you to take deeper breaths and exhale more evenly. I know, it sounds like a lot of unnecessary work. But, let's compare it to speed-training: most sprints are run at a much faster pace than our true race pace. Running those short bursts (at a fast pace) makes the slower race pace (over a longer distance) feel easier. The same goes for breathing.
Another perk of running with a friend is the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone. Not only can it be a challenge to talk as you're running, but running someone else's pace can be tough! When Barb and I first started running together, I was a tad bit faster. Trying to find a comfortable pace for both us took a little trial and error, and it forced me to run a little bit slower, and her a little faster. Well, a lot has changed...she's now a lot faster than me, and I'm the one bringing up the rear (amongst the two of us) on race day LOL. But, that's all good. Our natural paces are close enough that (usually) neither of us struggle (much) on any of our runs.
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Finally, let's not forget the safety issue. Depending on where you live, it may not always be safe to run alone. Also, we all have different levels of comfort in regards to time of day (or night), location, or state of fitness (if you're coming back from injury, for example). Having someone along for the run can give you (and your loved ones) peace of mind.
So, those are a few reasons why I think it's nice to have a few in-person runner friends on stand-by. Myself, I prefer to do some runs alone, and my longer runs with a friend (usually Barb, but sometimes the hubby will join me for a few miles). That said, I've done many long runs (hello, 20-milers!) all on my own, so I know it's not impossible to entertain myself, for long periods, if need be.
What do you think? Do you run most of your miles solo, with friends, or a combination?
I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up
I never thought about the benefit of talking while running! What a good point, Kim! And so nice that you have Barb to run with.
ReplyDeleteI love running with others. Over the past year, I haven't had much opportunity to do so. Usually, I've just been running with my husband - fortunately, our paces align.
I run with the hubby once in awhile. He goes through phases where he's serious about running, and then not. He's kept his endurance, but has no interest in anything speed-related...so he gets annoyed if I accidentally get even half a step ahead of him LOL
DeleteI totally agree with all.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I do not have a Barb to run with on weekdays. My after work running friends have disappeared as well.
But for my long runs, I almost always run with friends. It really helps. Chatting makes the miles go faster. I don't walk as much either . Sometimes I run with slower runners and I'm ok with that but with faster runners, it's a challenge - in a good way.
I am so lucky to have Barb!!!! She's always willing to run on the spur of the moment (like last Friday, when we ran after work). And, I'm always eager to go for a run if she sends me a random text LOL
DeleteAlthough I've almost always run solo miles, it's not really by choice. I do love running with others! It's very hard to find a running buddy you're totally in sync, though, I used to have one but she can't run anymore. :(
ReplyDeleteWe do get together to walk, though!
I agree, it's tough to run with others if your paces aren't similar. Walking is another story, though!
DeleteI am grateful for my two primary running friends, Julie and Christie, who I run with almost every day! I have a few others as well who pop in, and yes, running friendships are so different than others; they build and become deeper faster, since you end up spending so much time together, in so many conditions, etc! And running with friends has definitely pushed me to be faster, but also with some friends, has forced me to slow down on recovery runs! All in all, it's the best :)
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered if my slightly faster "speed" in recent years is the result of all the runs with Barb. I've done speed work on my own, but her and I do a lot of miles together.
DeleteRunning friends really are the best friends! When I trained for my first marathon, all of my miles except for Wednesday's track workouts were done alone. By my second marathon and for many years after that all of my miles were with friends. Now, I've come full circle and pretty much all of my runs are alone again.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to have someone to chat with while running, but I also appreciate my solo runs as well. I'm grateful to have a good mix of the two.
DeleteI actually prefer running alone. I like to just get in a groove and not worry about keeping up with the conversation or someone else's pace. On occasion, I'll run with someone else, but it's not my preference.
ReplyDeleteThat's the beauty...we all get to do this running gig on our own terms ;-)
Deletewell, you know I am a huge running with friends girl. I seriously would not have emotionally made it through the last year without my running brf. I hate running alone mostly bc I like to chit chat :)
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to chit chat while running ;-) The miles really go so much faster. Also, if I'm running with someone else, the odds are good we'll be taking a different route. Nothing wrong with mixing up the routine!
DeleteI just cannot run with other people-- I like to do it on my own. Which is probably one of the reasons why I do not do many in-person races and why I love virtual. :)
ReplyDeleteIt took me awhile to get comfortable running with others, but now I love it. That said, solo runs are still a big part of my running as well. It's great that we get to choose how to run and with whom ;-)
DeleteI do most of my runs alone (or with Grayson and sometimes Rob). I really like running alone! I feel like if I ran with other people it would stress me out.
ReplyDeleteIt can get stressful running with others, I totally get that!
DeleteThough I'm mostly a solo runner, nothing beats running with friends. The miles go by so fast.
ReplyDeleteSo true! The miles go a lot faster when there's "entertainment" along the way ;-)
DeleteThe pandemic has really shown me that solo long runs are very possible! LOL! But having said that, I really do miss running with friends - those long epic conversations about nothing and so much! The motivation to get to the start and to finish... the fact the run goes by so much faster. And the safety as well - yesterday it got dark a lot sooner than I expected and I was very nervous at the end, something I wouldn't have felt with a friend.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of us got a good dose of solo runs this past year. Barb and I were able to keep up our routine, albeit with a few more cautionary measures. I still got out for a few solo runs each week, though. For myself, I crave variety in my runs whether it's distance, speed-training, short runs, long runs, alone or with a friend.
DeleteI do almost all my runs alone- very rarely my husband and I will run together, but our schedules (and paces) don't usually match up. For the most part I love running alone (I listen to a lot of podcasts!) but I do agree that there are times when it would be nice to be in a group, for safety issues.
ReplyDeleteI have not done very many group runs, but Barb and I run together every week (often times, twice). Group runs bring another fun dynamic to the table!
DeleteYou make a compelling case to run with friends, Kim! How lucky you are to have Barb! I've run a handful of times with the Caveman alas I do not enjoy it. I really like my alone time.
ReplyDeleteAlone time is awesome, too! I love running with Barb (and others), but I do like doing some of my runs on my own (and I'm pretty sure she'd agree LOL).
DeleteRunning with friends is the best! I run so often with people and I can't imagine doing it without them. I CAN run by myself, but... why?
ReplyDeleteThere's benefits to both running with friends, as well as running solo. I'm a fan of doing both ;-)
DeleteI prefer to run alone but that might be because I’ve done it that way for so long. I’ve been looking into a run club though to change it up a little.
ReplyDeleteA run club would be a fun way to mix things up! We've done some group runs, and they're a lot of fun.
DeleteI am a solo runner. Nothing wrong with running with others but I just feel more comfortable running alone. Perhaps that I am just used to it.
ReplyDeleteIf it ain't broke, don't fix it ;-)
DeleteI am a solo runner. I enjoy it as my time to decompress and fill my cup before a day of balancing work and motherhood!
ReplyDelete