Why You Shouldn’t Be Scared to Join a Running Group

Thinking of meeting up with that local running group for one of their weekly runs?  I think you should.  Here’s why.

You double the benefit of your time by getting a social fix and a running fix simultaneously.  It can be efficient to combine your exercise and your social life once in a while, since there are weeks when it’s really hard to do both.  Getting a chance to chat with other runners about life once a week is really fun.  This is especially true for me since I’m a stay at home mom who can go days without speaking more than a few sentences adults other than my husband if I’m not careful!  The shared experience of being out there running provides a connection to start with, and lulls in the conversation feel normal because you’re both running.  There’s less pressure to keep the dialogue constant, so conversations feel like the ones you have with people you know well enough for pauses to be normal.  It gives your running chats a nice, authentic, known-you-forever vibe even when you’re running with someone new.

It can provide a challenge: On the three mile out and back run with my mother’s forum group, I’m usually left in the dust.  It’s a great challenge for me to cling on as long as I can, rest, then try again on the return.  Someday I’m going to be happily shocked when I’m capable of keeping up the whole three miles (while they chat a blue streak and I gasp for air).

It can boost your ego: One day you’re going to show up and there will be a runner newer than you, or who has taken time off, or who is having an off day, or for whatever reason is ACTUALLY SLOWER than you are.  Then you get to be the one doing more talking, and saying “sure we can walk for a sec” and being shocked that you actually could have kept going.  When this happens to you, you’ll realize that it’s a good feeling to be on the other side and not such a big deal that you used to do it to other runners.

Your progress means something: Instead of just seeing your pace change on your Garmin, you’ll have real tangible results of being able to keep up better, talk more, or have the run be easier with your running buddies.  It gives you real reasons to work harder and improve, and friends who may notice your improvements, which feels great. (Ok, it will feel great, when I improve enough for it to be noticeable.)

Your speed matters less than you think.  If it’s a larger running group, then there are likely to be people who split off and travel at a variety of paces and you can find someone close to your comfort zone to run with.  If it’s a smaller group, you can use it as a chance to work hard to keep up as long as you can, and watch yourself improve over time.  On out and back runs, you can take a break and catch them on the return.  Be up front that you’re there for a challenge and you don’t expect them to stick with you if their pace is drastically different, and then you won’t need to feel like you’re holding them back, and they won’t feel bad leaving you behind for part of the run.

You may find someone who’s relieved that you showed up and they have a reason to run at a more comfortable pace and chat with you.  If you find yourself next to someone who’s a faster runner but is sticking with you to chat, ask them open ended questions so they need to talk more.  They’ll exert more effort talking, and give you a better chance of matching their pace.

Anyone who is showing up to run with a group is there for the social element as well as the fitness element, so there’s no reason to feel guilty if someone decides to slow it down and talk with you on their run.  They’ll still be getting some miles in, and if they really need to run hard then they can take off on their own.

Finding a group: I found a running group through my local mother’s forum, and they meet half a mile from my house.  They’re almost all significantly faster than me, but every so often someone shows up closer to my own pace.  I don’t know whether I am going to get a really hard run in, or a normal paced run in, so I just plan to do either and do the opposite run the next day.  A lot of running gear stores have running clubs that meet for runs, check places near you that sell running shoes and see if they have one.  You can also google “finding a running club” for a lot of sites that boast running club directories, including one over at coolrunning.com (the site that brought us Couch to 5k).

You may even find multiple groups near you and try them out a few weeks to pick the best match for your schedule, mileage, and feel of the group.  There are a range of groups out there, some of them are a lot more social and geared towards people of any pace showing up, and others are for the competitively minded to show up and push each other hard.  Find one that works for you.

Better than a running buddy? One of the reasons a running group works for me is that if I miss it, the runners who go just run without me.  I’m not deserting a friend when I desperately need to sleep in, and I’m not always running with the same person and feeling worried that I’m holding them back or vice versa.  I love knowing that if I’m up and ready to run, there will be someone there ready to head out for a friendly three miles with me. 

When are you ready? I think you’ll enjoy a running group more if you’re comfortably able to run the distance they’re running without taking walking breaks, and you look for one that welcomes runners of varying paces.  Any group varies their speed or speeds based on who shows up each week, but if you ask a group organizer ahead of time, you might be better able to find one where other runners of a similar pace to you show up at least sometimes.  Challenging: good.  Running thirty seconds with the group and then going home: bad.  Since so many running groups are social, there’s probably one close to you that would give you a support system of other runners, a social highlight in your week, and a chance to challenge yourself.

If you think it sounds good, I say go for it!