The Power of People – the benefits of running with others.

 We start running for reasons of our own. The reasons we start or continue to run, or return to running, are our own too. Running can be a solo thing. Although we may run alone, we often share the paths, trails and track with other runners. And the journey.

There is power in the journey shared with others. Of course, they’re not always next to you, yet they are around you, beside you, with you, and, at races, competing with, for and against you.  Through the 1970s and 80s people saw running as a lonely, individualistic and possibly introverted sport. Probably because running, in it’s early days, was a competitive pursuit trained and raced by determined individuals.

The onset of running for health and fitness through the 90s and beyond, and today’s mass participation and varied events, has many millions of individuals changing the perception of running and runners.

And, although many still run solo, runners are more connected than ever: connected to their bodies by GPS, heart-rate monitors and metronomes; connected to runners around the world by the internet – facebook pages, tweets, instagram pics, blogs, and doctor-google; and, connected with many others out there…running.

The real connection though is that experienced by running with others – by having a training partner(s), or a running group, squad or team you become a part of.

Having a training group to run with benefits you in many ways. In short, they make training more enjoyable and more productive.

Ø  meeting others: a running group is a great social outlet to meet fun, healthy, like-minded, determined adults – making face-to-face running, training, racing, professional, business and personal connections

Ø  company & camaraderie: running with others and shooting the breeze - having a chat - through the warm-up, cool-down, between intervals, during a long run, or over a coffee or breakfast or BBQ afterwards, makes it easier to get started, stay motivated, and distract you from the effort

Ø  motivation: the responsibility of knowing you’ve committed to meet at a certain place and time, and that others will be waiting for you, steels your commitment to run. Running with a group once or twice a week gives you impetus and lift for your other solo sessions. You make the effort and take the responsibility. Because of your word, your training regularity and accountability to your goals or races improves. It’s a proven procrastination buster

Ø  distraction: it can be tough to get out the door – the weight of motivation loss, fatigue, family or work commitments, and distant goals. Being around others, chatting and sharing a joke, is a great way to be distracted from the effort, time and duration of running. It’s a great way to be distracted from your routine and habits - doing the same thing(s) each session, or each week. 

Ø  guidance & coaching: many running groups or squads have a coach who provides guidance, direction and advice. These groups or squads have runners from various backgrounds who seek the guidance of a coach. Teams and Clubs, which are more group, event & race oriented, often have coaches that provide generic sessions and programs – oriented toward particular events. In either case, there will be more experienced runners (or athletes) that can give you a helping hand too

Ø  structure: with the experience, expertise and knowledge of a coach you’ll have more guidance than just ‘going for a run’. The coach of your own group or squad will normally provide you with a customized plan & program and individualised workouts. These will have structure and flexibility. Varied warm-ups and cool-downs, drills, mobility and strength exercises, and various run sessions at different paces/speeds and distances, will be structured for you, your background, current fitness and goals, and have you run with, beside and near others.

Ø  learning: through the coach(es) and the other runners – when you willing and ready -  you’ll learn about running, training, recovery & rest, and about races & racing; about different types of sessions, drills and activities and their intended outcomes. You may be prompted to alter your mechanics and technique. You’ll learn about fartlek, repetitions, intervals & sets, and running hills and long distances;  about injury prevention & rehabilitation, and nutrition; and, footwear, clothing and technology. Importantly, you’ll learn about pacing and communication. And through listening and trying, you’ll also learn the power of myth, fallacy, routine and habit. Over time, you’ll learn what’s worth learning and what’s not.

Ø  train harder: being around others will give you a lift – a motivational and effort lift. Running intervals, hills, tempo and longer slower sessions will drive you to extend yourself – to hang in there – a little longer than if by yourself. Without the burden of thought & planning, being ‘sucked along’ by the energy and zest of others will make some workouts more intense, yet they’ll feel they took less effort – physically and mentally. When you’re flat or down, you’re more likely to complete a challenging session around or with others.

Ø  train smarter: getting better is not about training harder (all the time). It’s about training regularly and consistently, and about being challenged in the right ways at the right times. To take advantage of your hard work you also need to train easier, and do different things – or have a different focus. Through the coach, and experienced others, you’ll benefit more from hearing, seeing and living how others train smarter through a plan and program that guides their sessions and efforts. Through intelligent pacing, using recovery strategies, varying training, resting as needed, and learning to listen to their bodies in terms health, injury and what suits them and not others. Running with a group or squad doesn’t mean always following the pack.

Ø  improvement: with more regular and consistent training, and having a structured plan, program and sessions to follow, how can you not get better? More frequent training, smarter training, harder running and better recovery, all bound with good people, a good chat, and laugh all make for two things – a better runner, a better you.

Ø  strength & inspiration: you have a story to tell. So does the person beside you, and those behind and ahead of you. Some stories are shorter, or longer; others more colorful or twisted and convoluted; some poignant, others direct; some moving, and some of movements. Yet, amongst this diversity lays the human battle all runners meet – to decide upon a path and commit to achieving it. You’ll find strength and character and inspiration in the stories, and journey and motivations – the grief, loss, hardship, success, surprises, wins and insights - of others. And them from you.

Ø  change: you’ll change simply by doing something different – running with and beside others; committing to meet at a time and place; running faster and slower; running different routes or courses. Your approach and outlook will change. Your routines, habits and nuances evolve as a result. You’ll see the security blankets as roadblocks, and impossibilities as possibilities. And, your presence changes others.

Ø  safety: as a solo-ist you’re your own hero, and protagonist; your own leader, and follower; your own coach, and athlete. Your strengths are likely your weaknesses. Running with and having the guidance, support and motivation of others can help save you from yourself – from too much training, from too little training; from too much talk, and too little action; from ill-health and injury - they keep you safe from you. Safety in numbers spreads easily to safe training, safe environments, and safety from ‘weirdos’.

Running as an activity, exercise and sport enjoyed by millions. Many run by themselves. The great many benefits of running can be shared by, not only connecting with other runners, by running beside, amongst and with them.  You may run with others as frequently or infrequently as you desire, yet it will be time and energy well spent.

You’ll have people to guide, support and motivate you. Going harder will feel easier. In time, you’ll learn more, enjoy more, and run more.

And there lays running’s true power – the people who run. Just like you.

Find out more about my running group, RunStrong.  paul@pfad.com.au