Rhythm & Grit
Cory recalls the first time he ran with others
How being with others can bring more joy and fulfilment to your running
WHEN I FIRST FOUND RUNNING it was a solo thing – just me out on my own, trying to find my way. It was on those runs that I learnt there’s always more energy left in the tank – you just have to find it. What I didn’t know is that when you run with a club, crew or friends, others can help you to run faster, longer and harder. Many of you may have taken up running during lockdown but might not have been able to share the road or trail with others yet. So now that we can once again run together, I wanted to outline how valuable that can be.
I remember my first run with Dulwich Runners. We were doing a route through Dulwich, Crystal Palace and Sydenham that I had run on my own, countless times – and hated it. When I ran solo, I constantly checked my watch and sighed at how slowly I was shuffling to the top of these mini mountains (it’s a hilly part of London), and I wasn’t shy of a midclimb walking break to catch my breath.
With others, something changed. We all had one goal – to get to the top together. I wasn’t looking at my watch, but listening to everyone’s feet and their breathing. It was a sound I hadn’t heard before – the sound of the pack.
Afterwards, I was broken but also buzzing. I thought, why on earth did I not run with people before? I checked my watch and smiled – my new mates had helped me to run my fastest mile, my fastest 5K and take six minutes off my previous fastest time.
Was it that I previously hadn’t been trying as hard as I could because I was scared of failing? Or was it that I had no idea I could push that hard? I believe it was the latter, and without them I wouldn’t have been as inspired to keep going. I remember that my body was screaming, but the voice in my head was screaming louder. It kept saying, ‘Stay with them, keep working, don’t let the team down.’ In one evening, I had learnt about accountability, that it wasn’t just me in this fight – we were in it together.
The more I ran with people, the more I realised how much fun it could be, the games that could be played and the things that could be learnt from people who have been running longer than I had. I wasn’t just showing up for me; it was now for us.