To keep your running goals on track, run in a group
My first experiences running were on my high school track team, but as an adult, I’ve become mostly a solo runner. That’s one advantage of running: You don’t need a team or a class. But it can help. Strava, an exercise-tracking app, released its Year In Sport report, and one data point caught my eye: Runners who had group activities in January 2022 recorded 78% more active time than those who ran solo.
January brings a new year and often new goals. But in the Northern Hemisphere, at least, the month can also bring cold, snow and ice, and daylight is also in short supply. Any of those can make it tougher to get out and run, but Strava’s data suggests a possible solution for people struggling to log their miles.
Brad Stulberg, an executive coach and author of books about performance and personal development, said that working out with others had three main benefits: accountability, support and community.
When runners make plans to meet up, they are more likely to show up, Stulberg said.
“Paradoxically, there’s also that support,” he said, adding, “When you fail, which you inevitably will, there’s a safety net, a cushion to help you bounce back.”
Running with people also can be more fun and, beyond that, connects runners to wider communities. “It certainly helps give it more meaning,” Stulberg said of group running.
How can you find running buddies if you don’t have a crew? Here are some suggestions to keep in mind.
Join a running club.
Clubs are one of the easiest ways to find running companions, though they may be harder to find in some less-populated areas of the country.
Some race organizations have lists of clubs to help runners find a good fit. The Road Runners Club of America also maintains a list of clubs around the United States.
If you haven’t found a running club yet, ask at a local running store. Employees there may know what organized running groups exist in the area. Many stores also host group runs.
Before joining a group, there are a few things you might also want to ask. How long are the runs? If you use run-walk intervals, can these be accommodated? What qualifies as long runs? If this club is geared toward runners who consider 5 or 6 miles a long run and you’re expecting to do 16 or 18 for marathon training, you’d want to know before showing up. How does a group handle people running at different paces? As a slower runner, I’ve encountered running groups that say “all paces welcome,” when in reality they mean “all paces 12 minutes per mile or faster welcome.”
Look for other runners.
Running with people doesn’t need to be through
an official group. If you have friends who run, see if you can find a time and place to meet up. You can also post in a local Facebook group or Reddit forum for your community to see if others are looking for running buddies.
Or, if you regularly run a certain route, watch for other regulars and groups there.
Raheem Sisson was living in Houston when he started running. At the time, he was looking for new athletic pursuits after his basketball career ended. He saw runners from the local Black Men Run chapter, and he ended up joining them.
“I just wanted to find some brothers who look like me,” said Sisson, who now runs with a local Black Men Run chapter in Colorado after moving there.
When I run the loop in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, I often see groups of people and running clubs there. But I also see solo runners I recognize because they’re always there around the same time I am. If you find people running at about your pace, you might ask if they would be interested in meeting up to run together sometimes.
The benefits outweigh the costs.
Pace is one of two costs of running with people that Stulberg mentioned. In a group, you may be sacrificing a precise pace or workout plan. If your plan calls for eight-minute miles and your group is running miles at 8:15-8:20, you’ll still probably benefit more from running with the group than solo, Stulberg said.
As an example, he pointed
to Shalane Flanagan and what’s been named the Shalane Effect. She trained solo for much of her career, but after she joined the Bowerman Track Club in Oregon, she started achieving more, and so did the women she trained with. And Eliud Kipchoge, the fastest marathoner in the world, also trains with a group and does most of his workouts with them.
Stulberg said that even though joining a group run might take more time and effort than running solo, the benefits of running with others outweigh the lesser convenience.
Find a virtual running group.
Still, for people in less populated areas or who have unusual schedules, running with others might be difficult. But technology can help.
In his latest book, “The Practice of Groundedness,” Stulberg has a section on “deep community,” which he defines as a sense of belonging. “What you’re really after is a sense of meaning and belonging, and you can get that virtually,” he said.
Stulberg knows a group of people who ran together in high school and now are scattered around the United States. He said they use a group text to support each other and check in with their runs.
My main running club, the Sub- 30 Club, is organized through Facebook and has members worldwide. And although some members meet in person, the group has daily check-in posts for people based loosely on the time of day they run. When I worked an early morning shift and ran midafternoon, I would reply in the noon crew post. It’s not the same as making plans to meet some of those same friends for a run, but the group post does provide the accountability, support and community that Stulberg said were key benefits.
Even if you rely on a virtual community, there are benefits to running with people at least occasionally.
“If you can find the right in-person group, it’s better than a virtual group,” Stulberg said, but he added that virtual groups can also be great options. “Both can be true.”