We haven’t talked running lately. 
(Well, I may have mentioned it, but…what about you?)
It’s funny how social running differs from solo running, as I’ve said before. I do all my mid-week running all by myself, unless things go wrong and I have to do it with the jogging stroller (which, thankfully, I haven’t had to do for many months). My speed work, hill work, midlength maintenance runs – as Celine sings, “All by myse-eeeeeelf…” And that’s fine and dandy; I don’t suffer from a lack of motivation most of the time, and I’ve got no major problem getting into my shoes and out the door on most days. “Most,” of course, is a loaded word, and we all have days where we’d prefer nothing more than to stay in bathrobes with coffee mugs in hand, but in my case, those days happily remain in the “once every few weeks” category.
So my Saturday long runs are special, but not primarily because I need the group to give me motivation. I like the camaraderie, and I like the chit-chat, and I love the coffee hangs afterward. But what I also love, the thing that benefits me more than I saw coming when I joined up with the group, is the changes I’d find in my running that come from running with people of different styles. Two weeks in a row now, I’ve found myself running most of the route with folks who ordinarily maintain a slightly to much faster pace than I might otherwise have chosen. Mind you, I say “might” because of the surprising fact that I can run most of the route with these people; I’m pushing myself, but not struggling. Six months ago, I couldn’t have stayed with them, and the fact that I now can is likely attributable to several factors: 1) Improved endurance from marathon training, 2) The speed work I’m choking down like cod liver oil, and 3) just plain doing it, over and over, every weekend.
I like running with a big and varied group like ours. When I first started, I was slower, but there were people at my pace then, too, so I was able to practice staying with them and not falling behind. As I pick up the pace, I’m not suddenly alone again; there are always people around whom I can join for a spell, chatting or just running in comfortable silence. Today, the two fellows with whom I was running and I discussed how running with other people like that can almost turn into a pseudo-tempo run, since even when you feel yourself about to lag in tiredness, your running partner maintains the pace and keeps you going. There’s also a friendly competitiveness about it: you don’t want to be left behind! And yet it’s not like an actual race; you can openly admit to feeling bested by the day without shame, and at that point you can either wave your partner along and join up with a slower group, or perhaps your partner will admit to appreciating a break in speed as well.
And then there are days like today, where I found myself tacking an extra ten minutes onto a scheduled ninety-minute run, simply because the guys with whom I was running needed a little extra distance for their own training schedule. Those ten minutes were helpful for me: unplanned, they gave me an opportunity to practice running through exhaustion and not slowing down. It’s a valuable skill, and not on my schedule for the day to practice, but there we go.
Is there a group in your area that you’ve been thinking about joining? Why hold back?
I guess I always think runners groups are going to be filled with people running a lot faster and further than me. Maybe I should see if there are any in this town.
I’ve been trying to avoid the topic of running because I was in such withdrawal but now that I’m ‘back’, it’s good to read about it again. ::smiles::
Oh, and a comment to a fellow ‘lil’, there are always people of all abilities in running groups. Sometimes I am the slowest but there are days when I actually manage to pass a couple of other runners!
Carrie, this is a little bit off-topic, but is a question about running … when you first started the C25K program, did you have knee pain? I’m on week 3, and my knees (actually, beneath my knees and to the inside of my leg) are so sore. I can push through it on the run, but afterwards, the pain is almost crippling. I’m thinking this is just my body adjusting to going from completely sedentary and overweight to working out 3x weekly. Did you go through this when you first started?? Thanks!
You shouldn’t be having that kind of pain! Have you been fitted at a running store (not a general shoe store or a big box fitness store) for the right shoes? You can’t just buy them off the rack; running in the wrong shoes can cause all sorts of injuries.
I haven’t, but we do have a local running store that specializes in that exact thing. Perhaps I should start there.
It’s a vital thing, believe me. Shoes are one of the most important things you need, and so much rides on having the right pair for your gait and foot structure. It’s worth it to make certain you’re well shod!
Thank you so much for your input! I hope I can make myself into half the runner you’ve become! Congratulations.
Let me second what Carrie says here. Go and spend the $$ at a specialty running store. You’ll be grateful that you did, and once they put you in a proper pair of shoes, you can shop online to find what you need a little less expensively.
I did this before I started training for triathlons, and let me tell you: I have never EVER had sore feet, knees or back. Hot? Yes. Tired? Yes. Sore? Not on your life. The “best” shoes are the ones that work for you, and if you have a tendency to pronate either way or have a weird gate, the big box stores are just not going to have what you need. They will know which manufacturers use what type of materials and how they build their lasts, how they change year to year, and they keep tabs on their regular customers.
Remember to replace your running shoes every 300-400 miles or so — I tend to keep a 4 pair rotation: racing shoes (about 50-100 miles worn in from training, replaced each season), training shoes (run up to max– 300/400 per), running-around shoes (old trainers that are still comfy but too broken down to train in) and garden shoes (last use before recycling — mow the lawn/do the garden and then send them to Reuse-A-Shoe).
I also tend to buy 3-4 pair at a crack so I always have a pair ready to pop into rotation that I know I will love. I’m getting ready to switch brands, as my beloved Adidas Supernovas are morphing away from what I need as a runner, so I will be buying at least two pair of the newly-prescribed New Balance 1224s. (Yes, I need a crazy-thick stability/motion control shoe because I overpronate like a mad woman.)
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