Running Alone or in a Group?

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PLAID1977
PLAID1977 Posts: 70 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started running last April. I always ran alone. I slacked off for the past few months and thought joining a runner's group would motivate me/force me to go more often. I started last night. I'm not sure I liked it. I think I prefer running by myself, which is odd because I'm a very social person. Admittedly, I am slightly concerned that it's actually an excuse to not push myself harder, faster etc.

Thoughts? Do you prefer running alone or with a partner/group?

Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I prefer running alone, but there's no better way to push yourself and to see what you're really capable of than running with others.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    My wife runs in a group. I think it definitely motivates her to get out there, especially since she has done it for a while now and established close relationships with the others, and doesn't want to miss the conversations.
    Some of the runners are faster than she is, and a few are slower. But, overall, I think it pushes her to go a bit faster than she otherwise would. Most runners like to be in the front, and so groups tend to go faster than individuals.
  • PLAID1977
    PLAID1977 Posts: 70 Member
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    I think there was a part of me embarrassed by how much difficulty I had. We ran a mile, I stayed up front. Got to the track to do speed laps and by lap 3, I was trailing near the back. By the end of the speed work and the mile run back...I was dead last. When I run by myself, I feel good about me. Last night, I didn't feel so good, lol! But maybe that's a good thing...
  • redromad275
    redromad275 Posts: 884 Member
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    I think there is good and bad with group running. I find running introspective most times. I like to be alone with my thoughts and just run. I do at times run with my 10 year old and I do enjoy it as I like the quality time I can spend with him and training him. When I was in the military I enjoyed running in groups as it build comraderie as we would do "indian runs" where we would run in a column and the man in back would sprint to the front. It really depends on my mood.
  • goanothermile
    goanothermile Posts: 98 Member
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    I like both for different reasons.

    My ideal is joining a training group for a specific race. That is a good combo for me. I do the weekday runs on my own and meet the group on Saturday morning. Knowing that we're doing a specific distance on Saturday is motivation to stay on track during the week.
  • mrsmitchell0510
    mrsmitchell0510 Posts: 83 Member
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    I run alone a couple days a week and run with a friend a couple days a week. At first, I really much preferred running alone (and still enjoy it). But, my husband told me to give it some time, so I did. And now, I thoroughly enjoy the days I run with my friend. Plus, it helps keep me accountable and out running on days when I would rather just go home, put on my pajamas, and veg out on the couch.
    So, I say give it some time. Run with them some and run by yourself some. It's a good happy medium.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I like running alone. But then, I also like setting my own pace and following whatever training course I feel like, including changing the plan if I feel 'eh' or amazing. I also don't have much problem with being motivated enough to get out of bed and just do it.

    I'm also an introvert - it would probably annoy me to have to chat with people when I want to focus on what I'm doing. Particularly towards the end.

    ETA: On the other hand, sometimes it takes some peer pressure to get you to try new things or push yourself harder than you think you can go, so I can see the potential benefits as well.
  • VanillaBeanSeed
    VanillaBeanSeed Posts: 562 Member
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    I enjoy running in a group. Usually I dont even say much (im a totally social butterfly as well) but it really helps pass the time to be with a group! =)
  • Ohhim
    Ohhim Posts: 1,142 Member
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    Doing a marathon plan with a neighbor at the moment and have some mixed feelings.

    Positives
    • Keeps us accountable/on plan
    • Helps time fly by on the longer more painful runs
    • Is a good chance to talk/catch up/bounce ideas as he's a pretty great guy

    Negatives
    • He runs early in the morning, so I need to get up much earlier than I'd otherwise
    • His pace is about 90 seconds slower than mine, but I know he'll eventually catch up, and most running advice recommends doing more work at lower intensities
    • I'm doing a more advanced plan than him, so our schedules don't match up perfectly

    Definitely find the positives outweigh the negatives though, as doing anything above 10 miles solo can get pretty tedious.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I like both, although I usually run alone. The one time I regularly ran in a group was years ago for the long runs, when I was training for a marathon, and it definitely forced me to stay on pace in a way that would have been more difficult for me on my own, and also made it easier to get through some of the runs. I've been somewhat thinking about trying to find a group for longer runs over the winter, since I know those will be challenging just to get myself to get out for.
  • sm1zzle
    sm1zzle Posts: 920 Member
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    PLAID1977 wrote: »
    I started running last April. I always ran alone. I slacked off for the past few months and thought joining a runner's group would motivate me/force me to go more often. I started last night. I'm not sure I liked it. I think I prefer running by myself, which is odd because I'm a very social person. Admittedly, I am slightly concerned that it's actually an excuse to not push myself harder, faster etc.

    Thoughts? Do you prefer running alone or with a partner/group?

    I like running by myself. That way I don't get weird looks when I talk to myself.

    However, it is fun when doing 5K's to run with other people.

  • haircuttergirl
    haircuttergirl Posts: 33 Member
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    mrsmitchell0510 wrote: »
    I run alone a couple days a week and run with a friend a couple days a week. At first, I really much preferred running alone (and still enjoy it). But, my husband told me to give it some time, so I did. And now, I thoroughly enjoy the days I run with my friend. Plus, it helps keep me accountable and out running on days when I would rather just go home, put on my pajamas, and veg out on the couch.
    So, I say give it some time. Run with them some and run by yourself some. It's a good happy medium.
    ^ me too

  • LoneWolfRunner
    LoneWolfRunner Posts: 1,160 Member
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    My screen name says it all.

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