Running Alone vs. Running With Friends (or with music)

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  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    Good for you for deciding to run your first 5K! They are addictive so I have a feeling it will not be your last!

    I like to run alone. The reason is because everyone's pace is different and I don't want to feel like I have to run slower/faster than I feel like I need to in order to match someone else's pace. I wear a Garmin but I hardly ever look at it for time/splits because I pace myself according to how I'm feeling and the conditions. I go slower if there or hills, if it's windy, or if it's hot out. I do like to run with music though. I keep it quiet enough so that I can hear what's going on around me (safety first!). I used to focus on my breathing too but now I don't think about it at all. If I start to get a cramp, I know that my breathing is becoming too shallow and I need to take deeper breaths and slow down.
  • 21Gunss
    21Gunss Posts: 9
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    Awesome comments everyone! Thank you so much! It's my first day on MyFitnessPal and it has been supportive, informative and inspiring!
  • adventurousone
    adventurousone Posts: 3 Member
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    I run with my boyfriend - he slows me down because we tend to get too chatty. Otherwise, I run with music. The only time music distracts me is if I don't have a playlist ahead of time - else I'll muck around choosing songs for 10 minutes going at a snails pace instead of running.
  • rrcoffey
    rrcoffey Posts: 72 Member
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    Alone, with music. I use the music to set my pace. And I have my playlist timed such that "Everything is Awesome" is playing when I finish a 5K - LOL!
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
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    I run in the very early hours (pre dawn) with my German Shepherd and with music (no head phones - just an Iphone on my arm that is also running Nike+ which gives me my pace and distance periodically). Can't say that I enjoy racing but will do charity races now and again. Love running with my brother once or twice a year when we see each other although he has to slow down considerably for me.... Run strong!
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
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    I take the dog and play music, running with friends is helpful as you're more likely to turn up and meet someone and complete your run, it's easier to talk yourself out of it if it's just you, especially with winter coming up and the wind and the rain!!!
    It depends on how disciplined you are and if you have reliable friends, that's what I love about the dog, he's always up for a run (borrow a friends dog if you don't have one, unless it's ancient, most of them will cope with 5k training, it's when you start marathon training that they get fed up, running in circles so you can get water/fuel, you start getting the looks of 'we've already done this route twice, why are we doing it a 3rd time')!!
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    I never run with music because I dont like carrying things on me. Running with other people is great, and then just varying running types is good as well. Also the races motivates me in general.
  • arguablysamson
    arguablysamson Posts: 1,706 Member
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    Audiobooks are better than music: run...and learn!
  • mojohowitz
    mojohowitz Posts: 900 Member
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    Being an introvert, I run alone, with music, usually. Extroverts who run in babbling packs exhaust me mentally long before my legs want to give up.
  • MSeel1984
    MSeel1984 Posts: 2,297 Member
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    I find the time goes by more quickly when I run with someone...but usually I run alone. I listen to music. Make playlists for different moods...right now it's my Autumn mix...some instrumental, some Indie music...some opera...
    Or I may be in the mood to just hit the pavement hard so I listen to my running mix. Running without music sounds horrible LoL.
  • Lalalindaloo
    Lalalindaloo Posts: 204 Member
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    I run alone and with music. Definitely with music. It can pump me up just when I need it. :) I put my play list together based on what my pace is and when i find myself slowing/speeding. Sometimes a certain song gets me going.

    I'm doing a 5k this weekend with my nieces and since I'm still running in intervals (7-8 min running/2-3 min walking until I know I'm not going to die) I fully expect them to leave me in the dust!
  • laurajo521
    laurajo521 Posts: 91 Member
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    I am very slow, so I don't generally like to go out with other people. I feel like I hold them up. I also wore braces on my legs when I was a kid, and I'm still very self-conscious about what I look like when I walk and run. If I do go out with someone, I do not wear headphones. If I go out alone, I always wear them because -- for better or for worse -- I use the music to keep my pace and it makes it fly by. I don't mind doing treadmill days with other people, and I find that watching TV while I'm on there makes the workout fly by. My gym used to have a TV on The Big Bang Theory and Friends reruns and I would not even notice how hard I was working (although I did laugh out loud with headphones on more than once). My new gym has that Cardio Cinema and I will have to utilize that for long treadmill runs this winter.
  • BuddhaMom74
    BuddhaMom74 Posts: 147
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    I like running by myself - sometimes with music, sometimes without. I've found that running is starting to replace my meditation; as my mind and body have to work together in order to succeed. I totally dig that!
    I ran my first 5K race a few weeks ago and did bring my iPod Shuffle - but I have Yurbuds, so I can still hear what's going on around me. The excitement of the crowd caused me to pick up the pace a bit and I ran my fastest 5K (I've since run it faster though!!)
    I'm running my first 10K race this Sunday - it's a trail run and headphones are not permitted. I'm looking forward to taking in all the excitement, noises and nature!
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    I always listen to music when I'm running--it helps let my mind wander and I don't think about being tired or whatever else I have to worry about. I often run with my husband, but we both still listen to our music--talking requires too much energy!

    I know there are some races that don't allow headphones, but I have not experienced that yet--just be cognizant of where you are in space so you're not blocking faster runners who might be coming from behind. I actually think that those running with friends are worse about being oblivious to blocking up the course...

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