Running alone v with company

Lindsay_the_great · February 2015

hey all! I'm a new runner. I've been going it alone since I started, so I have a pace I like to keep. My two teenage girls now want to go running with me. This afternoon will be the first time. I can't possibly discourage my kids from healthy habits so it looks like I have two new running companions. How should I handle it if they can't keep pace? Does anyone have experience to share? Should I run ahead and back to them if they drop behind? Should I sacrifice my own progress to stay with them? This seems like such a silly question now that I've typed it out but it's heavy on my mind.

acmanna · February 2015

I would stay with them the first few times especially. If they are too slow and you go too fast they might get discouraged. If they are too fast and you can't keep up then tell them.
Keep some of your runs to yourself, they are teenagers so I assume that they are gotten going to be too busy to run every time. Have fun and enjoy time with your kids!

tycho_mx · February 2015

I used to run with my dad as a kid. We'd do a short circuit (laps). He'd pass me a few times, but he'd let me beat him in a "sprint".

pearshapedmum · February 2015

stay close to home, you can run out with them and back when they are tired and then continue on your own way. Teenagers always think that they can out do us 'old timers' even with zero fitness ;-)

Lindsay_the_great · February 2015

pearshapedmum wrote: »

stay close to home, you can run out with them and back when they are tired and then continue on your own way. Teenagers always think that they can out do us 'old timers' even with zero fitness ;-)

This.
I hadn't thought of this. Perfect solution! Thank you.

kmarc33 · February 2015

I just went through this with my 15 year old son last year. I slowed my pace so he could keep up, and then slowly we both worked our way back up. If I didn't feel like I got enough of a workout then sometimes, after we got home, I'd turn around and do another run without him. Same with my wife, I walk a *much* faster pace than she does (I walk about a 14:15 mile, she walks about a 17 or 18). But when we walk together I slow down to her pace. And then sometimes I'll turn around and do another (faster) few miles at the end. Stay with your partner to keep everyone encouraged and involved, and then do a quick sprint mile at then end.

Lindsay_the_great · February 2015

Brilliant! Thanks for all the encouraging advice.

lchadwick3 · February 2015

I agree with all these. Running with them also allows you to teach them the "rules of the road" about running so that when they go it alone they will know what to do to be safe.

BTW. One safety note that isn't always listed anywhere. If you're running on the road you should run against the traffic. Except when coming to a hill. Switch to run with traffic just before the hill so that cars behind you can see you and you don't surprise cars coming over the hill. At the top of the hill (where you can see both directions) switch back for the same reason.

When riding bikes I will usually stay on the far right of the road with traffic until a hill and then move to the middle of the lane to force cars behind to not pass until its safe.

Be careful out there.

Lindsay_the_great · February 2015

lchadwick3 wrote: »

I agree with all these. Running with them also allows you to teach them the "rules of the road" about running so that when they go it alone they will know what to do to be safe.

BTW. One safety note that isn't always listed anywhere. If you're running on the road you should run against the traffic. Except when coming to a hill. Switch to run with traffic just before the hill so that cars behind you can see you and you don't surprise cars coming over the hill. At the top of the hill (where you can see both directions) switch back for the same reason.

When riding bikes I will usually stay on the far right of the road with traffic until a hill and then move to the middle of the lane to force cars behind to not pass until its safe.

Be careful out there.

Wow thanks for the tip! We live on the plains so no hills to worry about but it's good information to have in my back pocket.

arussell134 · February 2015

I used to organize a group of gals from my church to run. I knew some would want to run/walk, others would run slow, others fast. My solution? MEET AT A TRACK. BOOM.

Now those that want to run intervals can do that, those that want to stroll their babies, can do that. And we're all "together" and could encourage other as we passed each other around the track. Alternately, you could run side by side on treadmills.

I find there are VERY VERY few people I can run the same pace with for any distance and enjoy it. So those are my suggestions. Good luck.

MeanderingMammal · February 2015

big_lindsay wrote: »

Should I run ahead and back to them if they drop behind?

About 20 years ago when I first started trying to run I had a friend who did this, and it was horribly demotivating. The rational response, which was that he'd been a runner for years and I hadn't been didn't manage to trump the embarrasment of what it felt like.

Notwithstanding that, I ended up pushing myself too hard too fast and injured myself.

Should I sacrifice my own progress to stay with them? This seems like such a silly question now that I've typed it out but it's heavy on my mind.

I started running about 2 years ago, and recently spent some time introducing my sons girlfriend. I programmed my Garmin with C25K and just held my pace down to stay with her. Because I had plenty of capacity I talked a lot, and let her concentrate on her running.

Looking back at Runkeeper we held a pace similar to my first C25K sessions, which is about 3 mins/ mile slower than where I am now.

After that run, my partner took her and son back home in the car and I added another 10K to join them.

kozinskey · February 2015

My dad is much faster than me but we still do long runs together occasionally because it's nice to have company sometimes, and it's a good family activity. He sticks to my pace -- the whole theory of long slow distance is that pace doesn't really matter all that much anyway, so it doesn't seem to bother him.

I would just try a run and see how it goes. I agree that this is a good opportunity to teach them road safety. Then, if you guys decide you're happier running alone for the most part, you can take them to a running store and get them decked out in reflective gear and/or flashy lights. That way they know you care about them and want them to run, but you don't have to sacrifice your training goals.

Also, teenagers can be annoyingly fast.

Wendy98 · February 2015

! run with my 11 year old son anytime he wants to run. He has done several 5ks and one 10k. I do my own workout at a different time. He generally only runs for 20-25 minutes and is done. He is much, much slower than me, but I value the teaching opportunity and the fact that we are doing something together. For races that I want to race, he runs alone. For his 10k, I had my friend run with him because the race was big and I didn't want to lose track of him.

I am primarily a lone wolf when it comes to running. I do have one running group that I run with occasionally. The pace is a little slow for me, but I use it as a recovery run fro the previous day.

Running alone v with company

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