Running alone!

I LOVE running alone...it is my time inside my own head, enjoying the world around me!! I also just put on my music and tune out for a while. I have trained with groups in the past and with friends, but now find that I enjoy going it alone most of the time. I will occasionally run with a friend, but still generally use my headphones. Even when I run races with friends, we have always just done our own pace and not run together. I think trying to stay together would really throw me off. I have a funny story about running with a friend...I am 5'6" and not really a fast runner (about a 10:30 minute mile) and I ran once with a male friend who is 6'4" and very fit. He was quite a gentleman and said I could set the pace, but he was basically walking keeping up with me. It didn't really work, and was really funny...we ended up just walking together and enjoying the sunset. Hope you can work out a compromise. Happy training!!

I think its totally ok to explain to her that you prefer running alone. Its your thing. Dont let anyone else get into it, if you prefer doing it alone. I also like running alone a lot more!

I run alone, mainly because I have no choice in the matter. I run faster and longer than my wife, so unless I change up my training schedule running with her isn't much of an option.
Personally I would love to get involved in a group run at some point, just not much of an option in our little town.

You can even consider telling her you'll run "with her" but not really "with her" if that makes sense. I've been training with a friend who is MUCH faster than I am and runs a longer distance than I do, however, we meet up together in the mornings for our long run day and start together but then go at our own pace. She runs ahead of me and I just keep chuggin along at the pace I like. Then at the end of our run, we meet together and stretch. For me, its just nice having someone relying on you to meet up. Its someone you can share the experience with but still doing it on your own. It def helps keep me motivated thats for sure!

I love my running partner -- I have someone to chat with before and after ... and someone to yell at me to speed up, but neither of us are talkers...

I think i would be more a talker if I could ... but Im soo short of breath hehe... so we run ... 6.2 miles in relative silence... maybe a phrase here and there but thats it...

I love it:
I just found out our running coach is running the WHOLE half marathon with me this weekend ... as much as I appreciate it... Im kinda ummm bummed about it too hehe ... he likes to shout encouraging things... but its gets annoying after a while too !

I do enjoy running by myself. All my running partners stopped running. It is nice to go alone but it take serious discipline. You can easily say ahh no one is waiting for me I don't have to run today. Definatley there are pluses to it.

Oh but I have to add my husband is much happier now that I have a running partner ( especially because its a guy) because he feels I am much much safer... he was not so keen about some of my long runs in the middle of no where on trails in the middle of no where alone... and I have to say I like having a partner for that reason too ... and I will REALLY like the partner in the winter because running alone at night in the dark was always quite creepy

I much prefer running alone. Like to put my music on and just run in my own little world. I'm actually concerned that I'm going to hate races because I'm quite antisocial in normal life and having other people running around me would be weird

Anyway. I would totally explain to your friend that you like running alone, or if you're afraid of offending her, perhaps don't do it very often. You might not run at the same pace anyway so you might find after one attempt that it just doesn't work out.

Maybe since you said you would train with her you could go on runs together but just establish ahead of time that you're going to listen to music and each go at your own pace. One of my good friends is a much faster runner than me, and we run together all the time. We just go to the boardwalk, both put our headphones on, go our own pace and meet up at the end. It works out really well. There's no pressure for me to go faster but it does motivate me sometimes to run a little further if I know that my friend is there and has already run more than me.

I generally run alone.
I did pick up a running partner while training for my marathon, we'd do most of our long runs together. After a few of them I ended up being much faster & we'd just meet at the end to stretch.

If I had someone the same speed & who was a good conversationalist, a run every now and then might be fun. But any more than that I don't think I could deal with it. I like to do my own thing when I run & zone out.

I run alone as well, although it would be a blast to drag a partner over some of my running trails with me (you hear me... that's an invite people).

Don't underestimate the value of a running partner though: safety in numbers, challenge each other, camaraderie, and so on.

My schedule makes it impossible to run with someone, but every once in a while would be a great treat! Now get yer damn trail shoes on and come on down to AZ!

Does anyone else like running alone? Im afraid im quite selfish and like to put my music on and run by myself. Discovered this a little while ago! As found myself dodging requests for people who wanted to run with me! lol

One of my friends wants to come run with me but she says she gets bored and likes to chat! Not really my thing lol! We are both running together in a 5k and said we'd train together. Hmm not sure what to do! Maybe i'll train a couple of times with her and during the race do my own thing!

It's ok to elbow people in the ribs while running.

Don't forget the occasional flat tire!

Running is MY TIME. I have lots of friends who run, who often ask to run together, but I always politely decline. Just me and my music. I just get SO much thinking done on my runs, I would hate to share that "time" with someone else's thoughts!