Recently a number of club members have mentioned how much they enjoy running the local roads with others, the majority of whom they have gotten to know at RMHP-RC training sessions on the track, at Tempo Tuesdays, or on weekend long runs on trails or roads.
For some of you, it provides motivation to lace up your running shoes at 5:00 AM; for others it helps develop the skills to maneuver comfortably in a tight group situation when racing. For all, the group support helps develop the confidence to challenge yourself to run farther and/or faster.
However, if you are using a training plan with specific distances and paces for various types of workouts, it can be a challenge to reconcile the group’s goals with your individual ones. Here are two suggestions:
- Agree within the group to stay together for a number of miles at a pace that all can handle, but also agree on a point in the run where each runner is encouraged to break from the group to meet his/her training needs. For example, run together the first 7-8 miles, then each can continue for whatever number of miles at whatever pace he/she requires.
- Contact other club members whose target race pace is close to yours, regardless of whether their goal is a half or a full marathon. Then plan to run together once or twice a week. Feel
And of course, feel free to be somewhat flexible in your specific distance or pace to take advantage of the benefits derived from running with a group.