Hello from Pittsburgh! 2 more days until the DC Half Marathon. I'm sure y'all are sick of hearing about it by now, but I'm waaaay excited since it's my first one ever!
Today I wanted to write about running clubs. I've come across a few I found online in the Austin area, but honestly, I'm a bit intimidated by them. I've never been a huge fan of running with a partner, much less a big group of people, but I've never really even given it a fair shot...so maybe it's about time I try it out.
Running is most commonly known as a solitary sport, so when people decide they want to run in groups, it can seem a bit out of the ordinary. Running can get lonely at times, but it's also great "alone time" to collect your thoughts, relax, and zone out. But, if you're more of a social person and are looking for that in a workout, running clubs might be a good fit.
Here are a few benefits of running clubs:
-Safer - Saftey in numbers, people.
-Conversation - If you want to stay at a relaxed pace and have a full on conversation, more power to you. However, I prefer no talking when I'm in the zone.
-Increased Motivation - find someone to push you and make you get up early for that 5 mile run!
-Better Performance (sometimes) - This depends on what you're looking for in the running club. If you want to be pushed, then yes, they can affect your performance. If you're in it more for the social aspect, then your performance may not change.
-Meet new people and expand your social circle
-Learn new routes
-Pass the time quicker
-Gain advice and learn from others who may be more experienced than you - such as nutrition, injury prevention, race preparation, gears and shoes recommendations, etc.
-Belong to a group - they usually send out newsletters, have get together's (Happy Hour, anyone?), meetings, discounts on races and gear, etc.
-Bring out your competitive side- no one wants to be last in the group!
You can find a running club in your area here. I'm definitely going to check one out after I get back to Texas in a few weeks.
I'll be hitting 200 miles on Mile 10 of the Marathon on Saturday! Woot!
3/14/2013: Miles run - 190 of 1000. Miles remaining - 810 of 1000
Wow hitting 200 during the race? That's exciting!! You should do a little dance celebration when you get there, ha! Let us know how the running club thing goes if you decide to join - I've always been too nervous to join a running club full of complete strangers.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely recommend checking out Austin Runners Club. It's very affordable (~$30 a year), they put on 3 group runs per week, and offer discounts for local running stores + races!
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