12

Easier Running With Others? (Read 686 times)

Better I Leave


    Is it just me or does it seem easier to run if one is in a group? For some reason I find it much easier to run if I'm involved in a event and I'm surrounded by other runners. When I'm running alone it sometimes can seem rather tedious. For example, if I'm running a 10K sponsored event and I'm with a few hundred others, I'll find it easier to run those six miles than if I was running them after work on the weekday alone. Does anyone else experience this?

      I enjoy running alone and in groups, but I find that my easy pace is faster when I run with others. I think it's a combination of being distracted and that the group is helping me pace myself correctly.

      5k - 25:15 (11/18/12)

      10k - 1:01:51 (2/14/15)

      10mi - 1:33:18 (3/2/14)

      HM - 2:06:12 (3/24/13)

       

      Upcoming Races:

      Benched until further notice. :/

       

      Everything you need is already inside. [[Bill Bowerman]]

        Depends on the group. Sometimes it is great to run with others. Sometimes I really enjoy running with my thoughts. Vive la différence!

         

        mta: Really crowded events can be a little frustrating.

        Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!


        sugnim

          I find it easier to run alone.  I usually don't like group running, but I do it sometimes to be a little social & to get used to the herd feeling in preparation for races.  My preferred way to run is alone on trails.  Well, I generally take my dog, but she doesn't talk much.

           

          When you say 10k sponsored event, do you mean a race?  Races are never easier for me.  They completely kick my ass.

          Better I Leave


            When you say 10k sponsored event, do you mean a race?  Races are never easier for me.  They completely kick my ass.

             

            Yeah, a race. I call them "events" because I don't "race" per se other than I challenge myself. I'll never be one of those runners "out front", ya know? My last 10K was very pleasant. I came in with a good time (for me that is), and I felt strong the whole way through. There were ~180 participants and I really enjoyed the crowd and the venue. It really seemed to motivate me.

             

            I suppose I can see how HUGE crowds can be bothersome. My very first half was the 2011 Oakland half and I was but one runner in a crowd of 5000. But even then, the runners and the crowd cheering us on kept me going when my knees were telling me to quit. It seemed like it was 5 minutes before I even crossed the start line once we began the run. LOL!

              Running in a race always feels like unholy hell to me, but that's a function of effort.

               

              Group runs always feel harder to me than running solo.  I can't just get lost in my own head the same way that I do when running alone, even though I really enjoy being social with the running group.

               

              That said, I run with friends/a group just about every weekend.  It helps me get on new running routes that I wouldn't otherwise, makes me more likely to do long runs, and often helps me rein myself in on the long runs in terms of pace...unless I decided to be an idiot for the finish like I did today.

              "When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." 
              Emil Zatopek


              A Saucy Wench

                I dont know if easier is always the right word.

                 

                For training runs, yes, I find myself often suddenly feeling done after I split from my training partners even though a few minutes before I had oodles of energy.  Mostly that is true when I am struggling with motivation. Plus I do 95% of my running at 5:30 a.m. and it is much easier to START if you know there are other people out there in the dark waiting for you.

                 

                For racing, easier isnt exactly the word, but I have tried to time trial solo rather than shelling out for an event when i just need a pace check and I cant do it.  I can not "bring it " without the hoopla.

                 

                I hate crowded events, but I like to be able to see a few people here and there on the race.

                I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                 

                "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

                MrNamtor


                  I don't like running with other people because they always want to talk. I don't like to talk while running.

                    Depends on the group. Sometimes it is great to run with others. Sometimes I really enjoy running with my thoughts. Vive la différence!

                     

                     

                     

                    This is me too. I've had friends try to pace me to a PR and it just doesn't work for me, pace groups are also iffy, but I ran a half in November with a great pace group...one of the pacers was amazing. Encouraging without being annoying or pushy or making me want to punch her in the face.

                    scappodaqui


                    rather be sprinting

                      I get tense and nervous and feel like running is harder than it is when I go on easy runs with others... it's easier to push myself when I'm alone and I don't get self-conscious about my moments of weakness/tiredness.

                       

                      Same goes for racing.  I'm a TERRIBLE mid- or back-of-packer.  I get so demoralized seeing people in front of me.  I like to run from the front.  Hence, perhaps, my tendency to go out too fast.

                       

                      This has bitten me back when it comes to practices, though.  I tend to race so I can be in front of the pack even just doing reps.  Then I burn out.  I'm working to fix this and run at my own pace.

                      PRs: 5k 19:25, mile 5:38, HM 1:30:56

                      Lifting PRs: bench press 125lb, back squat 205 lb, deadlift 245lb

                        The couple times I've run with others in non-race situations, their easy pace is my tempo / sub-LT pace. It's also hard if we're running on one of the wider trails that isn't quite wide enough for two, but we try to run side by side.

                         

                        I do better running alone where I can plan and do my own workout.

                        "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog


                        Why is it sideways?

                          It's not always easier, but with the right training partners it's more fun.

                          Slo


                            I'm a half stepper...people usually don't like to run with me.

                             

                            I'm also a commuter racer. I can't stand to have another bike in front of me.

                            Christirei


                              I have two running partners that I love running with! One friend is just a bit faster than me, so when I run with her she keeps me at a good tempo pace for me while she is running at a lower effort for herself. She talks to me and I enjoy it. I also have a friend that runs just a bit slower than my easy pace, so we do our long runs together. She keeps me from going out to fast and burning out on my long runs. We only get to talk on our long runs, so we catch up and generally have a great time. The conversation definitely helps the time go by and since we have been running together for years we can help each other out when one of us is feeling like quitting for the day. On the other hand, I also enjoy my solo runs, either to get in some good thinking time, just quiet time, or when I do intervals to focus on what I need to work on. I always race alone...I'm not nice when I'm racing, but I do appreciate crowd support!


                              Resident Historian

                                For me, long runs at a conversational pace are way better in a group.  The miles just roll up without my really noticing, there's usually interesting things to talk about, and the group will help keep the pace at the right level.

                                 

                                Easier or shorter runs, not so much.  Tempos, it's hard to find someone at the right pace.  I love doing track workouts with a group, even if there's nobody at exactly my pace.  The group gets me back out there on the next interval to follow the plan, we suffer together, and can w/u or c/d as a group.

                                 

                                Love having runners around when racing.  I've become fairly good at placing myself so I can get to my desired pace quickly, although there are some races I won't do because they don't have a good lineup/corral system.  I'll occasionally say a few words to someone at my pace, although it will be very short.  I like to get into a group going into a headwind.  Then late in the race, if it's going well, I'll pick people ahead to catch and pass, then another...

                                 

                                Jeff, Big grin for "Lord of the Sidewalks"

                                Neil

                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                “Some people will tell you that slow is good – but I'm here to tell you that fast is better. I've always believed this, in spite of the trouble it's caused me. - Hunter S. Thompson

                                12