Have you ever out run/out lived your running club? (Read 1048 times)

Have you ever felt held back by your running group or partner? Have you every tried to gracefully ditch them and add some more miles to your run? Do you ask them if they want to join you for a few extra miles? Call them a bunch of wooseys and run like Hell? I need to do this on Saturday, and I'm up for some ideas.

Based on your avatar picture, is it possible that you've finally reached puberty and your running partners are still missing the hormonal boost that might let them keep up with you?

I'm feeling that way right now. My regular running partner was injured a few months ago, and she just can't run very far. It's always been our tradition to run together and then get coffee (three times a week). It's hard for me to keep going when she needs to stop after 3 miles! I have to come up with a plan, though, because I'm losing fitness and gaining weight. On the other two days, I'm supposed to run with a newbie. I don't mind that, because it's easier to go farther once she stops. But she keeps cancelling on me at the last minute, which annoys the heck out of me. It's usually for a good reason, because she has little kids, but ack! I think I'm going to have to get selfish, I think, or my training for my HM in October will be in jeopardy. Sorry I'm not much help - tell us what you decide to do!

Have you ever felt held back by your running group or partner? Have you every tried to gracefully ditch them and add some more miles to your run? Do you ask them if they want to join you for a few extra miles? Call them a bunch of wooseys and run like Hell? I need to do this on Saturday, and I'm up for some ideas.

Why not show up early and run the extra miles before? I am generally a loner as I want to train the speed and distance I want to train - I show up occassionally for group runs when I want some social interaction.

So this morning I ran 3 miles by myself, and then another 3 miles with my friend. I wondered how I would feel with a break in the morning, but it went quite well! She noticed that I was running faster than usual with her. I guess the warm-up helped. It didn't seem like 6 miles total.

Our 4 mile Tuesday night runs are run at the pace of the slowest runner. Normally we do about 11:00-11:30 per mile. Our group includes sub 20:00 5K runners. My easy pace is 9:00 to 9:45 per mile. No-one has a problem running that slow. Faster runners may tack 3 or 4 miles on prior to or after the group run. Our coach believes that the ability to run slowly is important, as it teaches us pace discipline. Aimster, I'd like to know your marathon target.

Thanks everyone. I paid about $100 to join this group and train for the marathon. I expected to get more training advice that would lead to improving my running but it didn't happen that way. In essence I'm paying for running friends. Pretty pathetic. My advice to anyone thinking of joining a group, get a clear idea of the training plan and the goals of the other runners before breaking out your checkbook. Oh, I'm heading out the door early to catch some extra miles. I think Wooseys is how it sounds when you are running away from the offending wuss. I don't believe I would every call someone a wuss or a woose without an escape plan. Which makes me an even bigger wuss.

Interesting - My sister lives real close to you and joined a club and gets lots of free advice - Coach even makes up schedules - She really enjoys it. I am not sure what the name of her club is, but when I visit her - I only have to run a mile or so to see a sign for San Diego. Maybe a mile or so from Lake Murray. A bit further from Cowles Mountain.

So 9:45-10:30/mile is your optimal easy pace.

I'd say most of my long runs have been in the neighborhood of 9:30 -10:00/mile. I did run nice and slow this weekend with a member of the team, she is recovering from a hamstring problem, plus it rained. I believe my Garmin had us at a 9:50 average. I've been concentrating on time on my feet and not worrying about pace.