The Benefits to Running with a Group

As you may know, I joined a running group from A Runner's Circle running store about 8 weeks ago. We meet on Thursday nights and run through Griffith Park, here in Los Angeles. The main reason I joined the group was to break up the monotony of training solo...by myself. I figured once a week running with other people would be good for me. Week 1, I went out with 2 people and we ended up doing 7 miles, my longest run at that time. Over the course of the next few weeks, I was running the 5 mile loop and increasing my pace each week. Fast forward to last night...I ran the 5 mile loop in 42:02 (8:30 per mile) without any walk breaks and I didn't feel tired at all. I was able to stay on the heels of one of the faster runners. It was fun coming back to the shop with the lead pack instead of the middle or last pack.

I think running with other people helps keep me motivated and pushes me to the next level. It is a great addition to my normal training.