Like most people who take up running, I starting running by myself. There were two good reasons for this. First, I prefer to run early in the morning - around 5:00am, when most normal people are still in bed. Second, I was self conscious about my running and afraid that I could not keep pace with other runners or that they would have to slow their pace to accommodate me. While these are both valid concerns, I have found that running with a group is a great experience.
By last December, I had developed some confidence in my running skills and chanced upon a running group that had been formed in my area. My wife and I attended a Christmas party and another guest suggested I check out the group. I got up the next morning for my normal run and decided to investigate. As it turned out, they had a group run scheduled for that morning. With a bit of apprehension, I signed up and showed up at the run all in the space of an hour. The group included runners of all levels and had a policy that "no runner is left behind." Since that time, I have participated in many group runs, including training runs for my 14K and half marathons.
While I like the occasional solo run, I enjoy running with a group. I find that I am more motivated and better able to increase my pace. It's also nice to find other runners that you can buddy up with for races. If you have not tried a group run, do yourself a favor and find a group or just pair up with some friends that run. I think that you will find that social running makes the sport all the more enjoyable.
If you are in the Hampton Roads area, check out Cornerstone Striders in Suffolk or Tidewater Striders in Norfolk.
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