Chatting the Miles Away
It’s been a month since I moved and am settling into my new home quite nicely. Being the social runner that I am, I was worried I would not have anyone to run with. I am happy to report however, that my social running calendar is completely booked!
I love getting to know people while running and it has been a blast exploring the trails with those who actually know where they are going. Chatting the miles away certainly helps get me through the toughest of runs. Sometimes not even talking at all but knowing friends are out there running alongside is still very comforting.
Yes, I prefer running in a pack. And, pun intended, I am not alone. Fellow Ambassadors Elise and Meg like running with friends. With busy schedules, it allows them to not only get their runs in but catch up with fellow runners. Ambassador Albert likes having people to run with for accountability purposes, especially on a cold and rainy morning where it is harder to get out of that warm cozy bed of his. Ambassador Keith enjoys running with thousands of his closest friends at races.
I also enjoy running with my fiancé even if I am inhaling his dust. He is much faster than I. On occasion, he will even slow down to my pace and together we will explore the trails, snapping pictures and laughing the miles away. It doesn’t happen often as we both have our own personal goals we would like to achieve, but when we do run together, I certainly cherish those moments. As does Ambassador Josephine and Ambassador Emily with their other running halves. Ambassador Holly also enjoys running with her husband who are both very social and enjoy meeting up with run groups when they travel. Ambassador David will run with his wife on Saturday mornings. They start together and make sure to time it accordingly to finish around the same time as they do run at different paces. San Francisco Marathon’s very own Erin, used to be a solo running girl until she started running with her SFM wifey; Marketing Director Jojo. And now Erin prefers running with people as she feels it is a great social outlet. It’s a good thing too as Erin oversees the Run365 training groups. Quite opposite of myself, Ambassador Laura does not enjoy running with her significant other as it can get competitive.
And then there are those who prefer to run alone. Ambassador Christopher runs by himself on his tempo, speed, and interval training. Opposite of Christopher, Ambassador Chris enjoys recovery runs by his lonesome. He also runs with others 99 percent of the time. Ambassador Westley, Charlene, Bruce, and Daniela feel that running alone helps them to stay focused on their goals without having to be concerned with other peoples paces. Ambassador Heather runs alone only because she has yet to find anyone that runs her pace. Ambassador Krissy could go either way stating that there is a time and place for all sorts of running in her world.
Yes, we runners certainly come in a variety of stripes. The solitude of striding and left with your own thoughts to occupy your time, or the camaraderie of company as you chat the miles away. There is no wrong or right really. Whatever our preference is, one thing is for certain; We all love to run!