Marathon Training Runs – Group Style

As marathon season is fast approaching many of us are heading out our doors for long marathon training runs. Like most people, I tend to do most of these runs solo for a couple of reasons: most people are not up for running between 18 and 24 miles on any given weekend and with most of the daylight hours booked up – taking care of my daughters, running in the early morning hours is the only time available.

However, last weekend, I took advantage of a rare opportunity and met a huge group of runners over at Latta Plantation. Many of them were preparing for a fall marathon so we both were looking to knock out a long run on a Sunday morning.

I cannot begin to tell you how much faster the time goes running with a group over doing solo runs. Aside from the commitment that gets me out the door in the first place, being around other people that share a common interest, goal, and an understanding of what it takes to achieve it, makes the experience all the better.

If you are training for a marathon, check the local running clubs for group runs. Definitely, it makes the long runs easier but it doesn't have to be limited to long runs. It could be a tempo workout or track workout or maybe just a recovery day run. For whatever the reason, it seems when runners do things together, the mental and to some extent physically the effort doesn't seem as hard.

 

Thoughts from the cool down run.