Bit of a loner!

[JoolieB1]

Met a great runner today, he was running to parkrun! Dedication or what? As we ran along, he asked if I had thought about joining a running club. Maybe I am strange, but for me running is a solo activity. I spend all week at work listening to people and for me, running is pure selfishness - love my own company. Sometimes I think about something but very often my mind is empty and it is pure relaxation. I think we all have differing needs and I think groups or running with a friend, would be lovely but I am happy being a loner!!

[Maddee_6333 Graduate]

Heee! I spend most of my time alone (except for animals or grandsprockets) so running with a group really works for me.

[Elissy]

I think I can understand that 😊

I work with autistic children all week, come home to my own teenagers, and when I go out I love just being me on my own with my own thoughts and clearing my head of the day 😊

I was asked to join the local c25k running club but had to decline as I just couldn't imagine running with other people at the moment. Maybe the time will come?

[JoolieB1 Graduate in reply to Elissy]

If I met someone I could run with, that would be lovely but I think I am stubborn and like to run how, where and when I like, keeps it interesting too. Looking forward to running in the countryside soon, muddy shoes here I come

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

I feel the same... I love my own company.. except for the chums I take with me from the forum..

I take it all in quietly, sing to myself, make up poems and rhymes and songs... let my thoughts roam..

I think this is why Park run scares me.. But.. I intend to try it at least once...! And. it is the one occasion when I wish I dis have someone to run with for that one time!

[MotherPip Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

I find.parkrun hard ..Feel quite anxious and can hardly breathe at the start...It's like I forget how much I am capable of through C25K.... I'm lucky if I can run 2 mins before I have to stop and walk...After about 2.5 k I'm ready to quit but the support carries me on. Then I relax a little and it's good to finish and there's always a few who wait.. moving onto volunteering next and doing that will be nerve wracking too but I have told myself I must and the more I do it the easier it will get , hopefully.

[runswithdogs Graduate in reply to MotherPip]

Volunteering is great, though I imagine the challenges increase with bigger Parkruns. Which role are you going to try? I absolutely love tailrunner, and I thought barcode scanning the one time I tried it was pretty neat as well.

[MotherPip Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

Marshal. Mr Pip is on the injury couch and had Marshalled twice and should have been scanning today had it not been cancelled. Might try some others as I get braver

[agedsnailspace Graduate in reply to MotherPip]

Have you ever thought about giving yourself a break and just starting right at the back and not worry about a time? Maybe even start with a short walk to let the speedsters clear out of the way, then you can start running when it's much clearer. parkrun is at it's best when you can take the pressure off and really treat it as just a run in the park rather than a race. Volunteering as tail runner definitely could be worth a try!

[MotherPip Graduate in reply to agedsnailspace]

I do deliberately start at the back as well aware of my slowness (I should have your name) and I don't want to hold up the competitive ones...

I don't really worry about the time as such... I just thought I might have beaten my first one...As it was when I checked up on my times I was only 13 seconds slower.

I don't feel confident enough myself to do the tailrunner job yet. One day maybe. 🏃🏃🏃

[runswithdogs Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

The funny thing is Parkrun and races I still run alone. But surrounded by other bodies. It's the coolest feeling. Like you're one of the herd. Everyone moving at their own speed, with their own goals. I can marvel at those that zip past me and finish in no time at all. I can cheer on others after I've crossed the finish line. And I can run/walk the course however I feel like. But it's like you're part of something bigger. I'm an overly sentimental sort, but it often brings a tear to my eye.

[JoolieB1 Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

So happy you gain so much from events, good for you 😀

[Neverrunmum Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

You should definitely give park run a go, it's really fun. I wish I'd done it long ago but I wAited until long after I'd completed C25K.

Volunteering at Park Run is fun too.

[misswobble Graduate]

Parkrun is good Floss, you should do it 🙂 You can do it as little or often as you like. There is no pressure to commit.

[MotherPip Graduate]

We have a parkrunnerin his 60s who I saw last week did the parkrun as part of a 30k run 😯😯😯

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

Running with a suitable running partner does have benefits - which I won't go into here and/or now. BUT - my problem is that I cannot find anybody suitable to run with. Seems to me there are many requirements to the match - personality, purpose (of running) , pace and distance. If any of these requirements don't match, then the running match doesn't work. Although I am a "slow" runner - I often slow down even more to run with people slower than me - but commonly find that not only are they slower than me but their endurance is also not as good as me hence they cannot go the distance at that slow (for me) pace. Some do not have the personality that enjoys talking to others while running (some do not understand how good this is for us when training - running at a fully conversational pace!) etc- etc. So I mostly run alone - even when part of a crowd!

[stevy in reply to Bazza1234]

I to do not mind running alone,but I agree to having someone torun with,although ito find it especially as I,m tall .

[PippiRuns]

I thought I was a solo runner too. Until I joined a running club. Now I run both solo and social. There are perks to both. Why not get the best of both worlds?

[JoolieB1 Graduate in reply to PippiRuns]

I tried 2 running clubs when I graduated and paying to run somewhere I don't want to go seems a little frustrating. For example, running on an athletics track in the pitch black endlessly repeating circuits to improve my time? I could go and run in the woods and have a running adventure free when I want to go. Also, on the following week, they planned to do repeated hill runs to improve stamina and speed (basically running up the steep car park)? Another club I went to, they just took off on a route I was unfamiliar with and I had to keep up or I would have got lost, so much so, I ran way too fast on a downhill and my knee was sore for days. My experience is not helpful maybe but these are all real running club tries, I went in hopeful it could be great. This is why I run alone, I can make sure I run safely and make it varied, interesting and suiting my own individual goals

[PippiRuns in reply to JoolieB1]

Sounds like I'm very lucky to have found a club with all friendly members, amazing trainers and a choice between many different levels that suit almost any need in terms of pace, distance and purpose of running.

[Shazjj67 Graduate]

I'm totally with you on this - as a nurse I spend my whole week talking to people and running solo gives me precious time alone to listen to music and clear my head. I've done a few parkruns but much prefer my own running company!

[JoolieB1 Graduate in reply to Shazjj67]

Maybe if I had a different job or I was looking for company, it would be different but I like some me time too

[Redbillie21 Graduate]

Yes! That's me too. I love the "me-time" when I'm running. It's total selfishness and I don't care!

[skysue16 Graduate]

Interesting discussion......I run alone, mainly because there are not many folk around here to run with, well not at the random times that I run (the weather often means plans have to change). I would also worry about my pace because I find that every run is very different depending on how I am feeling, but I do like time alone as well. In the two races that I have done I ran alone but surrounded by others, the competitive spirit in me did help though! I understand that there would be benefits of running regularly with others.

[Ifomsky Graduate]

Same here JoolieB1. I like running on my own with my thoughts and motivations, although it does spur me on if I see another running going past but I like the lone way

[Nobbywatts Graduate]

I often run with my hubby but to be fair he's much faster than me so after about the first 5 minutes I'm basically on my own anyway! I quite like the solitude of running on my own also and will do my own thing at the weekend when he's playing golf. I think if you have a busy job crammed full of people needing your attention (as so many of us do), whatever your exercise of choice it is so nice just to have that quality me-time. Having said that, years ago I used to run with a girlfriend and we used the time to catch up on all sorts of gossip ... But I'm not sure I could run and talk at the same time now!

[loisamelia Graduate]

I always run on my own. For me it's freedom, to get up and go when I want. where I want. I can't imagine having to wait or fit in with someone else. Sometimes I go out really early, esp if its a work day. I do see loads of runners up and down my road and there is a running club at the sports centre just round the corner who go out in the evenings, but I'm not an evening runner really so that doesn't work for me.

Having said that, I do want to try parkrun sometime

[newrunner56 Graduate]

I love just being me, turning off when I want to, and doing what I want... that makes me sound selfish, but I work, have a very busy life, and I love my 'me' time.

And I notice other solo runners acknowledge me, but those running in pairs ignore me.....

[Neverrunmum Graduate]

Park Run is fab - running with other people of all abilities, shapes and sizes any you don't have to be a club member. I always run on my own, except for park runs. I volunteer at park run occasionally too - it's very inspiring.

Give it a go, you might surprise yourself.