Benefits of Running with Others
I know this post is going to be controversial in that running is a community and some of my very closest friends are runners with me but that’s not my intention! So don’t worry, I’ll play the other side of the record in a future blog on the benefits of running with others. But for today, I want to talk about running alone…
To be honest, I actually tend to prefer running alone. I spend my entire day with a classroom full of teenagers and then come home to a house full of my puppies and super loving husband. So going out for a run alone is “my time”. It’s probably the only time out of the day where I REALLY get lost in my thoughts (or escape them). For me, running alone is a time to solve the world’s problems or forget any problems exist.
So, here is my list of 7 benefits of running alone:
1. Time to brainstorm the future and forget the past. I’m not an overly creative person, but this is my time!
2. Quietly enjoy God’s beautiful creation all around. If I want to stop to snap a photo of the turtle crossing the road (before rescuing him) I don’t have to ask. Or if I want an awkward sweaty-selfie with the sunset in the background, I can do it without judgment.
3. I don’t have to be competitive. I have a strong competitive side and no matter how hard I try to ignore it, I almost always have a sense of needing to push as hard as I can when someone else is there.
4. My pace is determined by how I’m feeling, not necessarily pressured to slow down or speed up to keep pace with someone else.
5. The distance doesn’t have to be pre-determined. I can go however far I’m feeling and not plan it ahead of time.
6. I don’t have to worry about conversation. For me, I want to be fully present when I’m talking with my girlfriends. I don’t feel like I can give all my attention to them and get a good run in at the same time.
7. Music. I love to listen to all sorts of people that I may not listen to otherwise (moment of truth: my husband creates all my playlists because I never know who to listen to lol).
What are the reasons you enjoy running alone?