How was your Saturday morning long run this week? Mine was ROUGH…felt like running through a sauna, though I was still able to make it through 8 miles. Congrats to those of you who weathered the 70%+ humidity, as your hard work will be rewarded when the weather returns to the 60s this Fall and your runs feel much easier!
For this week’s #RunWithRadio1045Johnny Blog, we focus on Running Clubs. If you are already a member of a running club, you know how they can help you run farther, faster and have more fun doing it! Here’s how:
SCHEDULED RUNS
If you’ve been running for a while, or trying to get in the groove, you know how hard it is to leave the comfort of your couch sometimes. As a member of a running club, you have organized runs on your schedule and psychologically you become more committed to your scheduled run. You won't want to let down your fellow running club members!
TRAINING PLANS AND SPEED WORKOUTS
While some Running clubs, simply meet for group runs (which is great in itself, many groups also provide training plans and meet for weekly long runs, as well as speed workouts. If you’ve eve tried to do speed workouts on your own, you know they are hard to do by yourself…but if you can incorporate them into your training, they really help you run faster.
CAMARADERIE AND SUPPORT
One of the biggest benefits of joining a running club, is that you join a support system, where everyone is encouraging you to reach your goals. From my experience, members of running groups are not competitive with each other, if anything it’s the opposite, with members cheering each other on! I have several friends from my running club, who have dialed back their typical race day pace, just so they could support a fellow team member run their best race.
MAKE NEW FRIENDS!
This goes along with camaraderie and support, but, you are likely to expand your social circle through the friends you make in a running club, as I certainly have. Spending all those Saturday mornings logging in long miles lends itself to great conversations and solidifying friendships beyond the running paths. Running with friends is fun!
ACCESS ACCOMPLISHED RUNNERS AND EXPERTS
Many running clubs are organized by experienced runners, who's members also include experienced runners. Not only can you learn from the experience of your fellow runners, but you can also be inspired to reach your next running goal.
LOOKING FOR A RUNNING CLUB NEAR YOU?
If you’re looking to join a running club, check out one of these resources:
https://www.phillymag.com/be-well-philly/running-groups-philadelphia/
https://www.run215.com/group-runs-master-schedule.html
Thanks to one of my bosses, @RLewisPhilly for introducing me to Ross Martinson, who ‘runs’ Team Philly Race Training, which helps runners of all shapes/sizes/ages/pace levels to train for the Broad Street Run, Philadelphia Half and Full Marathon. Without the support of Team Philly, I don’t believe I would have run a Marathon, let alone 4, with number 5 in the works for November.
Also, fellow Radio 104.5 listeners have shared these:
Some running clubs are simply for ‘fun runs’ and are free, some simply run for beer at the end, while some running clubs charge a fee and provide training plans, as well as T-shirts and support long runs with water stops. Whatever your preference, I’m sure you can find a suitable running group in your area!
Thanks for reading. I will likely skip next week’s post (and Saturday long run) to help my Mom celebrate her birthday, so until this blog returns around 7/21, enjoy your runs and stay hydrated in this heat! And, as always, please Tweet me @Radio1045Johnny any feedback on this article or ideas for future ones!
ARCHIVES
June 9, 2019:Johnny's new running blog ....#RunWithRadio1045Johnny
June 16, 2019:Are you ready to run a Half/Full Marathon?...#RunWithRadio1045Johnny
June 23, 2019:Running Fun Facts! #RunWithRadio1045Johnny
June 30, 2019: Running in the heat and humidity! #RunWithRadio1045Johnny