A couple of events that happened led to me not being able to attend the Glasgow Triathlon club on Thursday. These included a 12-day trial of a cheap private gym, being ill for a month, Christmas, and New Year’s. I feared being left out in the sessions and so, I gathered some courage and joined a group run. That’s when I realised how beneficial group running is.

Group running involves running with a group and training together. These groups have coaches who voluntarily come to train you and impart their knowledge about the sport. Following are some of the benefits of group running that will surely encourage you to join a group.

 

Benefits of Running in Groups

All-Inclusive

The best thing about group runs is that it is open to all- people with varying levels of fitness, running skills, age, gender, etc. If you are new to running, then you can start your journey with such groups without any hesitation or insecurity of being judged, etc.

Building Friendships

 As already stated, group running involves a group of people and thus, is a great place to build friendships and widen your social circle. You meet different people in different sessions and bond with them. Thereafter, warming up while catching up on life and gossip becomes the norm and you have hearty laughs with them every time you meet them. It also makes the entire run more enjoyable.

Pushing Yourself

Running in groups helps you push your limits and get better with your performance. The aim to stay ahead or catch up with everyone else in each progressive session yields better and faster results in your running. Therefore join a group as soon as you can get along on the path of self-nurturing.

Focus and Direction

If I am left to run alone, I am most probably going to skip the warm-up and trace my favourite route. But in groups, one gets more focus and direction towards pushing themselves.  Moreover, you are less likely to cheat in group runs. The club also has amazing coaches to guide and train you. I was introduced to Clever Jo’s warm-up exercises last night and they primarily focused on improving our position while running. He says that how we run greatly impacts our performance, speed, and energy levels. Then Major Tommy took over for the rest of the session.

Building Confidence and Self-Esteem

After my session last night, a few women came up to me and complimented my running style. They even compared me with The Mighty Vickster, who by the way is a really good tri club athlete. It made me feel really good about myself and boosted my confidence. So, such kinds of interactions help you with gaining confidence and self-esteem.

 

Belongingness

Running in a group makes you feel like you are a part of something- a community that shares this common interest of running and uplifts each other. It is more than just warming up and exercising. You become a family and form a circle where everyone cares and looks out for each other.

Hence, you can see how wonderful it is to engage in group running. It motivates you to look forward to meeting your friends and running reps with them. Along with that, your physique stays fit and healthy which in turn, keeps you happy and content.