Running News Daily

Five reasons to find a running buddy, running with a friend or a group could be the key to hitting your next PB

Running can be a solitary pursuit, but just because you’re going to be running solo on race day doesn’t mean you have to train all by yourself. A great way to make running more enjoyable is to find yourself a running buddy or a running group. There are plenty of ways that a training buddy or group can help you improve as a runner. So lace up, convince your best friend to become a runner and check out these five reasons to get a running buddy.

1.- Accountability

A huge bonus of having training partners is the accountability they’ll give you. It’s far too easy to skip workouts when you’re running on your own, and even the most committed of runners are occasionally guilty of turning off the morning alarm and rolling over for more sleep. If you know that your friend or a group of friends are expecting you for a long run or workout, you’ll feel obligated to get out of bed, regardless of how tired you may feel (and you’ll be glad you did!). It may be a tad annoying on mornings when all you want to do is hit the snooze button and skip your workout, it will ultimately add up to you becoming a better runner.

2.- Motivation

You can talk to yourself all you want, but there’s really nothing like someone else by your side encouraging you to keep going. On days when you’re not feeling the strongest or you’re running slower than you know you can, your training partner will be there to cheer you and inspire you to dig just a little deeper. Plus, they’ll be going through pretty much the same pain that you are, and if you see them being able to put up with it, you’ll know you can, too.

3.- Competition

We’re not going to recommend that you turn every training session into a race, but every now and then that’s going to happen, whether you intend it or not. As a runner, you’re probably competitive by nature, and even if you don’t actively decide to race, every now and then you’ll find yourself pushing a little harder to match or surpass your running buddy’s pace (and odds are they’re going to do the same with you). Why not turn this into a fun competition? On speed days, see who’s got the most in the tank. It won’t make the workouts easy, but it certainly will make the time go by quicker.

4.- Distraction

Speaking of the time flying by, running with other people is a great way to make an hour feel like 30 minutes or less. You and your running buddy are going to be chatting about all aspects of life, and before you know it, you’ll be done for the day. This definitely beats running on your own and watching the minutes drag by.

5.- Racing buddy

We know that you won’t necessarily run right by your training partner’s side on race day, but you can enter the same events. Sometimes it’s easy to hem and haw about which races you should sign up for, but with a running buddy who’s also looking to compete, you’ll have someone to help you pick. Not only that, but you’ll also have someone to drive with to the race and (perhaps most importantly) someone to celebrate with after you both cross the finish line.