Quick Tip-Forgo the Group and Go Running Solo
In last week’s quick tip, I talked about some of the etiquette of running as a part of a group.
While I really do enjoy running with others, running solo provides some unique challenges and benefits so I would definitely encourage everyone to run by themselves from time to time.
Running Solo Can Be a Good Thing
In most races, especially the smaller ones, you are going to find yourself in a hole with no other runners at some point. And it can be really difficult to maintain your pace when you’re by yourself and don’t have anyone to help pull/push you along.
There can also be times, no matter how awesome your group is, that you’re going to have to be running solo for some of your training runs.
Maybe your child is sick, so you’re unable to make the early morning run but do have a chance to squeeze in a run in the evening.
Or maybe you’re on vacation, and you’d like to take a running tour of the area that you’re currently visiting.
Or maybe you just really want to catch up on some back episodes of the Diz Runs With podcast, and you’d rather listen to the show while running by yourself so you can enjoy the company of others while you’re running with friends.
Whatever the Reason, Here are a Few Things to Keep in Mind When Running Solo
- Be Aware of Your Surroundings: You don’t want to get lost, obviously. But also (and especially for the ladies) just looking like you’re paying attention and being aware of what’s going on around you is a good thing.
- Lower the Volume: I listen to podcasts when running solo, but always make sure I can hear what’s going on around me as well. I can hear if a car is approaching from behind. I can hear if someone calls out to me. It would be too hypocritical of me to tell you to not run with headphones, but if you’re like me and are wearing headphones while you run make sure you can still hear the environment around you.
- Let Others Know Where You’re Going: I suck at this one! So this is definitely a do as I say, not as I do type of tip, but letting someone know where you’re going and how long you should be gone is important in case something happens to you, heaven forbid.
Are there reasons that running by yourself can actually be beneficial to you as a runner? You bet there is! Make sure you hit play below, where I’ll talk about some of the benefits of running solo.