Communal Running
Communal running brings us back to our most basic nature, a “pack” of humans; migrating together. Have you ever gone on a family car trip? When I think back, the time in the car actually traveling was usually some of the most interpersonal that I would experience with my family. A similar thing occurs when you are running in a group. You get close to other people; as close as you are comfortable with. This rewards you in other aspects of your life. If you’re shy, you become more comfortable talking to others. If you’re talkative, you love communal running already! If you don’t want to hear it, you can drift ahead or behind the pack. You will meet people with similar interests, different experiences; in some cases you socialize with them in other parts of your life. Communal running can open you up to living in a different way.
There is obviously quite not the same “me time” as in solo running, though you do get it in very small doses. You will experience “we time” in larger doses and frankly much more frequently. This is a bit like the good old “family car trip”, but a lot more fun. People talk, hum, whistle, listen to songs, stay quiet, run with the crowd, run apart from the crowd, listen to the rules, occasionally ignore the rules, basically whatever makes them happy just being THEM. They leave every run with a giant smile on their face; and the energy and positive spirit that is needed to get through the following week.
“We time” can help people that struggle with changing on their own. They can borrow the experiences of others to get a fixation on where (and why) their perspective should change. Through repetitive enforcement, they eventually train themselves to change that perspective and the relationship improves. They become more like their new friend, adopting the trait. Kind of like a Borg from Star Trek will “assimilate” others, but you are doing it in a good way to help out a new friend and become more like them.
Be patient with yourself. It’s tough when you are going through big internal and external changes. You will be a baby at times, and you’ll be so caught up with some other aspect of your personal development that you might not see it. In some cases, you could literally be causing more pain for yourself one second and complaining about it the next. This is a “stress machine”, and a quick way to try to pull you out of your favorite physical activity. Friends can help you recognize these stress machines, which gives you a shot at deprogramming them. Be open with your group, and be respectful enough to truly listen to what you hear back from your peers. If you hear something that upsets you, there’s probably a big chuck of truth in it.
People also share emotional energy. Ever have an energetic friend; someone that made you bounce off the walls just being around them? The company and companionship of others is not only a wonderful tool when taking on change, it’s a wonderful tool for altering your mood, point of view, or just simply creating more joy in your life. People lead to paths, paths that you should really check out and think about taking a run, or a run/walk/run, down.
Solo Running
One of the biggest factors when you are solo running is trust. You are your own safety net, so trust is a constant issue. In communal running, you have the shared power, experience, and knowledge of the group. There is usually an experienced leader, if not several. If you are someone that is prone to grossly underestimating your skills, a group will naturally pull you forward to your “proper” performance level. If you regularly over exert, the group will naturally pull you back. They work organically. They are very dynamic. They can change as needed or is comfortable, naturally. The awesome thing about running is that you get to make it whatever you want it to be.
Solo running, from a competitive standpoint, is comparable to golf. This is a game of you vs. you. You have to plan right. You have to be willing to change that plan, AND you have to execute in all cases. Failing is not an option. If you think it is, you have some fear to face and work with. Don’t be afraid.. that’s exactly what training is for. Every run is a chance to learn about yourself and improve. Even on race day, you will occasionally be in for a “lesson run” as opposed to a good race run. Take the lessons wherever you can get them happily. Those lessons are leading you to becoming a better and happier runner. There is always another run, always another race; even if you HAVE to do the same race, there is always next year. Running teaches you about second chances, and third chances, fourth, so on and so on. Once you learn this lesson, you will realize that nothing, ever, has to stop you.
Solo running can provide any “me time” you may desire. Do you want to feel like Rocky for a run, or maybe indulge in your favorite Britney Spears album? No problem! You can also use this time as your “personal church”; working to bring clarity and peace into your time on the road. When you find calmness, joy, and patience during the act of running, you will see a change in yourself that you never thought possible. A new confidence will grow from within, and new doors will open for you. You might hear that you seem more positive. Once people see that you’ve figured out how to be successful, they will gravitate to you and whatever is important in your life will come easier. You find new channels of support and encouragement; in some cases you might even jump careers! It has, and will continue to happen for people. Trust it, and watch it happen for you.
You will learn to face adversity alone, or actually with your “self”. You can create your own team out of “you” and your “self”. “You” can be your favorite clown, most inspiring cheerleader, pull all stops athlete.. be the one to entertain and inspire your “self” at ALL opportunities. Your “self” is going to generally be the weaker one, and a LOT more whiny. The more you can make your “self” smile, the better you will feel with each step. It’s your job to inspire your Self at all moments, if you are not doing that right this second, then you are not stepping towards any goals that are truly significant to you. You are standing in one spot, looking up or looking down.. maybe even picking your nose. Running is a LOT more fun, and teaches us that moving forward is truly the only way to go.
Benefits of Each
You might be a person who needs to push yourself competitively, or someone that needs to keep it fluid, gentle, and consistent. Communal running creates a shared space where you are free to do either, try one or the other, and ultimately work on and develop both. This space is where the concerns, hopes and dreams of a GROUP of people are held and worked on together. If Solo running is a mirror, group running is a dance class mirror wall, complete with support beam. Group running is a YOU and US sport, much like baseball. You can go mentally solo and push your inner self, or you can swing back into the group mindset to “borrow” energy and motivation from others. In some cases, the group is just two people feeding energy and motivation between each other, like a tennis ball.
Solo challenges are a unique beast, and yes I do mean beast. The magic of the solo challenge is that if you learn to dance with that beast, you also get the keys to being able to develop yourself personally in other significant ways. Since beginning my running career, I’m a much stronger planner, thinker, worker.. not to say I work any harder. Actually it seems like I’m hardly “working” at things at all. Most aspects of my life seem to “blossom” around me nowadays simply by me taking action on things I enjoy. I’ve also become very good at focusing on one thing at a time, and for extended periods of time. I know that I personally learned THAT from solo running.
When you’re solo running there isn’t much of a safety system. You have to learn your own limits and how to comfortably push them yourself. This is challenging, and can be daunting at times. Once again, this is about learning how to dance with your inner beast, it’s going to take some time. If you rush it, you’re probably going to get hurt.
Your perspective on “things taking time” will change. If you want to be a truly more joyful and happier runner, you’re going to work on tapping into your inner “patience well”. Once you connect to it, you are HOOKED UP, the only trick is that your connection needs to be managed constantly until this becomes natural to you. I know this sounds a little new-age, but trust me it’s there. You need to find the path to it, and keep it connected and flowing.
There are a few very important and useful tips I have for managing your safety when running alone. Always be sure to call someone and let them know your plan. Just make sure it’s a friend that WILL answer their phone. Also, if you’re pushing a serious threshold (18 mile breakdowns anyone?) be sure to have that friend be within REASONABLE driving distance. You can also add to your personal safety and comfort level by choosing areas to run that have a lot of emergency staff naturally, like a beach or youth/community center. Remember that all your limitation pushes must be slow, steady and well planned!
Solo energy management is a skill that you will develop as you continue running. This is the ability to use your body more like a battery, and less like an untied balloon. If you’re going to exert yourself for prolonged periods of time, you are going to have to develop methods for measuring and controlling that exertion. That means your emotional inner state/race as well. Isn’t that why we challenged ourselves to run in the first place? We are challenging ourselves to see if we can concentrate and focus on something for a certain amount of time or distance. We are playing “chicken” with our attention spans, and the prize is ultimately self control.
Everyone was born to be a runner. If you don’t think so, please read my second blog post and check out the picture titled “Courage”. The lessons you learn about yourself whenever you work at improving yourself will reward your life for years to come in ways you cannot fathom. You’ll be able to enjoy this marathon that we are all, willingly or unwillingly, running together in on large group. The marathon of life. See you on the road.
- John Lordan
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“Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
- Bruce Lee
