IcantbelieveJanuaryisalmostover!!!
Seems like only last week we were celebrating Christmas and New Year's... and suddenly it's the end of January! It might partly have something to do with being sick (second time in two months!!), this time with sinus/chest cold-- it really knocked me out for a good week, with lingering after effects for another week and a half. But feeling much better now.
So what have I been up to, you ask? Went snowboarding twice in very, very cold weather on the first and the third-- fun times. Have been doing a lot of hot yoga, and running. Haven't been spinning, because the spin trainer was seizing up on me, so I took it in for warranty, and it wasn't resolved until yesterday (more in another post...) Went swimming once, then again today (finally!). And I was asked to take over as one of the pacers for my running group-- which I agreed to do, but it's changed my runs.
Don't get me wrong, I love to help people. But we don't really have a solid "pace group" really established, as there are two clinics that have overlapped-- one is doing the Hypo Half on February 12, the other the Big Run in April. So my old pace group is sort of the "veterans", most have done more than once clinic, or have been running forever. Our long runs have been 18km the last two weekends, and we're scheduled to do 20km this weekend. On the other hand, the new group is doing 9km long run on Sunday. It will sort itself out in a week or two, I'm just more concerned with how spread out everyone is-- there are three or four of the people in the new clinic that could probably form a bit more of a pacegroup, but they all seem to run just slightly different speeds on different days...
Why am I worried about this?
Because to me, the best things about these clinics is the group. Let's face it, although we have talks once a week about gear, or physiology, or technique, or race strategy, or goal setting... it's not like you're running with a coach. You don't really get any direct feedback on your stride, or technique, you get a workout plan, and people to help you get through the workouts. I want to make sure that everybody in the clinic has someone to run with, no matter their pace!
On the other hand, maybe some people in the group like to run alone... but then, why would they sign up for a group?
What do you think? Are you a solo runner? Do you run in a group? If you run with a group, do you like to chat, or prefer to just run, or listen to your music?
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This week's training:
1 hr Hot Yoga on Monday
4.5 km Tempo run on Tuesday (26:40)
4.5 km Steady run on Wednesday (26:30) (I know, steady is supposed to be slower than tempo... )
1500m in the pool this morning - 5x100 w/u, 500m main set, 5x100m cooldown
I am a solo runner. Even if I should start out in a group, like for Sunday spin class, I quickly end up running alone. No music, but there is chat. I sometimes talk to myself. In a group, for the short time that lasts, there is no chat as I'm likely breathing to hard keeping up, to chat.
ReplyDeleteGlad I only caught that cold once, thanks for passing it on to me...
ReplyDeleteI am 95% solo on my runs and always listen to music. The other 5% when I am with others I do not listen to music and do talk. I geuss some people don't need that social aspect, despite running in a group environment. I do remember being out for a run with a couple of friends who were both much faster runners than me. Funny how most of my "talking" was one word sentences ;) . If I had my ipod with me I think I would have turned it on enjoyed the ride.
ReplyDeleteI started out as being entirely a solo runner, but once I started running with other people, I found I loved it. I still do a lot of runs solo, and love them. I think I need that time to myself. Having said that, if I went with a group, it would be because I wanted to run with others for that run.
ReplyDeleteI never listen to music when I run with others. I usually only listen to it when I am running solo at the track. When I'm outside, I don't find I need it.