“The best way to relieve stress is not yoga or meditation – although those can be wonderful – but human contact. We need each other.”

Maia Szalavitz, The Sun Magazine

Although running is a wonderful activity to do solo, because it is a great way to problem solve, meditate, and reflect on life, running with your friends can be fulfilling, fun, and make those miles pass by quickly. To me, running with fun and interesting friends has been especially valuable during the long runs, as well as when doing trail running. The chatting, the laughter, the multiple perspectives on life and running have made me look forward to my runs with my amazing friends and training partners.

10 REASONS RUNNING WITH FRIENDS IS MORE FUN, INTERESTING, AND CHALLENGING

 

1. Running is a social experience and making new friends who love running as much as we do makes running much more enjoyable.
2. Running is simply more fun when doing it with your running buddy/training partner, or doing it with a big group.

   

   3. Running with a good like-minded friend can make you step outside your comfort zone, such as adding push-ups after your runs, or doing squats and lunges at the bottom of a hill. My friend Cheri, who teaches an awesome core class at Cal Fit, inspires me to get those push-ups done.

4. We all have a love-hate relationship with speed workouts on the track, but doing it together as a group makes it so much fun and challenging. Being on the Fleet feet Sacramento racing team, I get to train with the team on Tuesdays for our track workouts and long runs during the weekend. When I see my team mates run strong, I am motivated to run strong myself.

5. Running with others is beneficial to our emotional well-being, as we can talk about our successes and injuries to people who might have similar experiences and can be supportive of our journeys. The key, however, is balance, as we do not want to bring everyone down with our injuries. Instead, we want to find ways to be positive and encouraging of our running partners.

6. Trail running is the best to run with others for various reasons: company, support, strength in numbers in case a bear or mountain lion cross our paths, and the fun of being together in nature.

7. Running with others gives us a different perspective on life, as talking about our ideas, problems, and challenges with our friends can bring solutions and answers that we could not have found on our own.

8. Running and training with a group, such as my racing team,  can infuse more meaning and purpose into your life, as well as unveil  life’s pure joys. 

9. Running with others makes us more accountable, which is paramount to our success in life and sports.

10. Running with others brings the concept of togetherness to a new level and makes us happy, content, and physically and mentally healthy.

And when in doubt of whether to run or not to run, simply reach out to your friends who will help you stay on track. Also remember: running is a two-way street, which means that  your friends are there for you and you will in turn be there for them. All for one and one for all – my favorite musketeer mantra.

“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other? “ George Eliot, Middlemarch

For more info on running and real estate, whether buying or selling, please e-mail me at carmenmicsa@yahoo.com, or call me at 916-342-2446. Running for real estate with joy!