Ex-collegiate runner... how do you find runners at your ability to run with?

Same boat. have not come up with a solution. I run alone almost every day. Some suggestions on this thread haven't worked for me:

- local road races ... nobody very fast there, except when people come from out-of-state to win money

- go running, meet random fast runners. worked for me once, but he doesn't live in the area (was just visiting).

- there are a couple clubs in my area with at least one person I could run with, but too far to reasonably commute more than once a week. They mainly meet weekly for workouts, but I'd rather have easy run partners than workout partners. Anyway they also charge yearly fees and you sort of become "part of the team".

If you haven't yet looked up local results for big races of the past few years, perhaps you will find some names who are about your speed. Then you can google them and try to find their email address and get in touch, explain that you're new in town and saw their name in results, blah blah blah. I haven't got up the guts to try this yet, seems slightly creepy but maybe worth it?

This is the first time I've ever seen this happen on the internet. You sir, are the most honest and ethical soul i may ever encounter.

Thank you.

I love you.

Your easy days don't have to also be your running buddy's easy days. Sure, if you want to have a long conversation during an easy 10 miler in 63 minutes and the other guy is running his mile race pace to keep up with you, it ain't gonna work, but I virtually guarantee that you can find a 34-35 minute 10K / 2:55-3:00 marathon type who can accompany you on your easy run while they themselves are doing what for them is a fairly hard but not totally killer run. They'd probably be grateful for the opportunity to run with somebody as fast as you, too.

In my ideal world, this post would turn into a non-creepy way for post-collegiate runners to connect with each other in their respective cities. I'm in a similar situation to the OP--moved to a new city, having a hard time finding good running partners--and have often wondered the best strategy for this.

During the lonelier/more desperate miles of long runs, I've considered posting on Reddit and/or Craigslist, but what would that even look like? 26/F/CA seeking cool friends who like jokes and also running 6-10 miles outside of traditional business hours?

TL;DR--26/F/CA seeking cool friends who like jokes and also running 6-10 miles outside of traditional business hours.

29 minutes wrote:

Perhaps I could just come here and say where I live and meet up with another local?

This is what I did when I moved to DC about ten years ago. I had a few people let me know when/where long runs, track workouts, etc. were going on. I went to some, introduced myself, etc. Like you say, most of the time we run alone, and nobody is looking for a training partner for every single run, but usually everybody is going on a long run on Sunday, and everybody is doing a tempo run on Tuesday or whatever, so it's pretty easy to find some agreement with schedules, locations, abilities, and so forth.

I found people to run with by 1) meeting fast runners at local races 2) joining a club 3) running a lot of miles and just encountering random fast runners. There are not that many people out there who are actual serious runners and they stick out like a sore thumb when you see them on the trail or in the park running 3-4 min/mi faster than the hobby joggers.

______________

This approach has worked for me in 4 states and one foreign country.

I had a hard time finding training partners after college. I briefly ran with a couple of clubs in my mid 20s, but I just never felt like I fit in with the other runners.

I think my problem was my attitude/personality. I wasn't hardcore or serious enough for the fast guys. Kind of a slacker w/ some talent I guess. For me it was more of a social thing, and for those guys it was more of a passion. So I never felt like I was one of them.

But I did have some ability beyond that of your average hobby jogger, so when I ran with slower less-serious runners we got along OK but I would get kinda bored and didn't feel like I was getting a workout. And none of my friends were serious runners, so if I ever invited a friend along for a run they would be lagging behind, taking walk breaks, etc.

So, I've always just been in limbo. Not a serious runner, but a little too fast to enjoy training with slow people. So I mostly just ran solo, and that gets old. I don't run much these days. I mostly just come to Letsrun because I still follow the sport as a fan. Maybe I'll pick it up again one day.

I've been in the same position, and I eventually joined a running group in the area. Depending on where you live, you might find a few different groups with varying levels of ability. If you ran for a competitive program in college, it can be a hard adjustment because even if you're not in great shape, your perspective about running will be radically different than a lot of the folks in the group. You know, the semi-serious runners, who never ran in college or whatever. Sometimes I feel like a Vietnam vet trying to explain what it was like "over there." The pace thing can be complicated. You don't want to seem like a jerk, but running 8-9 minute pace on a regular run is pretty bogus. Give it a chance though.

Here are some ideas:

1. Post where you live, someone here will help you.

2. Go to the running store and ask the employees. Most likely 1 or more of them are the ticket.

3a. Locate the best high school cross country team in the area, volunteer there.

3b. Good chance that team's coach is/was a pretty good runner and either could run with you in the off-season or plug you into the local scene.

4. Volunteer at the area college team.

For some reason, though, I think this is a troll. Seriously, how can a collegiate runner not have a clue on where to find similar ability runners?

30 yo M in North Seattle, seeking partners to run 6:00-6:40 pace for 4-10 miles, maybe some tempos/long runs. Good stories are a plus.

29 minutes wrote:

If I am to run with them I'd have to slow down to 7:30 pace or slower and do no more than 6 miles, which I'm not willing to do.

Anyone come up with a solution? Perhaps I could just come here and say where I live and meet up with another local?

I regularly run with people who are much slower than myself and only want to run 3-6 miles. In my case, I live close to these people, so if I want to run longer I just run to and from where ever I'm meeting them. Some people I run with only do like 9 minute miles, I just run my pace there, do what they want to do, then run home. I don't do this on important days, but on recovery days and such it's really nice, breaks up the run well before I know it I have 12 miles in

All the wrong places wrote:

30 yo M in North Seattle, seeking partners to run 6:00-6:40 pace for 4-10 miles, maybe some tempos/long runs. Good stories are a plus.

dude that's like half of Seattle, you're not looking hard enough

23/F/North Seattle, would love someone to run with on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays at at 7:00 AM at 7:45-8:15 pace for my easy runs, 5-8.5 miles. I'm taken on all of my other runs.

I was a 1:08/2:23 Guy, and ran 30:45 in X-C (by my handle) and NEVER consistantly ran my distance under 6:30. I ran a good amount of my distance under 6:30, maybe 50% at most. I would run 10 miles some days in under 52:30 in practice, do speedwork (4 X 400M in :58), close in under 10:00 for last 2M on the roads and that requires at least a couple rest / slow days per week. If a 1:13/2:39 guy is running everything (easy) under 6:30 then he should be a 1:10/2:31 Guy maybe 1:09/2:28. Something is wrong here.

xenonscreams wrote:

23/F/North Seattle, would love someone to run with on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays at at 7:00 AM at 7:45-8:15 pace for my easy runs, 5-8.5 miles. I'm taken on all of my other runs.

I'm in! (If I lived in Seattle, which I would love...)

I second the slowing down part. I'd say most of my runs are over 7 minute pace, yet still ran 2:33.

To answer your question though -- two things got my training partners:

-joining a local club team gave me people to run with on my easy days

-talking to guys after races who finished around me. Turned out that two of the guys live 5 miles north of me, so we meet 3 times a week.

30:45XC1978 wrote:

I was a 1:08/2:23 Guy, and ran 30:45 in X-C (by my handle) and NEVER consistantly ran my distance under 6:30. I ran a good amount of my distance under 6:30, maybe 50% at most. I would run 10 miles some days in under 52:30 in practice, do speedwork (4 X 400M in :58), close in under 10:00 for last 2M on the roads and that requires at least a couple rest / slow days per week. If a 1:13/2:39 guy is running everything (easy) under 6:30 then he should be a 1:10/2:31 Guy maybe 1:09/2:28. Something is wrong here.

I don't think there is a strict connection between race times and easy pace. My easy pace has not changed since I've started running, since I was aerobically fit from the start. Everything else has changed.

Face it.

You're just too fast for everybody, there is no hope for you.

Also a former collegiate runner who runs a few times a week, usually below 6:30 pace....you're a moron.

Daniels indicates vdot of 70 is = 6:30 Easy pace, about 31:30 10k.

The OP implies he has run 29 which is not some random ex college runner time. Thats NCAA final top 10 kind of time isnt it?. Seems like he would know where to look if he is that good.