training alone or with partners: yes or no ??

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21 years ago 10/08/2002 10:23am EDT

HI:

I am a new reader of this forum and have really enjoyed the message board. There is tons of good training advice here. I have a question for the forum regarding group training. Do most of you prefer to train alone or with groups or with 1-2 other training partners?? Most importantly, what do you think the relative merits are foe each approach??

I myself am a masters runner looking to return to my form of about 5 years ago. I have generally done all serious training sessions alone but have an opportunity to join in with some faster groups in the new city where I live. Motivation has been a problem for me over the last 2-3 years....but I am also like most runners and enjoy the solitude of training alone.

Any thoughts will be appreciated!!

21 years ago 10/08/2002 10:52am EDT

re: chip

I'd recommend training with a group on your hard days so you have someone to push/pull you. Doing mile repeats or intervals is a lot easier when you have a pack (or at least one person) to run with. On easy days, it may be better to run on your own, unless you know someone who takes their easy days as easy as you want to take them (make sense?). Otherwise you may push harder than you should on your off days.

21 years ago 10/08/2002 12:02pm EDT

re: sj quik

Just like sj, I say mix it up. I actually like a big group on the easy and steady state and long days, just because they make the time pass, and hold me to an honest pace. Sure if I feel really bad I'll go on my own, and the occaisional solo long run makes me feel mentally strong. But as for hard days, I like to train with 2 or 3 guys who are in the same shape as me or perhaps just slightly better. I have had to pull slow people, that's like working by yourself, and chase guys who were a minute faster than me for 10k, and that is just too much pain. For tempo runs I find that running with one other guy who is in about the same race shape as me is purfect, one can always pull the other when feeling bad.

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