Sometimes you may\u2019t wait for a date, and other times all of it looks like numerous effort. There\u2019s the potential for a huge release of feel-good chemicals<\/a>. But sometimes, the payoff never comes.<\/p>\n We\u2019re not talking about dating one other person. We\u2019re talking about making a date to go on a run. Running is definitely all about relationships: The connection you might have with yourself, together with your runs, and the community<\/a> (virtual or IRL) that supports your striding toward the finish line. And similar to all relationships, how you are feeling about running can change over time.<\/p>\n \u201cEntering into running for me to start with was, How can I stay in shape and keep my body healthy?<\/em>\u201d says Social Hour Run Club<\/a> captain Megan Ono<\/a>. \u201cThat relationship has modified over the course of the past five years.\u201d Namely, running has develop into about helping her work through difficult life moments, have a good time wins, get to know her community\u2014the place where she runs\u2014by foot, and form connections with people in her run club.<\/p>\n Ono, together with Nike Run Club<\/a> coach Bec Wilcock<\/a>, Blacklist LA<\/a> runner\u00a0Alejandra Castillo<\/a>, and Students Run LA<\/a> director of operations Carla Anguiano<\/a>, recently sat down for a roundtable discussion with Well+Good Podcast<\/em> host Taylor Camille, sponsored by Nike on the House of Good<\/a> in Venice, California. Their discussion on the support systems and motivations that keep runners moving forward are the guts of the newest episode of the Well+Good Podcast<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n The reality is, running is tough. But having other people be an element of your running relationship\u2014whether or not they\u2019re running alongside you, or are cheering you on during a race or after the very fact\u2014may also help lighten the load. Ever gone on an extended run with a bunch and felt the miles tick by a lot faster than while you’re alone? That support can bleed over from running into the remainder of your life.<\/p>\n \u201c[When] it’s getting difficult, it’s getting hard, we have to remind ourselves that we’re not alone,\u201d says Castillo. \u201cThere’s people literally on the sidelines, whether it’s at a race or simply in our personal endeavors.\u201d<\/p>\n Ono points out that being a part of a run club can create accountability in addition to a welcoming, secure space to run. Data backs up the concept a running community keeps you lively and positively involved in the game. A 2022 study<\/a> found that having running partners made people more consistent runners who achieved their goals.<\/p>\n
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\nThe advantages that community can have in your running<\/h2>\n
Community support makes running\u2014and the rest\u2014more easy<\/h3>\n
Community keeps you motivated<\/h3>\n