Between the excitement of the Boston Marathon this week and just talking to people at work about having recently moved to Cape Cod from New York I’ve been thinking a lot about all of the friends I’ve made through running.
I’ll be honest, Jason and I lived in New York for almost 5 years – I even grew up in New York right where we lived! – and we really didn’t have any friends there. We were both so busy with our jobs that we really didn’t do anything outside of work and let me tell you, that can be VERY draining.
When I began running I didn’t have any friends that ran or any local running groups around. I did all my training runs alone and I didn’t know anyone else doing the race I was training for. I didn’t consider running a particularly social sport.
That all changed when I got to my first race, the 2011 Wine & Dine Half Marathon…
Through a series of unfortunate, yet serendipitous events (including but not limited to lightning striking the tracks of the train I was on to get to the airport leading to a missed flight), I met Jenn on the Magical Express at 1am. Jenn is officially my first running friend.
Through Jenn I met the rest of my “original running friends” that weekend, Daniel and Patrick.
Me, Daniel, Jenn and Pat
Since then, and despite the fact that no more than 2 of us have ever lived in the same state at the same time, we’ve trained together, raced together and all crammed into 1 hotel room for trips together more times than I can count.
I’ve met countless other friends through running blogs and races and even ended up running the Marine Corps Marathon with Christine who believe it or not I had only met in person once before for about 10 minutes before we decided to tackle 26.2 miles together!
(**Christine and I are already planning and excited for our triumphant 2015 Marine Corps Marathon return!)
Even going to Boston this weekend I had so many friends I wanted to see in my short time there!
People that are NOT me L to R: Dani, Christine, Pam, Pat and Dave
And when Jason and I moved to Cape Cod we went to our local Marathon Sports run club one night and immediately had this instant group of friends who we not only see regularly at run club, but we get together to do all sorts of other things (like eat Mexican and this Run Club Movie Night)!
I’ve heard from so many others runners that they’ve experienced the same thing, that their “running friends” have become some of their best friends.
But why?
The answer came to me a few weeks ago on treadmill.
Well ok, to be fair, the answer came from my friend Dave on the treadmill next to me.
We were talking about how glad I was that I had met all these great friends though our run club and how it’s interesting that runners seem to bond so quickly and Dave simply said,”well it’s because when we’re running we talk about life and when we’re not running we talk about running.”
And he’s right. We get together and we run and we talk about life and I get to know these people who I haven’t known for very long so well so quickly!
And when we talk about running, we immediately understand each other and we’re in it together.
Totally new to running? I hear ya, it’s tough! Keep it up, it’ll get easier!
Chasing that elusive sub-2 half? Ugh, I remember that – why is it so hard to get a 1 at the front of that number?!
Training for your first marathon? Have you tried ice baths for recovery? When’s your next long run? You want some company?
See, we get each other! We cheer each other on.
And because we run together I know about your family, your job, why you started running and when your next race is. We basically crammed 5 years of friendship into a 10 mile run!
(**I should probably also mention Kellie who I had a great chat with during our 20 mile runs…on the phone! Yup, we talked for about 2 hours on the phone while doing our last long runs before this year’s Goofy Challenge!)
Many people think of running as a solo sport. You and the road.
But for me running is about the community. The support. The friendships.
(Secretly, if I could keep all that stuff and forget the running part I would be very tempted…)
Live, Run, Grow 
Great post Dani…. glad the Cape is working out so well. Love…dad
Love it here : )
LOVE! I make new running friends by cooking. At meet ups at races. With runners. Hugs to you, Friend!! I think you also make great running friends by being a kind, open and gracious human. And you ARE, so that helps:).
Haha yes, we did meet cooking! (But at a running events so that counts!) Runners really are such a great group, everyone is so friendly and welcoming!
I felt the same way working in Boston. Even though so many of my college friends also worked in the city, we never saw each other. We had to plan well in advance, pen it in on the calendar, and double check to make sure everyone was meeting up. I thought all of us working in the city meant we could have spur of the moment lunches or dinners.
Oh my goodness, yes – the few friends I did have in New York we’d have to plan to see each other like a month or so in advance to coordinate our schedules! With my running friends it’s like, “want to go for a run?” “Sure! What time?”
Running friends are the best!
So true!! Running friends are so essential! I’ve met so many amazing people through running (including you, YAY!!). I found my running team by being seated next to a guy at a wedding who was also a runner. I’d always trained alone, never run with a team and thought of myself as slow. But I went to one workout, then another, and another. Now, some of my teammates are among my best friends. Two have moved to different cities, but we still plan vacations and meet-ups together. Then there are all the other bloggers like you who have become so essential to my running life. Having folks to commiserate online with is EVERYTHING!!! Thank you!
I agree, sometimes you know the people you interact with in everyday life just don’t want to listen to you talk about running any more (I don’t understand why…), so it’s great to have an online community full of people who can talk (and listen) about running all day!
And I feel the same way, I am so glad that I decided to check out the local running clubs, I’ve met so many great people (and I realized maybe I’m not as slow as I think I am!).
Life chats during runs are so important and amazing!
I know, aren’t they?? They’re something about running that really makes you feel comfortable about opening up and trusting the person you’re with.
I love it! It’s so true that we can catch up on five years of friendship with one long run! I’m soooo happy you guys are here on the Cape now and that we enjoy running and not-running (so we don’t spill the guac!) together so often! It’s definitely not a solo sport, even on the days you’re out there solo. Love you both!
Oh yes, it would be a bad idea to run with the guac and margaritas – don’t want to spill! ; )
Love that we’re up here too, I can’t even imagine being back in New York!
love love love this! ❤ That day with our travel mishaps was such a pain in the rear, but I got to meet you! So definitely all worth it!
Oh that day was such a disaster but I definitely wouldn’t trade it!
Herd means running family.
Running friends are the best. So glad we met up in Boston, but sadly the sandwich I bought at the restaurant was most likely the culprit of my food poisoning. I have never been so sick in my life, but there was a happy ending!
I am so glad I got to see you in Boston too to wish you luck in person before you ran! And I have totally been wondering if your food poisoning came from where we had lunch! How terrible, but at least you were able to still run!
Great post! I found a great group of friends through the run blog community, and we talk almost every day. So much support and encouragement–it’s amazing!
I know! I recently looked through my recent text message and realized other than family they were ALL people I’ve met through running! Amazing!
Love this!! Cause it is so true! I don’t think I would be a runner if I hadn’t joined my running group in Seattle and made so many runner friends. I definitely wouldn’t have run a marathon (let alone two!). But somehow, when you hang out with people who do crazy stuff like that, it begins to seem normal, and then you find yourself doing it too! And I totally agree that there’s no better way to get to know someone than to go on a 60+ minute run with them. And you share things that I don’t think you would otherwise — the morning after my mom’s breast cancer diagnosis, I was on a 12-mile run with some friends, and my friend Chris was the first person other than my husband that I shared that news with. I just felt that I couldn’t keep information like that from someone I was spending 2 hours running with! And I felt so much better afterwards — both from sharing, and from having had a beautiful spring morning run :-).
Haha, my friend and I were talking the other day about how because we do all sorts of crazy stuff sometimes we forget that just because someone’s a runner they don’t necessarily run marathons! It just seems to normal to us at this point!
It’s amazing how running really relaxes you and allows you to let your guard down with people, it really does have this “we’re in it together” feeling!
You forgot to mention friends who call you in hysterics a midst having yet another emotional breakdown while training for a marathon and whom you now get to say I told you so because despite that she’s running another one! 🙂
Rather you forgot to mention the part where said friend was having another emotional breakdown, yadda yadda yadda lol
Haha, honestly being on the phone helped me as much as it helped you! It made my run go by so much faster!
Love it! I have just started my journey of meeting running friends and they’re amazing! Hopefully we’ll meet soon as we’re not far away in distance… I imagine we’ll cross paths at a race closer to home before Wine & Dine Half! 🙂
What upcoming races are you doing in the area? The only one I am currently registered for is the Johnny Kelley Half in Hyannis over Memorial Day weekend.
This is my tentative plan 🙂
*indicates I have not yet registered for the race.
January 10, 2016 – WDW Full Marathon – All 4 Parks, Walt Disney World, FL
November 7, 2015 – Wine & Dine Half Marathon – Epcot, Walt Disney World, FL
November 7, 2015- Mickey’s Jingle Jungle 5K – Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World, FL
*October 25, 2015 – Cape Cod Marathon 1/2 or Relay – Falmouth, MA
October 18, 2015 – Narragansett Fall Half Marathon – Swansea, MA
September 27, 2015 – Craft Brew Race 5K – E. Falmouth, MA
*September 13, 2015 – Ft. Phoenix 5K – Fairhaven, MA
*September 12, 2015 – Run to the Rock 5K, 10K, or 1/2 – Plymouth, MA
*September 7, 2015 – Acushnet Road Race 4M – Acushnet, MA
*August 16, 2015 – Falmouth Road Race (7M) – Falmouth, MA {Lottery}
*August 2, 2015 – Wattupa Trail 5.2M – Westport, MA
July 11, 2015 – Gansett Summer Festival 10K – Easton, MA
*July 4, 2015 – Mattapoisett 5M Road Race – Mattapoisett, MA
July 3, 2015 – Finish at the 50 10K – Foxborough, MA
*June 27, 2015 – Marion Village 5K – Marion, MA
*June 14, 2015 – Falmouth Flag Day 5K – Falmouth, MA
June 7, 2015 – Newport 10 Milers Race – Newport, RI
May 31, 2015 – Girls on the Run 10K – Providence, RI
May 16, 2015 – Gleason Family 5K – Wareham , MA
May 10, 2015 – Women’s Fund Tiara 5K – Mattapoisett, MA
Oh my goodness, that is A LOT of races! Wow, the only one I have on my calendar coming up is the Johnny Kelley Half in Hyannis. I also plan on entering the Falmouth Road Race lottery, it’s such a great race!
Dude, I could swear I commented on this post! Perhaps I dreamed that. Running friends are sort of what keep me coming back to running. I do like it but I think knowing I’ll be able to see some wonderful people is a great enticement. So glad we got to see you in Boston!!! You always make me smile and laugh. 🙂
I agree, I think the friends I’ve made are a big part of what keeps me come back running and races, I really do love the social aspect of it! Can’t wait for our next running adventures together! ; )