Category: Running

Reflections, Running

Finding the Right Running Club

Posted on by Anita Shero

Setting Myself Up for Success

Now that I know I’m working towards running the 122nd Boston Marathon, I’m getting into the habit of running and training regularly. I was starting to run more anyway since cancelling my gym membership earlier this month. Of course, a little motivation (aka peer pressure) couldn’t hurt either.

Midnight Runners

I joined the Midnight Runners last time out of convenience. Looking back, it does say on their website that runners usually run 6:30-9:30 minute miles. I guess that explains why I was behind the pack.

All I remember is warmups, a team huddle, some chants and shouting, someone running with a boom box on his back, one of the crew members having a hard time finding/trailing where the rest of the runners were, bootcamp stops, and high fives at the end, and lots of photo opportunities and videos along the way. Maybe it was the setup of the event itself — since it wasn’t a regular 10K bootcamp — but if I had run off on my own (maybe take a wrong turn), no one would’ve known. If you can keep up, it’s an energizing group to be a part of.

Life Time Run

This time I went with Life Time Run. Admittedly, I was a bit biased because of the shocking price tag of their monthly gym membership when they first opened (for loyalty membership requiring a 12-month commitment, it was $149/month with a $69 enrollment fee (already reduced from $129). That’s a sinkhole of $1788 a year without the initial enrollment. While I’m biased, I’m also open.

The running coach had left runners a box of some homemade chocolates filled with a motley mixture of peanut butter, toffee, cashews, and more — how sweet. There were a number of seasoned runners that I couldn’t keep up with eventually, and there was someone at the end who caught up to me in time to explain where the split was. She even offered me her flashlight since I wasn’t prepared to run in the dark — this had only occurred to me during the run. We also chatted a bit about prepping for the marathon. Maybe it was winter, but I didn’t really feel as if I connected with anyone. We took a picture at the very end, as I’m sure they want to promote on Facebook to recruit more members.

Marathon Sports Run Club

I ran with Marathon Sports’ run club because I had some free time and because I wanted to check out what it’d take to get some free swag. The quick and dirty version is 10 runs = $25.

When I signed in, I noticed that everyone wrote down how many miles they would run. Someone then kindly explained to me that they have specific routes for running  8.7, 8, 5.5, 4.5, and 3.5 miles, so it depends on how far I want to run that day. The club made sure that I was paired with someone, and my running partner John matched my pace and was kind to offer to walk with me if I needed to. I was never alone. What’s more, the store provided me the a reflective vest (bunch of straps?) so that I can be seen at night.

The people there certainly have a great sense of humor, and I happened to join on their santa/yankee swap night with food and festivities after the run. For first impressions, even without the post-run event, they seem to be a great bunch.

Peer Pressure — It Works

In both cases, I ran a lot more quickly than I would on my own. Compare less than 10 minutes to my usual 12+ minutes. For someone like me who’s a laid back casual runner, I’m grateful to be part of a group that can push my limits — and it’s all free(!).

In the Beginning Was

…the Greater Framingham Running Club. I’m finding that running clubs are social clubs with unspoken rules — that is, there’s such a thing as a running culture. One major difference with being a due-paying club member here is that we run on a track field or up a hill repeatedly. Because I don’t have to catch up to anyone, there isn’t much accountability beyond showing up (which is half the battle already). The club will help keep me running regularly, but I’ll also need to figure out how to bring my A-game. In any case, I have them to thank for my invitation. I’ll be sure to pay it forward—

In a Nutshell

Finding the right running club is like finding the right shrink. Do some research, have a test run, and stick with what feels right.

The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.
— Richard Bach

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Reflections, Running

Midnight Run Madness

Posted on by Anita Shero

Caution: the Midnight Runners is a supportive group but it’s not the best for people who are novice runners. If you don’t care about making people wait or losing the crowd, though, you’ll probably be fine.

I attended the Midnight Runners (explained here) Run with Reebok and Runner’s World at Reebok’s newly opened store in South Boston, and it was another wake up call. I’ve been doing cardio fitness, but I haven’t been running regularly — and it showed. Hooray to being the last one to finish in the pack of fitness enthusiasts! It was cold enough to weed out the more casual runners perhaps.

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Most people probably did a little over 5K, maybe up to 10K. I did 15K — 5K both to and from my parking spot (less hassle with traffic) in addition to the 5K run. My lungs and legs are fine, but I’m feeling sore in my lower back. That probably has to do with the two bootcamp stops we did — first, we held squats to the song of Bring Sally Up  and at the next stop we performed a lot of Russian twists (of course, being me, I held my feet up and halved the speed — to each her own).

Killing Time at the Reebok Store

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First, I arrived at the store a little before 5:15 when the event started at 6. I was serious about being one of the first 50 to attend in order to receive a $25 gift certificate. In fact, I was the third person there. Because this was my first time here, I was intermittently checking in on when they reached the first 50. I’d say they had about 30 people signed up by 5:35 and then reached their quota for gift cards after 5:45.

While waiting, I found some unique items, in part because I haven’t shopped at an athletic store since… forever. I’ve learned that after running several races, you’ll never need to buy another technical shirt or long-sleeved fleece or hoodie again. Maybe you’ll still need a sports bra and pants, but how many pairs do you really need? If you have high quality clothes, they should last for a while. Anyhow, the idea of foam roller water bottles (care of MOBOT) seems novel enough. I don’t know if it’d fit my needs, but I can see it coming in handy when nothing else is available. At the same time, at that point  anything goes, right?.

In any case, since the hat I wanted wasn’t at the store, I left with the gift card for later usage. No impulse buying? Check. Even with the 20% discount all runners received, the prices are pretty steep. $16 for a sweat band is a challenge to create my own from a technical shirt I can part with. For now, I’ll archive what I call quests here.

For those of you who’re curious about the extra perks, here’s what we had been looking forward to:

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Pretzels and beer / water

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Swag bag

I’ve since signed up for Strava to see what the online running world was all about. We’ll see how I fare with it.

Part of the Fun Yet Missing Out

I loved running with music playing in the open air, but I definitely lost the music for a while because I was so far back. I loved the seeing Boston lit up from across the water, but I didn’t get to enjoy it fully because I was already falling behind.  So long as I practice, I’m sure I can turn this around next time.

I have an end goal to work towards, and I’m ready to crush it.

It’s winter in Boston, so I’ll need to get my game face on.

We are always the same age inside.
— Gertrude Stein

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