My Club Runn’th Over

My running club is full of character(s), charisma, and community. Six years ago when I joined, I was just looking to get better. And I did, but more importantly I ended up with friendship, motivation, and purpose. I started as a person who ran and ended up with a running lifestyle.
In the infancy of my rebirth as a runner, I was the typical Hans Solo, pounding out the miles alone in my thoughts, in my struggle against the ravages of time. First it was jog a little, walk a little, until something resembling running was at hand. I took a mere forty years off since running in high school track and cross country, and I now had to pay the price. The sludge in my legs and around the waist meant a more pedestrian pace. But somewhere down deep I could sense that a drop of cheetah blood still coursed through my veins. That blood called to me. Run fast. Oh hell, just run faster than this. My running club helped me find my “inner cheetah”, the best I could be. Now growing older is exciting, one more year closer to the next age group.
Are you ready to go clubbing? If you want to grow in ability as well as become part of a crazy, passionate community, then do it. How else can you get yourself up before the sun rises on Saturday or Sunday every week year after year to go for a long run without other demented people around you? Run like a cheetah, at least in your mind, on track day, charge up hills en mass, or go for a “friendly” tempo with one or more of your brethren, constantly one upping the pace.
I was lucky in my choice of club, because it grew organically, held together with a knowledgeable, supportive coach and a good cross section of dedicated groupies. I had runners to chase after as I improved, some close to my ability to get competitive with, and others just to marvel at their abilities as they flew by.
Today, there are clubs for every flavor of runner. Some cater to a specific race or train for a variety of races. Others are national in scope and use coaches trained in a unified approach. To find the right club for you, write down your goals and ask lots of questions. Are you interested in marathons, 5ks, or everything in between? Ask what type of training or experience the coach/leader has? How many people run on a regular basis? What types of runs do they “host”? (Long runs, track, tempo runs, hill runs, etc.) Where are they hosted? (The same location every week, or do they change it around a bit.) Are there people who run your pace, whether you are a beginner or top age grouper?
Our club, for example, is more focused on marathons, although many do triathlons and shorter running races. Quite a few of them have qualified for Boston. You need to meet a time goal based on your age to qualify to run at the Boston Marathon. However, even if you just want to finish a marathon, a club with experienced marathoners will provide you with plenty of good advice and invaluable support.
Is there a dark side of clubbing? Of course, it’s real easy to get too competitive with your running partners, run way too fast, especially on long runs, and get injured. I highly recommend a heart monitor to judge effort and pace (You HAVE to read Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot by John L. Parker, Jr.) and to stick to your training plan. You might also succumb to peer pressure or fall trap to the excitement of others and enter races you shouldn’t. Lay out a yearly plan with your coach, and running partners, and run races that match your goals and training. So next time you’re out jogging with Chewbacca and see a pack of smiling people run by, ask them what club they’re in (if you don’t notice their club shirts, hats, pants, etc.), and check it out.