Athletes make the best friends!

I arrived at the coffee shop at 8am this morning for my first group run in almost a year.  I love to run alone and have avoided running with people.  If you read my last post, then you know why I got up at 6:30am and drove 15 minutes to a coffee shop just to go out for an hour run with a group. 

Today must have been a reunion for many of the runners.  With the holidays now over, it was time to get serious for the upcoming season. After the hugging and quick holiday reviews were over, we headed out. As a newbie to the group, I felt a bit awkward, but the few people I knew stayed close to me. Our pack of about 15 or so headed up the road and, almost immediately, smaller groups began to form. 

The air was crisp and the roads were dry. This has been an amazing winter so far for outdoor activities (that is, if you’re not a skier).  I ran a little faster than I would have normally, just to stay with the pack I latched onto. The pace wasn’t hard – a bit faster than my comfort zone.  My group’s plan was to go further than my plan, so at my halfway point, I broke off and doubled back alone.

I passed several other packs of runners on my way back to the coffee shop, smiling and waving to me as I went by. I couldn’t help but notice the camaraderie: the bantering back and forth, the giggling.  “So cool,” I thought, “I’m going to like this.”

I was one of the first to return from the run, so I changed and grabbed a cup of coffee and waited.  As the group filtered in, a birthday card was being passed around.  Soon, there was a cake with candles, and the room filled with song. I stayed for two and a half hours – laughing, listening, and sharing stories.  What a great way to start the day. What a great way to make more friends. Running alone is over-rated.