To quote my friend and local running legend Chuck Moeser, "Man, it's great being able to get back and run with a group of guys, the camaraderie and friendship are awesome." Chuck made this comment not too long ago in the middle of an effort to get back into serious training. Clearly, aside from the quality of the runs, Chuck and others get a great deal of satisfaction from running with other runners.

I did not know a soul when I moved to Washington, DC in 1999. While looking for a place to live, I was staying at the Kalorama Guest House and going for leisurely runs out by the Zoo and down into Rock Creek Park. I did these alone, however, and soon found myself craving company and a desire to share my newfound hobby with others.

Several friends suggested that I join a Sunday morning group run organized by Fleet Feet in Adams Morgan. This was my introduction to group running in the DC area. I remember heading down to Adams Morgan on a muggy summer morning not sure what to expect. To my surprise, there were about 40 runners milling about the street and in the store. All were waiting for Phil Fenty, the owner and leader of the group runs, to appear with a stack of what he refers to as "cheat sheets," little pieces of paper with a running route described.

Since my Fleet Feet running days, I have enjoyed running with many different running groups on the weekends and weekdays. I have met friends and foe alike and learned the topography of the entire region, including DC, MD, and VA.

Guaranteed Company

If you are seeking company, a random soul to connect with, or just plain motivation for running, the group run sponsored by a local running club is the best way to go.

The beauty of the organized group run, through a DC Road Runners or Fleet Feet, is that the run is guaranteed and you, the runner, will always have someone to run and chat with. There have been many days when, for some reason or another, I did not have someone to run with and, due to the handy little Internet, I was able to track down a group run via a running club's Web site.

Support for Being a Runner

Aside from the sheer social component of running with others, I have found that one finds support, sympathy, and understanding from other runners who take time out of their busy lives to run and dwell on life. Whether it's the stress of a job, personal matters, or a desire to be outside that leads the individual to run, people who run with others immediately find soul-mates to validate what others might call nutty behavior. How many times have you bolted out of the office, the house, etc, with a "sneaky little grin" on your face, for the purpose of meeting a friend or friends for a run? I assume that, for many of you, like myself, the answer is many times. Upon meeting a friend or a group, the dynamic unfolds and almost immediately there is a sense of belonging to the broader good and taking part in a unique activity. During the course of the group run, discussion often focuses on running performances and goals, upcoming races, etc. Or, if other matters are present and chemistry allows, the group run is a great chance to just share important life issues and thus, the run becomes something like a therapy session. Whatever the topic of conversation, it is the sheer company of other runners that makes the experience unique and fosters an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding.

Running With Others to Push One Another and Get Faster

Of course, there are stages and layers to the soul and physical prowess of the runner and the runner's desire to run with others. I started out running with others strictly as a social activity. I had no desire to run races or compete with others; at the time, running was purely a hobby to help me stay in shape. Somewhere along the line, however, I discovered I wanted to get faster or be able to run farther and stretch my body to the limit. For better or for worse, I soon sought out the dreaded "competitive runner" for competition, advice, council, and friendship.

Soon, I was running at the Washington and Lee track, doing fartlek runs on the C&O Canal, and learning running secrets from some of the best runners around. Actually, to be honest, I learned that to improve one's running, the most important variable is hard work and mental toughness and, of course, support from fellow runners. I can use myself as an example, having used the support of other runners to gauge and promote my own fitness. How many hot and muggy summer evenings did I trek out to the C&O Canal to meet up with chums at the Georgetown Running Company store to begin a long and grueling speed workout? Let's just say, more than I can remember. But I do have vivid memories of a crew of runners meeting and running together as a pack for a warm-up to the three-mile marker and then, boom, the pack would begin the fartlek run. Three minutes on and one off and two minutes on and one off and just repeat this over and over. Gradually, the pack would spread out and guys would be gasping and struggling but, through it all, there were words of encouragement. "C'mon, you can do it" or "keep it up" is repeated over and over until we were done and giving one another high fives and congratulatory handshakes back at the starting point.

Another powerful aspect of group running for the competitive runner is the support generated from team members and running mates. The daily calls and e-mails with times run, or questions such as "how is the ankle," "when's the next run?" or "c'mon, don't be a baby," etc. only push the competitive runner to lace up the shoes and get the fire going.

The Positive for All

The positive feelings for the sport and people who participate in the sport are only reinforced by the experience of running with others. As mentioned, there are many types of benefits derived from the group running experience. Most of them cannot be quantified but they are, nonetheless, invaluable.

Speaking for myself, the power of the group run is tremendous and though I have tried to do so, the benefits cannot be listed in one article. All I can say is that, without others to run with, I would not still be running. Pure and simple.

Local running groups sponsoring group training are listed below:

DC Roadrunners Club
Washington Running Club
Montgomery County Road Runners Club
Potomac Runners
Fleet Feet in Adams Morgan (and other locations)
Georgetown Running Company
Pacers
Potomac River Running
Falls Road Running
Baltimore Road Runners
Howard County Striders
Reston Runners

See a complete list of area running clubs and running specialty stores, most of which support group runs, on the Resources page of www.runwashington.com.