Running with the pack

So far I have been running alone.  Anti-social? Yes, a bit, I guess.  However, I enjoy the freedom of running when I want and doing my own thing.  But it is not going to be like that on race day when I will share the road with thousands of other runners. I think it might be hard to ignore them.

Facing the next of my running fears (they are all to do with confidence), running with other people, I went on my long run today with my running guru and a couple of other veteran runners of the Bath Half Marathon. We ran a section of the race route.  I was a little daunted.

Of course, it was ill-placed dauntedness (I know I made that word up). How great to be with other people who want to talk about running and answer the question “Does your bum ache the day after running?” with great seriousness and no raised eyebrows.  I learnt about the race start, dangers at the drinks station and enjoyed being nosy about all there was to see along a different running route.  The great thing about these ladies was that there was no pressure to stick together, you run your own pace, do run/walk, or whatever you need to do.  It was good. I really enjoyed myself (and managed to run over 5 miles – the furthest yet).

Now, I know running in a pack of four is not going to prepare me for running with the thousands but I am moving in the right direction.   It is unlikely that I am going to get together with several thousand for a Sunday training run … but there were more than a few others running the same route today, and I have a feeling there will be increasing numbers each Sunday as race day approaches.  I am trying to banish them, but suddenly I am seeing images of that buffalo stampede in Lion King.  It’s not going to be like that is it?