run like a pro

It’s tempting when you have to get the run in. Maybe your training partner can’t make it, or maybe you leave very early in the morning to go to work and get back too late. I know your probably saying “sure it’s easy for you to say - but I still have to get the run in”. Whatever the reason, don’t start taking chances just because you can’t run.

The following are ideas to help you avoid running alone;

1. look into a running club in your area and find out how many members they have and what days they have group runs (a good running club with many members will give you plenty of options for running partners and different scheduling issues). Most clubs will have enough running members for you to have a running partner at whatever pace you run. When you join a running club go to the club’s meeting for scheduling runs and club workouts.  
2. Look into getting a treadmill (if you can’t afford one look into buying a used one), sooner or later you are going to need one when it’s snowing or raining out. Believe me, I’ve worked out many times on my treadmill over the years. I can tell you this much, if it wasn’t for my treadmill I would of missed many workouts. You can get a very good workout on a treadmill.
3. Run with a Male companion. Just here me out! My running club is GLIRC (Greater Long Island Running Club) . It has, I believe, over 1,000 thousand members. This club has alot more members than the average running club. But I can tell you this, most of women members have running partners because they hooked up with other members to run with. And many of the women that are members, run with male members. Every Sunday we meet at 7:30 AM at our meeting place and anywhere up to 60 people might show up (minus some people who are running a race that day. There are many male and females who show up and run anywhere from 5-25 miles depending on what they are training for. By getting to know members of running clubs, you can increase your options on your workouts! Maybe a training partner who can run your pace or a partner who can run the distance you are training for. Even a trainng partner who can meet you at the track for a good workout.

4) Run With A Friend-Do you have a friend who runs; you might! If so, find out their schedule and see if running together is possible, even if it is only one or two days a week.
5) Join A Health Club- A health club has treadmills and all the exercise machines you can imagine. Some healyh clubs or spas even have a track to run on. You can strengthen yourself uop and and also use the treadmills or track on bad weather days or when you don’t have a running partner.
6) Local High School Track-Check out your local high school track which usually has runners and walkers who workout on a daily basis. Depending on your schedule, try driving by the track in the am hours or in the aftrenoon. See how many people are at the track. You will be surprised at the amount of people you can run with or just knowing that you are not running alone. Also, you might find a training partner.
7) Run A Local 5 K Race-Here you can find plenty of women runners who could possibly run with you. There usually is a nice mix of slow to fast runners who can fit the pace you run.