What happens at run club

Grade 8 was the start. Running as freedom, a literal escape. Special permission was given to leave the grounds at lunch, free to traverse a prescribed route and roam without the watchful eye of a teacher. Solitude but not sedentary; space to exercise and be alone simultaneously. Awesome, as that skinny kid would have said.

Even when the pounds piled on and walking to the pub (or bookstore) passed for a workout, those moments of privacy were sought out. For the extroverted in the crowd it may come as a surprise, but solitary doesn’t always equate to loneliness; sometimes it is just a moment to recharge and regroup, before diving right back in.

To this day, when time permits and a project is looming a few stolen moments for a walk around the block work wonders: the mind focuses, all the input is digested without more pouring in and then it can be processed and presented in usable form.

Since reacquainting with running and shedding five stone, those moments when the only sounds are feet pounding the pavement and your breath over the beat of the music are even more invigorating. It’s the most descriptive way to explain it. And the distance, whether short or long, doesn’t matter – it’s just that sense of being cocooned from all the noise that you’re travelling past at pace.

So, why then a tinge of envy for those in running groups/clinics? Simple really: It’s the after-pictures, whether from racing or training. They look like they are having fun, dammit.

Recently, Capital City Run Crew in Victoria has been popping up in feeds as they prepared for the Scotiabank Half Marathon, with a mix of track, temp and long runs. The is not envy for the workouts; it was the pics of eating at places like Beacon Drive-In or Taco Tuesday that appealed so viciously. Run, eat and talk. Sounds perfect.

This isn’t the first time jealously has reared. Mike Klassen is an old friend (take that in the various ways it could be, all work) and posts photos of his regular run club. So I asked him a few questions about why the social support works for him.

Why did you join?

It was time for me to start running again. I had run regularly with a ‘running buddy’ when I was younger, then I found knee pain to be a barrier. I began very slowly, with short distances usually less than 4-5K. I had a companion who had foot pain, so we ran 2 blocks, walked one block until we finished the route. Eventually I stopped the walking, and gradually worked up my distances.

But in the end, the attraction of the running group was the companionship. We joke that it is actually a coffee meeting with a run thrown in, but it would never be the same without the distance run.

 What’s the biggest benefit?

 I like the better moods and personal confidence building that results from running, even a little bit. When I’m running I notice that other runners often have smiles on their faces. A few of us say that you cannot be grumpy as a runner, and I think for the most part that’s true.

It’s fitting that thoughts of run club have reoccurred at the time of the Scotia Half. Last year, my friend Catherine – who was living in Vancouver – said she’d pick me up from the hotel as she was also running that day. And then we picked up a couple more folks, all members of her running group. Then we did some car manoeuvres so everyone got to the University of BC smoothly and no one would be left without transportation at race’s end when crossing the finish line at Stanley Park (to be fair, the Canada Run Series people have efficient shuttle service back to UBC, if you want to wait).

But it was after the race that made the most lasting impact. Those met on the car journey were joined by others at a local pub in False Creek for a well-earned brunch and drink. There were the time comparisons, the joshing about missed training sessions, the full-throated congratulations to those who achieved/came close to their target times and an all-around affection for those who shared a solitary moment as part of a large group.

It was the camaraderie that Mike Klassen spoke about that made it seem like such a tempting idea. But not going to lie, back at the beginning of this journey there was no way I would have joined a run club or clinic for one simple reason: embarrassment. Dragging my ass and sweating no matter the temperature, all because I’d let myself get so out of shape, it felt like penance, deserved punishment. Needed the self-flagellation to be in private.

And it’s not like friendly events are now avoided. Participated in the Resolution Run, the shakeout run before Goodlife Victoria Marathon and this year’s Solstice Run (which came with beer ticket) – those are fun and friendly, even if latter doesn’t apply to yours truly.

The struggle is surrendering the solitude. There’s almost an obligation to chat and that is the one time small-talk shouldn’t be mandatory. Part of the rush of running is the different refractions the brain waves can take. Detour here, straight line there, double-back now: the route is planned, while the mind is free to wander. Hell, even in the minutes before a race I’m the person standing in a trance, no bopping or smiling, just transporting into my space.

So the habit born 35 years ago is not going to be broken: running will remain my time, even when surrounded by four, 4,000 or 30,000 others all doing the same thing. But is it wrong to only pop into run club for the food? Or even photobomb them? Asking for a friend.