Training with others provides accountability. It’s much harder to skip a run when there is a group there waiting for you. A group also provides a social outlet – you get to talking and don’t even realize how far you’ve just run. It’s a great way to meet people that have similar interests. You develop life-long friendships with your training buddies. And, most importantly, training groups have built-in motivation. Everyone has the same goal and will help you through the ups and downs of your training.
Sports Backers offers the YMCA 10k Training Team held on Saturday mornings at all 15 local YMCA’s beginning on January 22. Individuals of all levels interested in running or walking with a specific goal in mind—the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k (that’s 6.2 miles) on Saturday, April 2—will work together in a group setting to reach this goal. The registration fee is $55, which includes entry into the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, a 10-week training program with a detailed written schedule, guidance form experienced coaches, organized weekly group runs/walks, a special YMCA 10k Training Team shirt, and special clinics on subjects like running shoes and nutrition. Non-YMCA members receive a Guest Pass for 10 free YMCA visits during the Training Team period.
If the YMCA 10k Training Team doesn’t work with your schedule, there are also dozens of independent grassroots training teams all around the Greater Richmond region. Or, if you are interested in creating your own training team, here are some tips on how to do it:
1. Designate a captain that will rally the troops and encourage people to join. This person needs to be well-respected and capable of motivating others. If the group is expected to be large or have multiple training levels, the captain can recruit assistants to help.
2. Secure a meeting location with adequate parking and bathrooms.
3. Design a 10k training plan or search for one online. It generally works well if you pick one day a week for the group to run together and then distribute guidelines for an individual workout schedule for the rest of the week.
4. Based on the training plan you come up with, design safe routes. Map My Run is a great program to use for this. When designing your routes, be weary of traffic patterns and always give cars the right of way. It always helps to run the course before the group does.
5. Make sure you provide water during group runs or encourage runners to bring their own.
6. Find a good way to communicate with your training team. We recommend Facebook groups or e-mail distribution lists.
7. Provide weekly communication to team members with routes and motivational words. Sometimes it’s nice to include tips on apparel, nutrition or other pertinent topics.
8. Keep it fun and lighthearted.
And… If you’re looking for ways to make your training more exciting, here are some ideas:
- Consider fundraising for the VCU Massey Cancer Center or another charity of your choice. Team members could get pledges for each mile, bring a canned good to each training run, etc.
- Come up with a theme for your group runs (or even just for race day). You can design shirts to wear and really have fun with it.
- Plan an informal activity after the group runs (maybe brunch at a local restaurant?) to give runners incentive to work hard during the training session.
The opportunities are endless! Good luck training
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