My training week was ONCE AGAIN interrupted by snow. In March. I am so done with it.

I had to run on a Thursday for my long run, instead of Wednesday because of another snowstorm.

I know, I live in Buffalo…but come on already. This winter has been awful for those of us who run.

The week is thrown off when I have to postpone my long run since I like to (have to) take a rest day the next day.

Which means I don’t get my 3 days in a row that week. Which sucks.

Anyway, pity party over. So after the rest day (which should have been a 6-mile run) I had a 10 mile run with Dave.

We ran through the city and it was actually pretty “warm” until we ran closer to Lake Erie. Then there was a pretty good chill.

We ran by the Japanese Garden and then down Niagara Street to the Connecticut Street Armory and through LaSalle Park (right on the water…pretty darn windy and cold) back to the condo.

The next two runs were on my own as Dave was hit with the flu.

As I type, so far so good for me. He was down for the count for two and a half days, so I am hoping I am in the clear.

Last week I talked about the benefits of having a running buddy. Today I am going to talk about the flip-side…running by yourself.

Benefits of Running Alone

1. You are able to listen to music/podcast/audiobook if you want to. There are some days I just want to be able to rock out and listen to music. Other times, there are podcasts that I would never hear unless I was on a run. Running by yourself means that you can listen to whatever you want…no judgment.
2. You can run with nothing in your head but you. Some times I just want to be alone with my thoughts, with no interruptions. Going for a run can be the best therapy ever, and going it alone with no headphones allows you to be in the moment fully and listen to yourself.
3. Hey look…a squirrel! If you want to stop and take a picture, stop and smell the roses, stop and eat a hot dog…you can. No one is pushing you to keep going and you are obligated to no one but yourself. And there are days when you just need to do you.
4. You can train harder, faster, longer. When you are by yourself only you set the pace, duration and distance. If you are feeling good, you can experiment with “extras” without having to consider whether someone else can keep up. UPDATE: Now that I know more about training, I would only add incrementally and probably advise against it if you are training for a race. Even if you are feeling great, that run is built on the runs before it and help frame the runs after it…so don’t go 10 if you were planning for 4 and DEFINITELY don’t go 10 if you are in training and supposed to run 4. Same with workouts. If you are supposed to do an easy run, a tad faster would be ok…doing a tempo when you are supposed to do an easy would not. You can read about different workouts here.
5. On the other hand…you can go easier, slower, shorter. If you are having an off day you can decide what the best course of action is. Sometimes we just need to back the heck off and take it easy. Not having someone running with us can lessen the pressure to push when we really shouldn’t be.
6. You can hit the snooze and go later…or jump out of bed and hit the road at 4am (never will I ever). If you run alone, you get to choose what time of day works best. Sometimes things come up, and we can build that into our day and still get a run in.
7. You can stay near your front door. When I run with a partner, it is my husband so I can always go out my front door and into a run. Some people do not have that luxury and have to get in the car to drive to the meeting place. That can get old, fast. Running alone means you choose the where as well as the when. So if you want to run in your neighborhood or drive 20 miles to a scenic area, that’s up to you.
8. You get to be mad or sad or happy or….When we lived in Japan we found out that our stay there was going to end earlier than we had expected. This was extremely upsetting to us, as we loved Yokohama so much. A few days after we found out, I was on a solo run and as I ran by the places that held great memories I sobbed and heaved. I was able to ugly cry my heart out and not have to have anyone comfort me or try to cheer me up. My emotions were my own, and a run allows you to experience them. And a run can also help you work through them, and help you feel better when it’s over.

Do you run alone? What benefits do YOU get from that? Comment below and let me know!