Getting Sweaty with Friends
On Blogger here.
Just to get it out of the way; I realize how awkward that title is, and it was 100% intentional.
Last week I briefly touched on the topic of being part of a fitness group, and how it was important for my own personal success. I want to expand on this, and discuss some of the nuances that come with working out in a group. And remember; what works for one person won't necessarily work for another, so take all of this with a grain of salt.
Accountability. This is a big one, and is also one of the driving forces behind this blog. While ultimately you should strive to be fit and healthy for yourself it can be incredibly helpful to know that there are others holding you accountable. It is also a wonderful feeling to share your accomplishments with others, and to have others pushing for you to make yourself better. Nothing makes me want to push myself harder than when I see a group of friends at the finish line cheering me on.
Camaraderie. This is another big one, and is tied pretty closely to accountability. As I said before; I love seeing my friends cheer me on, and it inspires me to push harder. I'm always amazed at how much more I accomplish when my friends are around versus when they aren't. I honestly think this is going to be a YMMV topic since it seems like a personality thing, but I'm still putting it high up on the list in terms of importance.
Finding new things to do. When I started down this road the first time back in 2013 there were only two things that I knew I needed to do: lift weights, and run. That was the entirety of the fitness world in my mind, and while those two things still make up the core of my routines I have also branched out. For starters, I purchased a good Trek street bicycle this year and began riding, as well as completely fell in love with trail running, and obstacle course races. I've also been eyeballing triathlons, and endurance runs.
Pitfalls. For all the good that comes from having "fitness buddies" there are some potential pitfalls. No matter how good you are at something there is always going to be someone better. So what if you're really bad at something? Well that means most of your buddies are going to be better at it. Take, for instance, me and running. I'm really bad at running; "you can't be bad at running". Oh yea? Watch me.
As a result of this pretty much everyone I know is better, and faster at running than I am. Where this can get dangerous is if I spend too much time comparing myself to them, then what progress I've made will feel like no progress. Or worse yet, in my opinion, is pushing too hard to try and catch up with them, and doing nothing but hurting myself, or my pride when I ultimately fail. It's a slippery slope to go down, and it is easy to lose sight of your goals once you start the descent. Just keep this in mind when you start working out with friends; you may get left in the dust on the trail, but the people who want to see you succeed will be there at the finish line waiting to cheer you on.
