I’ve been an avid runner for a long time, but over the past year or so my passion for it has cooled a bit. After spending the better part of three years training for various races and devoting an inordinate portion of my Saturdays to long training runs, I hit a bit of a wall mentally and lost some of the fun.
A running group seemed like just the thing to get me back on track. Providence Running Company in Wayland Square recently began hosting a weekly run on Thursdays at 6pm and, Chase, the store manager, invited me to join.
Chase’s group runs are pretty casual affairs. He keeps the groups small, the pace and distance manageable, and fosters a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere. A handful of folks turned up on the night I attended. A trainer from Fitness Together, a nearby personal training studio, started us off with a quick lunge routine to activate the muscles and get the legs warmed up.
After that, we divided into faster and slower groups. I sized up the faster group: Chase, a Road Runners Club of America certified coach who does ultra-marathons just for funsies; a former track competitor; and a Russian guy with the imposing build of the villain in an ‘80s sports movie. I knew I was at least capable of their intended pace, if not currently training at it, and I decided to try to keep up with this fleet-footed group.
We set off through Wayland Square to the start of the Blackstone Boulevard path, ran it to the end and back for a little over four miles. It was a vigorous run, but Chase never pushed us to the point that it stifled conversation – he even dialed us back a little when we found ourselves ahead of pace. The company of other seasoned runners kept me running faster and stronger than I might have on my own. A good time was had by all and I had the opportunity to talk a little shop with Chase after:
Providence Running Company
195 Wayland Avenue
454-1924
Facebook.com/ProvidenceRunningCompany
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