Power in Numbers

Earlier this week, I was talking with a few of my coworkers and the subject of working out came up. One of them mentioned they couldn’t imagine working out with people – she wanted to be left alone! But it got me thinking about how much I’m the opposite: I LOVE having someone to share a workout with.

I’m going to work out every day regardless, but I won’t deny the workouts where I’m meeting up with friends are way more fun than doing it alone. There are plenty of days I get up at 4:30 in the morning to get my run in, and when you know there’s someone waiting for you, it makes it a lot easier to get out of bed. The days where I have to get up at the butt crack of dawn and get it done alone are a little slower moving. Once I’m going, it’s not so bad, but it definitely takes a lot of willpower to get myself out the door!

I think back to when I was training for the two marathons I did. Without a doubt, I don’t think I would have gotten through the training if it weren’t for the fact that I had other people training with me. It was incredibly hard waking up early on a Saturday morning knowing I would have to go run 15+ miles, and there were plenty of times where all I wanted to do was say “screw it” and go back to sleep. But my friends kept me accountable, and it was so much more enjoyable going out there and having someone to talk to the whole time too. It helps take your mind off the pain of running that far! 😉

I also think that this is a large reason I really haven’t been swimming much the last couple of years. Swimming growing up, through college, and even for a few years after college – that’s where I got to hang out with my friends. Not only did I love the sport, but I was surrounded by other people who also loved the sport. It’s a lot like Run Club here in Watertown. The people are a large part of what makes it so enjoyable.

I tried to keep up with swimming when I moved back to Watertown. I tried to recruit some WARC members to come swim with me, and for a while, it worked. I’d meet up with a few people a couple of times a week to swim and it was fun. Once covid hit and the pool closed for a while, that put an end to it, and we never really got back into the swing of it. I miss it terribly, and maybe someday we’ll make our way back there. So, if there’s anyone reading who wants a swim buddy – hit me up!

If you are like me, and enjoy having someone to work out with, I’d like to encourage you to make that one of your goals this year: find a workout buddy. Help keep each other accountable. And of course, joining the Watertown Area Run Club is always a fantastic option as well if you enjoy running. Even if you don’t enjoy it, we have a way of making you enjoy it – we’re a lot of fun!

Feel free to reach out to me if you’re interested and I’ll hook you up with all the details. Let’s make this a fun year together!

Until next time! 🙂

Megan Nelson