Training and Racing – With a Group or Solo?

When you train and race, are you a person who enjoys music, a group of people, conversation? Or do you prefer being alone, no distractions, just your thoughts, nature and feet hitting the pavement? There is no right or wrong answer.

Sharing a run with a group or on your own can be very therapeutic for your mental and emotional health. It lets you release stress, and the act of exercising helps to release the feel-good hormones (endorphins) in our bodies. They call it “runner’s high” for a reason! Tracking your miles, pace, and sharing on social media is a good way to keep yourself engaged and motivated by letting others see your progress.

Running with friends is also a way to combat feelings of loneliness or isolation. Cigna recently surveyed people around the country, and more than half of Americans reported feeling lonely or left out. Joining your fellow runners can help build friendships, improve your physical and mental health, and help achieve balance in your daily life.

When I train, I enjoy running solo, being on a trail and watching life happen around me. Don’t get me wrong, I also enjoy running with a group, sharing how our training is going, and playing music to pump us up! The running community as a whole is a great thing to be a part of. People from many walks of life come together to share in a common love of running. The friendships you make from running with a team or group transcend time. I am in my late 30s now, but have been a part of a running club since I was younger and my parents were runners! To this day, I will still see friends and families I have known since childhood and whose children's children have picked up the sport!

Whether you train alone or with a group, nothing will beat the feeling of joining the crowd on race day to run through Disney World parks! Seeing the Disney characters and cheer groups along the way will help keep your spirits up as you clock the miles. Many of my colleagues are part of Team Cigna and will be lacing up their shoes to run beside you on race day.

As we compete, we all have the same goal in mind – crossing the finish line and feeling that medal around our necks. The sense of pride and accomplishment from finishing a 5k, 10k, half or full marathon is second to none. And the sense of group and community doesn’t end at the finish line. Talking about how the race went and sharing your feelings continues…as you plan for your next race!

Philip Grand is a Case Manager Specialist at Cigna, the presenting sponsor of Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.