The group effect
Stéphane Despatie
26-03-2018
The group effect
…or the benefits of joining a club, having training partners, surrounding yourself with active people.
You got there. You may not know it, but yes, you've been there.
Confess; You’ve already learned a little about the clubs, right? You have already told yourself that you would progress further within a club, that you would be more motivated and diligent. And you know what? You're right. So what are you waiting for to join a group?
Not for me
“I have a crazy, atypical schedule, the club schedule doesn't fit well with the daycare schedule, I don't look like that world, I don't have the fancy little kits that they have, I'm not fast enough to keep up, I don't like sects, etc. »; we've heard it all before.
And you know what? You're smarter than these lame excuses; you are able to adapt your schedule by racking your brain a little, by talking about it with your boyfriend or girlfriend, with your boss or your colleagues. And if the schedule doesn't work all the time with yours, it will still work often, or more often than you think, and then, you're a lot more like the members of the club than you think, and then if this is not the case; what do we care?
“I’m more of a loner, with my music, and I like to go sightseeing while running, to go on adventures, without a timer…”; We heard that too. And you know what else? Your solo races the way you like them (currently, at least), well, you can still do them even if you are part of a club!
It's for you
Here are some good reasons to join a group:
- Usually, there is a qualified trainer who offers structured outings that aim for good progress.
- It's motivating.
- It encourages you to regularize your practice and to be diligent.
- It’s more pleasant in a group and strong bonds are formed.
- You will improve.
- You're going to learn.
- You will stop improvising and risking injuries unnecessarily.
- You will surpass yourself.
- You will meet models, experienced people.
- You will have a network of motivating athletes.
- You will finally know your paces.
- You will have partners to sign up for races, to carpool.
- You will learn to have realistic goals.
- You're going to put down your headphones and pay attention to your stride, your breathing and the environment.
- It will now become part of your schedule that you and your entourage will respect.
All this is possible while having fun and without becoming a performance freak!
The performance ?
The reasons for joining a club are multiple and very different for everyone: to lose weight, to make friends or meet your soul mate, because you signed up for a marathon on a drinking night and you want to limit the damage, because only you lack motivation; all reasons are good.
The performance in all this? Depending on your fitness level, it’s a safe bet that by joining a club, you will become more efficient. Whether or not the idea of performance crosses your mind, improved performance is one of the happy effects of a club for most people who are even a little enthusiastic and diligent.
The vocation of certain clubs is very focused on performance, while others have more modest but equally laudable aims. The important thing before joining a club is to ask questions about your own goals and then shop for your club accordingly. You will then be surprised that the majority of clubs have formulas aimed at almost everyone. If you want to run your marathon under 2h30 and you are looking for a club that will support you in your objectives, there, although entirely possible, it gets a little more complicated, the funnel narrows, but for the majority of people , it's very easy to find a club that will make you happy.
Among the members of a club, you will find everything: very good athletes, beginners, old people, young people, people who will never do approved races, people who do too much, self-conscious people, have you seen, anorexics and overweight people. It’s a portrait of real life with one exception: you will all be driven by the same passion, and that’s no small thing! You don't want to know who they vote for, you want to run with them! And one of the nice surprises is that most of the time, there is incredible respect for everyone's level and objectives, as well as a real spirit of camaraderie. You know, running is not innate, and all the members of the club started at the beginning…and most people remember their first steps!
Find answers
A club is a mobile Google.
It is often in a club that we learn why we should change our shoes, when we should stretch, which educational (and what is educational!) to favor, and a lot of other technical details about hydration, nutrition or others. This is also when we realize that we are ready to sign up for our first 10k or something, or that we should never have signed up for the marathon now and that maybe we should postpone the project... This is also often where we see that we should correct this or that defect, just as we sometimes realize that we are much quicker than we thought. This is also where we learn that there are only a few places left for the St-Glinglin half marathon and that there is a discount for those who now register for the 5 km at Parc Machin.
There may even be a member who will encourage you to add cycling and swimming to your program, and subtly, you will become a triathlete; who knows? In short, it’s an extraordinary network that pulls us up.
What are you waiting for to find a club?
