That's Fit

I run alone. On purpose. Not only do I avoid actually running in the company of others, I'm generally on the streets after 11pm, when all is quiet, and I can huff and puff under the cover of darkness.

But I've recently -- stupidly -- agreed to run a half marathon in February 2008, and in the wake of this ill-advised decision, a few more experienced runners have suggested joining a group. Here's a list of reasons I think this may be a bad idea:

1. Exposing my physical discomfort to others would be embarrassing
2. Everyone would be better than me, which would also be embarrassing
3. I can't breathe well enough to talk while I run
4. I don't run fast enough to justify not talking, and I'm worried that everyone will subsequently think I'm a jerk
5. A dozen or so real people that I'll see frequently, face-to-face, will know that I've agreed to run an absurdly long distance and won't let me back out even if I have a really clever, well-articulated excuse.

On the other hand, I was told I could go from zero to marathon in "six months," just by riding on the motivational waves of an organization of like-minded fitness enthusiasts. I'm a person who likes a quick fix, so the fact that I could achieve such greatness without actually having to motivate myself is enticing.

So then there's the question: if I were to make myself part of a jogging team, how would I pick the right one? Because I was serious about reasons 2, 3, and 4. If these people are all ex-Olympians, I'll last about 15 minutes before I'll be forced to make up an excuse about a recent, mysterious injury and/or food allergy that I won't be able to explain, just before I sneak off to my car and drive away -- never to be heard from again.

I'll be starting here, at Meetup.com. There's a section just for people who are looking for running partners -- at various skill levels -- and you can search for your area by zip code. If you can't find anyone who seems like the right fit, you can always create a post yourself. I'll also post on Craigslist, under the Community Activities section. If you live anywhere near a place that even resembles an urban center, you probably have a corresponding site on Craigslist, and a community of people that use it.

What about you? Do you run in a group? Have you found it useful?