Running CREW vs Running CLUB - I Finally Get It

This post is about my personal experience of running with a certain Run Club and I thought I would share it with you guys, we'd love to hear your thoughts too. I'm not going to lie, running with them made me pretty angry. I, Laura, am a part of Run Dem Crew. I started my running journey with them and I can say that my running behavior is what it is thanks to them.

I remember one day I ran with a lady on my Tuesday run with Rundem and during a casual conversation with her she told me she didn't like to run with people. I thought "go away then" but my diplomatic self just smiled and carried on running. She even added that "running is a selfish sport". I can see what she means: running is about you, your mind and your legs, but on the other hand I disagree.

Running isn't a selfish sport. I love running surrounded by people. Rundem is the crew that gives me that extra push that I need when I feel run down while I run. I never feel alone when I run with my crew. Over the last year since I started running I'm really proud to say that I am part of this big family of 150+ members, a family which is growing every season.

As a crew, we look out for each other, we care and we wait for each other. We start together and we finish together. No one is left behind and that's one fucking golden rule!

This is how we do it every Tuesday.

Unfortunately, this rule does not apply to all run clubs, as I found out this week.

I recently experienced my first run with a running club...seriously WTF? What a disappointment and how can running get me so angry, when it normally makes me happy (and want to bake, yeah I know random)?

It was a pretty short run but it felt like forever.

The running lead was some sort of Speedy Gonzales, Sonic or Flash "encouraging" people to sprint (for 1 whole kilometer BTW) when many were clearly out of breathe, not even asking if everyone was OK. The pacer ran off with the fastest people at the front and we lost them - they were out of sight, leaving us to find our own way back to the meetup point.

We had a back marker but that's not the point. Bruv, this was a simple, short run in the city not a race so chill. Eager beaver of running I don't like you! You made me and my girls feel like shit. I'm not the fastest runner but I enjoy running and that's all that matters.

No one turned around to check who was left behind! NO ONE! This got me so vex I wanted to cut it short and go home but I stayed with my friends who are pretty new to running to help them finish. I was swearing in Jamaican even though I'm French throughout the "run" loooool!

I did not feel any sort of warmth coming from the run club. They were cold, antisocial, ran and then fucked off. Mehhhhh boring!

This is my personal opinion.

If I could give you one piece of advice: if you want to get into running grab a friend or two and just run and have a laugh together. Make it enjoyable with no pressure. You don't have to be fast, just run.

You won't become Paula Radcliffe over night,  but you'll become a better version of yourself with some miles in your leg.

And, maybe, nicer legs and bum (that's the case for me...LOL)

What are you thoughts on Run Clubs? What have you experienced running with different groups of people, strangers, friends? We would love to hear what you think too!