How to make solo runs more fun

Finn Melanson [00:00:10]: Hello, fellow runners. I'm your host, Finn Melanson, and this is the Run to the Top podcast. The podcast dedicated to making you a better runner with each and every episode. We are created and produced by the expert team of coaches at runnersconnect.net Where you can find the best running information on the Internet as well as training plans to fit every runner in every budget. Runners are often divided on whether they prefer the solitude of running alone or the sense of community that comes with running in a group. Whatever your preference, most of us have found ourselves needing to head out the door alone at some point. Maybe you've had to sneak in a quick run before your next meeting, Or maybe you couldn't find someone at the same pace to run with for a workout. Luckily, there are a lot of strategies runners can use to make the most of these solo adventures.

Finn Melanson [00:01:03]: On today's show, we'll talk about why these runs may actually be beneficial for your running and how to make them more enjoyable if you struggle to get excited about training without a group. Over the course of the next hour or so, we'll cover topics including how solo runs can make you a better runner, tips to stay engaged when running alone, And we'll even hear from you, the Runners Connect community, on your favorite strategies to keep these runs fun. So let's dive right in, and I will Pass it over to Corey to get us started. Metabolic profiling, Sometimes referred to as MetPro is an advanced methodology created by transformation specialist, Angelo Poli. Metpro analyzes a person's specific response to diet and activity and adjusts based on their personal needs and goals. We'll talk more about it in detail later in the show. But if you're interested in seeing how it works and getting a free consultation, check it out at metpro.co forward slash r t t t. That's metpro.c0forward/rtt.

Finn Melanson [00:02:13]: You're looking for the best way to strengthen your immune system and improve recovery during your taper or as the seasons change, You need to check out Armra colostrum. Later in the episode, I'll dig into all the research. But if you wanna see for yourself, just head to tryarmra.com forward slash r t t t.

Cory Nagler [00:02:37]: I personally find myself doing most of my training runs solo since I tend to get up pretty early to fit everything in before work. It can be tough motivated when you don't have the encouragement of other runners around. So I'm pleased to have coach Andy on with me today to chat about what you can do to make these runs more exciting. Welcome back, Andy. And to warm up this topic a little, let's hear your take. Are you more of a group runner or a solo runner?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:03:01]: I feel like I'm somewhere in in between. Like, I'd prefer to have groups to run with, but I've also spent a lot of my training time alone, just through, you know, having a different working lifestyle when I first started training postcollegiate, so I came from a background of you do all your runs with people. Then when I graduated, I was running at, you know, 4:30 or 5 in the morning every day and just to get them in. And so I had to kinda get used to just running a lot by myself, and so I've gotten pretty good at that. Nowadays, I try to meet up for some of my easy runs to make those guy go by a little bit faster to chat with friends. But a lot of times, I'll still do my workouts by myself. So just so that I can control the effort, it's definitely a skill that I feel like I have, kind of worked on over time. And, you know, I think for different people, it's gonna it's gonna be a little bit different about what easy running can be to you and how it can be beneficial, but, sometimes I, end up going a little bit faster when I'm by myself, which is probably not the most advantageous way for it to to go.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:04:00]: But, so I I think it's there's some value when I can get in with group runs because it sometimes it forces me to kind of be a little bit less focused on the effort and the pace, But at the same time, I think easy runs can also be a really good way to really focus on your effort and feel those differences because you don't have a whole lot else to focus on. You can really dig in there, and that's where, I think, the challenging part comes from is that it's kinda just you alone with your thoughts, and so Figuring out ways to really manage that can be beneficial to you. So, you know, figuring that part out is is huge, but it's definitely it takes some practice. So Yeah.

Cory Nagler [00:04:37]: For sure. And I love that you called it a skill. That was gonna be my next question as soon as you talked about getting getting good at it. It doesn't sound like something that you need to improve at. But of course, you're used to running in a group, it can be both mentally and physically challenging to to not have that. So hopefully, today, as we kinda get into some strategies for making these runs more more fun and enjoyable. That'll help, help give some tools for our listeners to kinda get in that practice needed to build on that skill. Just as we dive into this more, I wanna start with, exploring a little bit of what might lead somebody to to run solo because I think for most of us, we do really really crave those group runs.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:05:15]: Yeah. I mean, I think that the the benefits There are that when you when you when you have to ride alone, it's it's not the most fun, but it can be really beneficial to you because In a on a race day, are you always gonna be surrounded by people? Are you always gonna have that added benefit of people pushing you? There's gonna be times where you are alone in the race, and you have be able to manage what that feels like. And the other big thing that I find is that, you know, from a, like a physiological standpoint, Like, we we have to be able to stay in tune with how we feel in order for us to benefit from training at any point in our training cycles. And so if we're always distracted by either people or by, you know, music or which I think can be ways that we can actually help ourselves get through days when we're not motivated to run by ourselves, But I think it's also super important that sometimes we do run by ourselves and we don't have any inputs. We don't have any any distractions because I think that really helps us to train That ability to focus through long periods of time that are gonna be challenging or difficult. And so being able to develop that skill, I think, can be really, really, a big part of improving your racing and your ability to, feel your efforts out, which I think is something that, especially a lot of new runners, have to After learn is just, like, how do you know what a pace feels like? How do you kinda lock in on that pace, and then how can you Carry that over to race day. How can you really use those as being the ways that you develop your training as opposed to focusing solely on paces or times or or all these things that are a little bit more, you know, broader. We wanna make sure that we're able to feel what we're doing so that that way we can actually feel ourselves get faster.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:06:55]: We know that we're pushing our limits. We know that we're doing everything we can, and so, having opportunities where we are solo and we don't have distractions is gonna be the best way for us to really reach that point and really reach that edge. When we have things that are motivating us, then it's a little bit easier, but when we're devoid of that, then that's where it gets Hard, and we have to have that ability to kind of push through that. So yeah.

Cory Nagler [00:07:17]: Yeah. And I'm gonna come back a little bit on this piece of kind of building that mental fortitude that you touched on. But Just on the more practical piece as well, are there are there any kind of, lifestyle reasons that, might make runners wanna run solo? I know you mentioned a little bit how you've had to run solo a lot more since, leaving your collegiate training.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:07:36]: Yeah. I think, work is probably one of the biggest things for a lot of people is that when we have Work or kids, it kinda makes our schedules a lot more challenging, so, it forces us to have to do more runs easy, or not easy, are alone. But I think another reason that we we need to have some time alone is that, especially, if you're running in a group that's a little bit faster, That can be a benefit maybe on some of your workout days, but when you're trying to take it truly easy, you've you it's so much better for you to be able to be in your own space, and so On occasion, you know, you don't wanna be in a group that's gonna be pushing you to run faster than your easy pace should be because that's not gonna help us down the line. That's gonna probably put us at higher risk for injury or it's just gonna be too much on the body and we're gonna be tired all the time. So, I think that those are probably the 2 biggest reasons why We we end up running alone is to you know, just with schedule difficulties, timing, and being able to kinda just wanna be on our own time, And then, needing some space to just run your pace is gonna be probably the 2 biggest things, I'd say.

Cory Nagler [00:08:40]: Yeah. For sure. Just on the pacing piece. I'm curious. You you mentioned a lot having to do a lot of workout solo, and that's something I find as well. I find I end up doing most of my group runs, for the easy pieces, just because there's a little more flexibility there where you're working versus usually you have more of a narrow narrow target when you're doing those workouts. Is there does any of that benefit transfer over to workouts as well to not push yourself too fast? Or is it Kind of a little bit more important there to make sure that you're you're letting your body or your training dictate those paces.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:09:12]: Yeah. I think that that's I think that it can go both ways. Like, there can be benefits to having trained partners that push you, but I think there also can be benefit to not always Trying to go to the extremes, which is something I used to do when I was younger because I'm super, super competitive, that I I used to always just try to win workouts, which is not necessarily the goal. It's the the goal is to to stay within your means and and run hard, but I think that there can be there can be beautiful sides. Like, if you're somebody who is is struggling with kind of finding where your limits are and you're trying to figure out, like, is this too hard? Is this too easy? Sometimes having someone that can push you or just motivate you or pace you can help you to kinda start to realize what that feels like. But on the other side, yeah, like, if you if you're doing workouts, people who are a little bit faster than you, too often and we're overextending and and reaching outside of the zones that we're training for, it's not gonna end up being beneficial to us. So you're doing a tempo workout at a pace that's beyond your threshold. Yeah.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:10:12]: You might be able to hang on and do it, but are you training your temp are you training that, you know, that threshold and the tempo, or are you training more into a VO two max anaerobic capacity? And so we wanna make sure that those are controlled when we when we can. Maybe if you're doing a speed workout and you're trying to get some good turnover, that could be a good time to have somebody to kind of see and push you a little bit, but, when we're training for certain stimuluses, we really wanna make sure we stay in that stimulus category. So, that's where one that's where it's it can be beneficial to to do it yourself and or or if you wanna practice being around people, you can, But the it I think it almost takes practicing by yourself to be able to then work out in a group and not go over, not extend beyond your means just because there's somebody in front of you. So I think that that the 2 can go hand in hand. It makes you better at the other. So Yeah. That'll be my feedback.

Cory Nagler [00:11:07]: For sure. Yeah. I mean, it's it's great to have somebody to push you. But I think, there's always that 1 person in a workout who's 2 stepping or just pushing you to go those those extra few seconds faster, which can take you beyond your threshold?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:11:18]: Yep. Exactly. So we touched

Cory Nagler [00:11:21]: a lot on there and kind of the the control and the pacing that comes with running alone. Are are there any benefits beyond the pacing, that come with With being able to run alone versus in a group?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:11:33]: Yeah. I I mean, I think the biggest one is gonna be the the ability to focus, and running is just You're trying to you have to train your body to you train your mind to focus for very long periods of time, and when you're running with a group, you're You're kinda getting distracted for so long that, you know, the run goes by super quick and it's fun and that's great, but, like, what happens on race day when, you're getting tired and it's not fun anymore and you don't have anything distract you and you haven't trained to know how to Manage those emotions when it feels like 5 when when 2 miles feels like forever. You know? I think that's the biggest Time frame that we're running by ourselves is giving us that benefit in that final 5 k of your half or that final 10th of your marathon. When it hurts, do you have the capacity or the ability to stay focused and stay engaged and work through those emotions? And when we run alone without distraction, we kinda train that piece. We, have to figure out, okay, how do I keep myself going? How do I stay engaged? I don't have anything that's gonna like, what what things what tools can I use? What what tactics, what tricks can I keep just stay moving forward and stay kind of in that zone that we're looking for in order to get the most out of ourselves? If you're not prepared for that, that's where we can That pain hits, and we can only handle it for so long because we've only trained our body to be able to distract ourselves, so we don't really know what to do with that pain, and it can instantly take us over. So we wanna make sure we have that capacity. And Even doing a slow easy run, a recovery run, I think, is probably gonna be the best days that you do by yourself because recovery runs, like, almost never feel good. You know? You're Tired because you ran a hard effort the day before, and so even running easy kinda feels a little bit challenging even if your body is saying, oh, yeah.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:13:27]: This is right heart rate zone or whatever. They still don't feel good, and they feel like they last forever. I don't know if that's your experience, but I think that's a big Experiences that I have is sometimes the day after a workout, I'm just slogging through it, and it's challenging. But those workouts are the kinds that are that are really helping you in that last 10 k, recalling that, being able to continue in pushing forward and making it through when it's not fun and it's not enjoyable because that's that's the exact thing that's gonna happen when you get Tired in a race. So I think a lot of this comes down to, how we mentally handle, you know, that that boredom or the pain or whatever it is.

Cory Nagler [00:14:05]: Yeah. That is definitely my experience on most of those easy runs. And I always find joy in those, like, few little easy runs you get in Training block when you're, like, near the end of base building before the workouts or, like, in a taper where it's like, oh my gosh. This easy run actually feels good for once.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:14:21]: Right. Exactly. You're like, oh, it actually feels kinda nice. I love it. Yeah.

Cory Nagler [00:14:25]: Now it's great, and then it doesn't last long, of course. But, I guess I'm I'm curious as well just in this mental piece, because you do definitely have to equip yourself, To be able to to run solo in a race. But if you're running a big race, let's say world major like Berlin or Chicago or Boston, You're probably not spending a lot of time solo. Do you think the same training applies to running in a group, or is that really more specific to running solo?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:14:54]: Yeah. And that's I think that's a good question because I think that if you're not used to running in groups, that's where you do wanna have some ability to recognize how people like, what people are doing around you and be able to kind of use them into some some regard. But I think also when you're running in a big group a big race like that, you also have to be able to be in your own race. You have to run your own race at times, especially the marathon. So if you, For instance, our running Chicago coming up this weekend, or I guess this won't be airing before this weekend, but, Chicago is coming up this weekend for those those who are who are racing. That's gonna be a pretty crowded race for probably a good bit of it. And a lot of people tend to either get out too quick or They do the weaving thing in the beginning, and so if you were to be just kinda going with the flow of the people around you, then you're not running your own race. Whereas and you'll know that by how you feel.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:15:48]: And, you like we said, it's kind of like you get in a better space, in a better zone when you're Running by yourself because you really feel those efforts out. So you can compare and contrast how you felt, you know, being alone and then kinda put that on yourself on race day so that, you can make sure that you're not just being dragged along by the crowd. You're you can still kinda stay in the zone of like, okay. I'm still running my own race. There's lots of people around me, but I can still do what I need to do for me and work my way up how I need to and not let, Uh-oh. These all these people are passing me right now, getting our on our head space. So that's that's something I actually had to do At, I raised grandma's earlier this year. I was having some injury issues, but, I didn't wanna go out.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:16:34]: I was going for the OTQ, and I did not want to go out at pace. And I felt like the vast majority of the runners around me, that's what they're going for, was that Olympic trials qualifier. And I knew, like, oh, well, I'm gonna start more conservative. So and pet people were just, like, flying by me. And I was like, you know what? This is This is the race that I need to run, so let me just do what I need to do, and that was something I think I developed either doing my workouts by myself or doing some of those easy runs alone and recognizing that I'm Still working for myself and not for other people, and that's what I needed to do for me. And so I think that helps us with that piece of that. So even that those bigger races, we're still Taking into account that, you know, our goals are our own, and we have to, respect that for ourselves.

Cory Nagler [00:17:21]: Yeah. No. That piece on the individual goals is great. And, just a little context for listeners, we are coming up on the Chicago Marathon, as we record this, just recording a little earlier than usual due to some scheduling. But as you're listening, we're coming up on the New York City Marathon. If you're running that one, You're definitely gonna find that the back half of that is gonna hurt if you go out too quick. So I think a prime example of where really having your own strategy going into it is gonna be really helpful to set you up for

Andie Cozzarelli [00:17:48]: Oh, yeah. New York is one of those that gets really congested early on from what I've heard. I've never raised it, but, that's one of the things that we typically talk to our athletes about in in prep for New York is, staying relaxed, start up that bridge. People are weaving and dodging, and and we wanna avoid all of that as much as we can and and just kinda take your time, stay stay relaxed, stay focused. So yeah.

Cory Nagler [00:18:12]: Yeah. For sure. The last piece I really wanna touch on in terms of reasons, to run solo is The time efficiency just because personally, that's a really big reason why I run is I find when you're not dealing with others, you can just out the door, do whatever length that we're on and then you're right back. Whereas when you're in a group, there's a big social component. You're chatting, people take a while to warm up, which It's great. It's a lot of fun. But when you're getting ready to to head to a meeting or you have other plans after, that can be tough. Is is that something that you find place into your own training or or for your athletes Training.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:18:45]: Yeah. I for me, especially, I'm I always joke that I'm the last person to leave anywhere I'm going because I just I you know, I'll get talking, and then I will just I'll just be there all day. And so for me, yeah, when I know myself that when I need to, You know, be on a schedule. I can't let things get in the middle of that, so I can't get distracted by them. And so that time when I know that I've got a busy day, I just I need to run by myself so that I, don't end up, you know, sticking around talking for too long or doing those things because I know I know myself. That's that's exactly what will happen. And so, yeah, that was especially when I used to run it, you know, 5 in the morning, I was on this Very tight schedule of, you know, you get up at at this time. I had 30 minutes to to eat something, put my shoes on, get out the door, come back, And then I was just in this routine that I that I barely had.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:19:38]: I had little tiny broom for error. And so, and I I still blame that as part of the reason that I'm late to everything or or just on time, because I used to just segment my time out so that I was just, You know, just a few minutes early or right on time or a little bit late, it was there's no lot not a lot of wiggle room there. And so, yeah, I think for a lot of riders, it's it's trying to Kinda stay in those bounds and stay in those those zones and and not having too many other things that are gonna kinda interfere, with timing of when you have to be aware. So yeah.

Cory Nagler [00:20:11]: So you you're that person in the group who's holding everyone back is what I'm hearing.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:20:15]: Yep. I am. And I, nowadays, I don't. I run mostly from my house, and I I kinda take my time in the morning. I think I I did my due diligence on on the 5 AM running and and kind of being on this Very tight schedule. So now sometimes I'll be a little bit more flexible with myself, and allow myself to get the sleep that I need and do all those things. And so, You know, I have a lot of but not everybody has the luxury of that schedule, so, that that is something that I've come to really appreciate. So I try to do it when I can, but I also make Try to make some some opportunities to go meet up with people so that I am kind of getting my wheels turning early when I need to, and all that good stuff.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:20:58]: But, yeah, I am I'm definitely that person a little bit nowadays. Not as much as back in the day, it was was the one that was like, I gotta go. Goodbye.

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Cory Nagler [00:24:02]: Yeah. No. The same way. I, I absolutely love the group runs. But I definitely find because when I run on my own, I'm in such a routine to get it in a certain amount of time. And Oftentimes, if it gets dragged out, I I start looking at the watch.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:24:15]: Yep. And and the other thing is a lot of the group runs here. Guess we've got some we've got some people that I run with every once in a while, but I think a lot of the group runs around here, the brewery runs, which are typically an afternoon, evening thing. And I'm a morning runner through and through, so a lot of times I don't I don't have the patience or I don't really wanna wait till the evening to get it in. So I I knock it out, and then I I just plan my social outings to just go hang out at the runs. So that's kinda how I've how I've made it work is, you know, I'm a very social person, so, you know, when I need to just do my own thing, I do my own thing, and I meet up later. And that that works too. So if that's you, that's that's also an option to keep keep you Keep your extroverted self kinda still in a good space even if you run by yourself.

Cory Nagler [00:25:00]: Couldn't agree more. I'd say the, the post run brunch is one of my favorite even if you don't actually link up for the run itself?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:25:06]: Yes. Exactly.

Cory Nagler [00:25:09]: Cool. So I know you did say that you're doing a lot of running solo despite really enjoying those group runs. So curious for you personally, do you have any specific strategies that you use that help to make those more enjoyable?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:25:23]: Yeah. I well, so I've gotten really good at I a lot of times I think because my mind is always is always running, I'm always kinda just like thinking about stuff, but, I really love to go. I have routes that I've made around my house, and, there's ones that I really enjoy doing for the scenery. There's some cool neighborhoods, and I'll go run through them and just kinda, like, you know, look at the surroundings. There's also some really cool greenways out here that are really peaceful and serene, so I kind of like going to those when I can, just for, like, the the, just kind of being in a place that makes you feel good and being outdoors and reminding yourself you're outdoors. I live downtown, so it can be a little bit busy at times. And so there's some of that where I'm, like, kinda just looking, like, kinda people watching as I run. So, that's something you can kinda, you know, take on.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:26:14]: But, otherwise, it's it's I I think, though, I think I might have a different relationship with it, then maybe some other people might. It's it's something, like we said, is a skill, and so it's been a long time coming, learning to run by myself and not run hard. So when I first started running when I was in, high school, It's kind of a funny story. I was I was a soccer player, and I, only picked up running because I was good at it, and my high school coach came to me. I wasn't gonna run cross country, and he said, are you sure you don't wanna come out? And so he convinced me and I came out, and there was a great group of girls that used to run with him every day, But they were all upperclassmen, and when they graduated, I didn't have anyone to run with. And so I used to just and I didn't know any of the routes because I just followed. I just fell at people. So there was only this 1 3 mile route that I knew, and I would just run it as fast as I could.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:27:06]: And, you know, when you're only doing 3 miles every couple of days, like, Not a big deal to be running them fast, but not the ideal situation either. So, I that was how I started running. And so as you can tell, it's I think a lot of runners do this where they or they know they don't have a lot of time or they're by themselves and they get bored, and so they just try to run hard to get it done with quicker, And it's not effective, and I have learned that the hard way. So, you know, when I got to college, I had to kind of figure that part out, so it's taken me a bit. My 1st year in in college, I was used to kind of being one of the best runners in high school, and so then you're kind of competitive with your teammates at first, and so a lot of runs, we'd go a little bit too hard at first, and that burned me out really quick my 1st 2 weeks in college. And then I I kinda started to recognize, you know, you know, just take it easier, run easier, and we started just having fun on the runs, Having good conversation, and then there was days when I felt good, and I just wanted to kinda get into that flow state that, like, zen of just Being out there and moving and listening to your breath and just feeling feeling all the the endorphins kind of rough like, kinda rush up into you. And So I kind of started to have some appreciation for those days, you know, and you felt you felt good. You feel you feel like you're enjoying the space you're in.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:28:23]: The weather's beautiful. Those kind of things started to take shape, and I started to enjoy that piece of it more and more. And so it might take a bit if if you're a newer runner for you to really reach That state, I think it also comes with, like, learning to how the efforts feel. And when you have a day that you just feel good, It makes it so much easier to be alone by yourself and in your own thoughts and not be bored of it because you're you're enjoying it because of how good you feel from it. And so I think that that's something to strive for is that, you know, keep taking those runs nice and easy to develop your aerobic capacity so that You can have those days where you can just relax and just go out for an enjoyable relaxing run, and not be, You know, hating it, and I think that that's the that's kind of a curve that we had to go through when we first start running is that it's not fun in the beginning when we're getting into shape and when it is. It's just so nice to have those runs that are just, like, 1 in a 1000000. You get to kinda, just be in the moment, and so that's something that I've kind of started to appreciate now, especially now that I've been coming back from an injury presently, you know, it's just been more fun to just be out there and And feel the wind and feel the things all be in the good weather and just kind of soak it all in. And I I think that's it's Hard to say, like, here's your magic bullet for that, but, yeah, I think that that's something to, like, always think about.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:29:47]: I remember in college one time, I also wrote a I had a paper, that I had to write, and I was thinking about it. And I pretty much came up like, wrote my paper in my head and went home and typed it. So, you know, that can be a good way to get through a run if you're trying to if you've got something on your mind, go Kinda think through it on the run. You might I always felt like I had, like, the most amazing thoughts while I was running. So, kind of be open to that a little bit and Have some fun with it.

Cory Nagler [00:30:15]: Yeah. Yeah. I I'd love this piece of kind of solo runs. Not only are they a skill that you can build with practice, but they actually get more fun as you do them more. And you kinda learn what helps yourself to stay engaged. I've definitely found that to be the case, Where, you know, the more you get used to doing the runs, the more they just kind of are fun and your your mind shift mindset kinda shifts a little bit. A couple other things that that I found help. And I I don't know if you've ever put out of these in the practice, but one is kind of, if I'm ever listening to, like, Podcast or music.

Cory Nagler [00:30:47]: Sometimes, I'll reserve my favorites for for easy runs. I'll be, like, okay, Thursday, Friday. I'm not gonna listen to this until then. The other thing is be because a lot of those solo runs tend to be workouts. So often kinda set aside my my kind of more Fun gear, or shoes and stuff for those workouts or solo runs, and I find that kinda give me something to look forward to. Yeah.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:31:09]: I like that. Yeah. I guess I do do that too. That's been, right now with cross training, I do I have been like there's shows that I haven't been watching, when I'm just hanging around so that I can watch them while cross training. So very similar principle of, like, getting having something kinda to look forward to in a sense. Yeah. I kind of feel like I do this a similar thing with, like, oh, I'm gonna save this this pair my favorite pair of shorts for This workout that I'm going to do, Yeah. I personally on easy runs, I I get nervous about listening to music.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:31:42]: If I'm running outside, if I'm on a treadmill, I I have to listen to something. I just hate the treadmill so much. But, when I'm running outside, I try not to use the head, headphones because of just a little bit for my safety. I think there's some products out there you can do that'll make it a little bit safer, but I just love To be a I like to be aware of my surroundings when I whenever I can be. So

Cory Nagler [00:32:04]: Yeah. Totally. And I also completely hate the Treadmill. If you are listening to this and you enjoy running on the treadmill without music or video or anything, please write in or comment and tell us how because I need to learn from you. Yeah. Definitely. I'm curious as well. I wanna come to the cross training piece because I know our topic today is about solo runs.

Cory Nagler [00:32:24]: But I think The water runners are doing cross training. And oftentimes, those are solo. And even if you're with someone, it kinda feels solo if you're on a treadmill or elliptical or of that nature. So do you find you employ the same strategies, or is anything more specific for that cross training piece?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:32:41]: Yeah. I feel like for me, it's been finding what I enjoy a little bit more than others. So, I mean, you could swim. You can aqua jaw. You could elliptical. You can bike and do all these different things depending upon kind of what your injury is or or what you're cross training for, but I think it's important to approach Cross training as a supplement and not, like, the the you don't have to put all of your life into it. Like, you don't need to go crazy with it. And but I think that the thing that I do is yeah.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:33:10]: I I watch podcasts. I or I watch TV shows, listen to podcasts, or do stuff like that when I'm on them just to, like, pass it by because I really don't enjoy cross training. So first, it's picking a form of cross training that I enjoy for me, that's Elliptigo. So I ride the Elliptigo either on the trainer and watch a TV show, or I'll hop on the bike and go over to the greenway where I can kinda go for miles without getting stopped, and sometimes I'll listen to a podcast when I'm doing it that way. And then otherwise, you know, I've been utilizing, the Peloton bike more for workouts because I, it just helps me to get be a lot more engaged and push harder. I have I know I have I have a hard time doing cross training workouts because I just they I just don't enjoy them, and they feel so long that I I don't feel like I ever push myself hard enough to get something out of it. So I Because I just am having so little fun doing it at all, and I don't want to exhaust myself from that perspective. So I found that the Peloton works for me because I'm competitive, so I can focus on kinda trying to move up the leaderboard or beat my previous PR, and so that's been something that's helped me to kind of, you know, still do some of those things.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:34:23]: So mix you gotta kinda mix in things that you enjoy into that cross training work to ensure that it still stays, fun. I think the worst thing you can do in your cross training is just kind of drill yourself into it and You you because you can reach a state of, like, mental fatigue. And same thing with training, you can you can becomes mentally fatigued, but either way, those are it's gonna stop you from, being able to continue. And if running is what you're ultimately doing the cross training for, we don't wanna Be, you know, come off the cross training and just be totally just done for mentally that it's hard just to get back in a rhythm with running. And so, you know, be mindful about if that's if you're feeling that while you're cross training, pick things that are gonna be enjoyable and find ways that are motivating. And so for me, that's, You know, having the Peloton to do something that's gonna be put a little bit more, excitement into my harder days, and and then, you know, I watch TV shows and when I'm going easy on So not every day needs to be hard. Yeah. So that's kinda what I would I would think about.

Cory Nagler [00:35:28]: Yeah. Well, that sounds great. I think Same principle applies to cross training or running. I think the the best training you can do is the training that you do. It's If you're mentally exhausted and can't get out to do it, you're you're not benefiting from it at the end of the day.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:35:42]: Yep.

Cory Nagler [00:35:45]: Well, I think we've given our listeners a bit of a taste of what we enjoy doing on the run. I think for this episode, we are gonna mix things up a little bit, and we wanna hear from you, the RC audience. And luckily, we've had some write ins come in from our audience. So We're gonna share a little bit of what you guys find to be interesting on the run. So I'm gonna start with our first Right. And I apologize if I mispronounce this name, but it's coming in from Hain from Canada. And he tells us that he likes to keep his runs interesting by listening to music. And Hain, actually Just ran the Quebec City Marathon as we're playing this clip, so let's hear what he has to say.

Guest [00:36:29]: Very easy answer to How I keep my long runs fun? My time, my music as loud as I want for as long as I'm running.

Cory Nagler [00:36:42]: Well, thank you for writing in, Hain. Andy, do you have any thoughts on that? Are you, you a big fan of playing music while you, run or use the elliptical?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:36:51]: Yeah. I I think the biggest thing that I took from what he said, though, is I really appreciated the way that he emphasized it being his time. And, you know, he listened to that music as loud as he wanted to, and he he did what he wanted because it's his time and energy that I think is something that we have to remember for ourselves When we are running that, we don't don't think of it as a chore. Think of it as your time. It's your it's your time to do something for yourself, and so, whatever makes that more enjoyable, do it. So it sounds like for him, it's that that music piece to listen to music really loud and and really have fun with it. And so if something that's super motivating, that that's the that's the thing that you should do to make your time your time, so I appreciate that.

Cory Nagler [00:37:34]: Yeah. This is definitely somebody who's done a lot of solo runs. As you said, it kind of becomes more fun as you practice it, and it sounds like he has a good grasp of knowing what is it that makes it fun for you and taking ownership over that time?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:37:46]: Yeah. I love it.

Cory Nagler [00:37:48]: Yeah. I think a lot that, that the RC audience coming in from that one. So Awesome. I'll move on to the next one then, which comes in from Jim from Salt Lake City. And Jim likes to keep his runs fun by veering his route and using the Strava mapping feature. He also, as we're recording this, is about to run the Chicago Marathon, which we mentioned. So, good luck to you, Jim. But as you're listening, I hope it went well, and, let's hear what Jim has to say.

Guest [00:38:15]: Varying my routes is the best way I found to keep my runs interesting over time. And the best source I've found For finding new new routes that I'd never heard of is Strava's mapping function that comes as part of their pro plan. Thanks.

Cory Nagler [00:38:34]: Awesome. Thank you for submitting your entry, Jim. I think that's awesome. I love to mix up my routes, and usually I'll have kind of a rotation, so I'm not the same thing every day. But I personally never heard of the Estrava mapping feature. Andy, is that something you use?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:38:48]: Yeah. I I actually used to especially when I would Travel, I would use that mapping feature because you can see where there's heat maps. And so that helps the kind of make sure that there's gonna be who run there, so it's safety there's a safety factor there, more likely to be sidewalks or be safer, you know, based on, you know, where cars are and all that stuff. So I found that to be a great way to just kinda learn new places to go just based on where other people are going. And then, yeah, for when I'm running out of town, I've found, really more interesting places to try based on where other people are going, and, I think that's kind of fun. The I think I used this when we were out in We traveled to Italy several years ago, and I found, the this route really close to where we were staying, and it was basically along the, I think, the Tiber Tiber River, and it was very cool. It was just like a path, and it went on for a while. You pass the Olympic stadium at once on one end, And so I wouldn't have found that kind of stuff if I hadn't used that feature.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:39:47]: So that's definitely a really good way to start, you know, make things interesting. Because, you know, one thing that I have found that, you know, when I'm getting bored or getting not wanting to run from home as much is that, you know, I'll I'll go out somewhere and run from a new new area, and and you just kinda make a route out of it. And I do think that helps to make things a little bit more interesting. You're I'm able to kinda see more things that I didn't get haven't seen before, and so I think that can be really valuable.

Cory Nagler [00:40:13]: Yeah. And is this something that you need to be on the Paid membership for, or can anyone use this on Strava?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:40:19]: I believe it's paid. I it I don't think it used to be, but I believe that it's now part of their their higher level plan, so, probably worth it from that perspective to have that if you're if especially if you travel a lot. There's other apps out there too. My friend told me about what but it doesn't have the I don't know if the Garmin one has the, has the heat maps to see, but, you know, there's I think there's different things you can look at out there for, heat maps and, you know, just seeing where people normally go, to determine to move your routes. There's our app that I have. It doesn't have the heat maps, but if you know where you are, it you can create routes. It'll show you distance and elevation and all that stuff. So I'll sometimes use that, and I think that one's called footpath or something like that.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:41:03]: So I've used that one. Let me make sure that's the name of that. Yeah. It's called footpath, And it has a paid feature to it, but you can create routes and just not save them as long as you're able to remember them. So I'll use that sometimes as well, but, yeah, I think the Strava one is now paid.

Cory Nagler [00:41:19]: Well, okay. Yeah. And I can I can link the footpath in the show notes, if anyone's listening and wants to check it out there? Otherwise, The the features are are usually great. I also find I know you mentioned Garmin. Again, not sure they have the heat maps. But, Typically, you can kinda put in the distance you wanna run, and then it'll spit out some kinda route, and you can kinda play around with that a little bit.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:41:41]: Mhmm. Yep.

Cory Nagler [00:41:43]: Awesome. Well, I think that one was great. So I'm gonna move on to our next audio recording, which comes from Herman, who lives in Texas. And I see here that he has not only just run the Berlin marathon but also hopes to run all of the world majors. So Definitely an experienced runner. And he says that his tactic for keeping runs fun is running with his pet, Labradoodle. So let's hear from Herman.

Guest [00:42:12]: Hi. My name is Herman Trejo, Paso, Texas. I'm 61 years old. And, In in December 2020, my family and I got a labradoodle dog, Ginger, That she's fantastic runner and she's my greatest company on every run that I can take it out And, we enjoy it together. So this is the best way to do it. Thank you.

Cory Nagler [00:42:43]: Awesome. Thank you so much, Hermann. Ginger sounds adorable. Unfortunately, living in a small condo in Toronto, I don't really have the space for a dog. But, Andy, I know that you do. So is this something that you've tried?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:42:56]: Yeah. Actually, my old dog, I used to roam with her quite a bit when when she was a puppy or not when she was but when she was, like, maybe 1 or 2, she would come with me on most of my runs. And then, she kinda got sick of it after a while, so I I stopped taking her. She She started doing this thing where she would stop and just not move, and I'd end up having to carry her home, which it so it made it not so much fun. But, I have 3 dogs now, and I wish I could get some one of them to go wrong with me, but, One of them is very scared. One of them is, an older lab, so she doesn't she's getting to the point where she doesn't move around as well. And then the third one tries to hurt everything. So we haven't quite mastered, running together, but it's definitely a fun way to kind of your dog, get them out as and get them moving, and also, just have somebody there with you.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:43:49]: And I I actually loved having my old dog, Riesling, when I would run with her. It kind of felt like I had it was a little bit of a safety blanket for me too because I was running super early in the mornings in the dark, and I was Never had run-in that in that way. I'd always had teammates to run with, and so, it just seemed it made it feel a little bit safer just having My dog with me and, but at the same time, I could still do my own thing. My occasionally, she kinda pull me, but most of the time, She was pretty good about not pulling me too much. So that's a one thing to keep in mind is if you're running with your dog, What kind of are your is your dog staying at your side pretty well? Are you running with a leash? And if you're also if you're or if you have a belt leash, I found the belt leash to be the best way for me to run with the dog because I wasn't kind of jerking my arm in any weird ways. And I also had trained my dog to, Use the bathroom before and after we finished a run or a walk, and so that was really helpful to keep the run more kind of flowing and consistent. But I do think that's a really good way to kind of, you know, bond with your pet, make the miles a little bit more enjoyable. Even if you just do a couple miles with them and drop them back off, at the very least, you've kind of like cut up the run a little bit to make so you have less to do by yourself.

Cory Nagler [00:45:10]: Yeah. Yeah. Not wanting to be the negative person, but I'm curious as well. Does this bend the rules of a solo run a little bit? Are you still getting, All the benefits of not moving around your pace or the, the mental benefits when you're running with a pet?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:45:24]: I I mean, I think it's Probably in between. Right? So I'd say it it also depends on how good your dog is at running alongside of you. So if your dog is Like, the my 1 dog, when we first got her, she was she we waited till she was a year old, and then I started taking her, tried to take her on a run And she pulled me the entire way, and so we were running a lot faster. Granted she was probably doing a lot more of the work, but At the same time, whether or not that was beneficial, you know, probably not. So, if your dog is pretty good at, you know, staying it by your side or, things like that or is able to keep continuous and is not stopping all the time, then there is I think it's Totally fine. But if your dog is kinda always wanting to stop and sniff or is kind of jerking you around all over the place, There could be some downsides to that. You know? Injuries could be an issue. You could develop some weird form mechanics if you're running with the leash on one side.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:46:25]: You could also, you know, yeah, like they could push you to run a little bit faster than you want to, or, you know, so any of those things could happen. So Be mindful of of how you're running with your dog and what the experience is like. But, you know, if they're pretty good at running alongside of you, You're still gonna have the opportunity to kind of just be in your own zone and just go with the flow from that perspective. There's gonna be a lot less than, You're not they're not like talking to you the entire way. Right? So you're not gonna be distracted by them per se. And so I think that you can still get some of those benefits, But, yeah, very much depends on how you run with your dog and and, and if it's if it's a beneficial way or if it's, If your dogs be a hindrance like mine was.

Cory Nagler [00:47:07]: Yeah. I'm sure Ginger is well trained. So works well for you, Herman. Stick to it. But, yeah. Just be aware of those kinda quick stops or if your dog's pulling you along the whole way.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:47:16]: Yep.

Cory Nagler [00:47:18]: Awesome. Love that one. Okay. Our we're coming up now on our last, audience submission, which is going to come from Derek, who lives in Bellingham. And apparently, he just ran a PR by over an hour in the marathon. So that's awesome. Congrats, Derek. And he likes to focus on his breathing in his footsteps while he runs.

Cory Nagler [00:47:41]: So let's hear from Derek.

Finn Melanson [00:47:44]: I feel like I'm bombarded all day long with conversations. So I actually enjoy the peace and quiet of a nice long run. No podcast, no music, Just the sound of foot strikes, breathing and counting steps myself.

Cory Nagler [00:47:59]: Thanks, Derek. Totally agree. It's awesome to get peace and quiet. I will say 1 caveat. I hope that the run to the pot talk podcast is your one exception to that rule, but, yes, Awesome to unplug and, and use your runs is is an escape. Anne, do you have any thoughts on this one?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:48:15]: Yeah. I I I feel like this is a lot of the way that I I experience running because I don't like to listen to things while I run. I've occasionally, when I've listened to music, I used to do I used to always listen to music when I was warming up for a race, have more to kinda keep my emotions in check. But, otherwise, I really prefer to be able to listen to my breathing and the footsteps and all that stuff and just kinda be Oh, aware and, just in the space and and kind of in, just do just kind of being connected to the run a little bit if you in a sense. That's kind of how I, also feel about my training and my running, so I'm right there with you, Derek. I kind of appreciate the the time and the space to just kind of be Alone to yourself and then your thoughts and go go kind of you know, you'll be able to think through things. So, yeah, I I, 100% agree. I feel like, I once when I've listened to music before, I almost feel like I can feel my breathing, and it feels like my breathing is harder than it normally is, and that's kind of gotten in my head.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:49:15]: And so I kind of like to not like to unplug. I think the other thing to say is that, some raises don't allow you to listen to music. So if that is the case, then you are gonna wanna know how you experience running without music. So, You know, know those things ahead of time and be able to practice for what you're gonna be doing on race day, which is super important. If you can't If you don't if you're not used to being able to run without headphones, then it's gonna be a really challenging race day if that's your goal race says no headphones. So

Cory Nagler [00:49:46]: A 100%. And and I tend to kind of set a rule for myself for that reason that I don't listen to music or podcasts and workouts. Just directly the the easier runs, again, for that mental training piece. One other thing I find you can focus on beyond the reading and footsteps is even just how your body is feeling. A lot of the time, you know, you might have A little soreness or maybe you feel especially fresh even is a good thing. I find it's just so much easier to do that when you're kind of along with your thoughts versus in a group run.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:50:13]: Oh, yeah. For sure. And I especially right now, I'm coming back from an injury. When I'm running by myself, I can actually have a little bit better focus on how I'm moving. Sometimes I just don't when you're distracted, you just don't pay attention to how you're moving as much. And so that's been I think that's been one of the reasons I've also been running more solo In the last few weeks as I've been coming back is that I really wanted to ensure that I wasn't taking any weird foot strikes, that I was, my hips I because I had gotten used to running with this pain in my glute that I was starting to kind of just run naturally that way, and so Retraining how I'm moving has been part of the comeback, and so I think that's important to recognize. How is your body moving through space? Are you doing any weird compensations and things like that, which is things we could pick up easier when we're kinda just in our own in our own space and listening to our body and all that good stuff.

Cory Nagler [00:51:06]: Yeah. A 100%. And I think that was a great way to end off because there are so many different tools and tricks that you can use. But at the end of the day, I think, like, if you can be like, enjoy that peace and quiet and being alone with yourself, like, that's that's gonna enhance the other stuff too if you add in the music or a Labrador or whatever else makes the runs fun for you?

Andie Cozzarelli [00:51:27]: Yep. A 100%.

Cory Nagler [00:51:30]: Awesome. Well, this was fantastic. And definitely some tips here that I'm gonna be using on my own runs. And, hope that if you're listening, you have some takeaways here. And, you know, Feel free again, on our RC community. If you're part of that, to write in and share your own tips. But, otherwise, this was great. Thank you to those who provided answers.

Cory Nagler [00:51:49]: And, Andy, thank you so much for joining me today.

Andie Cozzarelli [00:51:51]: Yeah. Thanks for having me on. This was fun.

Cory Nagler [00:51:53]: Absolutely. Happy

Finn Melanson [00:52:10]: Thanks for listening to the Run to the Top podcast. I'm your host, Finn Melanson. As always, our mission here is to help you become a better runner with every episode. Please consider connecting with me on Instagram at Cast players. And lastly, if you love the show and want bonus content, behind the scenes experiences with our guests, and premier access to contests and giveaways, and subscribe to our newsletter by going to runnersconnect.netback/podcast. Until next time, happy