“Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.”
Steve Klaka

I always say that if you want to meet new friends and find an incredible community, just join a running group. It never ceases to amaze me how runners who are at first strangers instantly become like friends thanks to the connection and bond of running. We can often do more together than we think we can do on our own … running friends seem to give us a magic little boost that logging miles alone just doesn’t provide. I loved my running community in Atlanta and have been yearning for a similar connection here in Tampa. Today was a great start.

Rather than meeting up with one running group, I had the pleasure of joining two groups of runners this morning. First, I met up with an awesome group of runners training for various fall marathons through my friend Discombobulated Running, and then after quickly showering and changing, I met my mom’s running group for their post-run morning breakfast. To say running with others rather than slogging alone in the heat is wonderful … well that is the understatement of the century.

Saturday Stats

4:30 a.m.: Time my alarm clock went off

5:30 a.m.: Time I started my run

2: Number of full hours I slept {I just could not fall asleep last night … this may lead to narcolepsy this afternoon … Zzzzz}

10: Number of minutes it took me to feel alive after waking up that early

8: Miles I ran

92: Percent humidity at the start of today’s run

4: New friends I ran with

25: Ounces of water I drank while running

1: Handful of ice I stuffed down my sports bra mid-run

2: Number of different running groups I met up with

7: Number of women training for a fall half marathon I had breakfast with after my run

3: Number of scrambled egg whites I consumed post-run

2.5: Pieces of bacon I scarfed down post-run

0: Number of times I peed on myself or stopped to poop during my run *GASP!*

Priceless: Watching the sunrise at the end of my run

Do you prefer to run with a group or run solo? How did your weekend miles go? Tell me about your run!