Today, Nicolasa from

gives us her reasons for running with a friend. Nicolasa is a fellow New Hampshire blogger and I had the chance to meet her this spring at a running event. She's a passionate teacher, mom and a great gal!

Whether you're training for a race or not, running with friends makes a world of difference on any given run. If you currently run solo and think you could never run with one other person, let alone a small group, you're not alone! I remember when I began training for my first half marathon with two of my girlfriends. We planned to run the majority of our long runs together and running with other people was new to all of us. I believe we started out by running with each other but with our ear-buds plugged in, only to be taken out now and again for small talk regarding the run. We then graduated to putting our music on low and having an ear-bud in only one ear. Finally, we learned how to talk and run and loved it. I won't lie, it can take little while to get used to because you're so used to going at your own pace and doing what you do by yourself, but there are so many reasons to love running with a buddy or friend!

For starters, they get you going and keep you going. There is this African saying "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

This statement cannot be more true when you're trying to run farther than you ran last weekend. When you're training for a half marathon or a marathon running with a friend will keep you going when you feel like you want to stop or you have nothing left to give. I recently had a 16 mile run and my legs were really tired by mile 13.5 or so. I was struggling and thankfully my friend Sarah was with me at this point. We ran past where our cars were parked at mile 15 and I have to admit that if I was by myself I would have ran right to my car and gotten in without batting an eye lash. I told Sarah I was hurting and she gave me the encouragement I needed and I powered through!

Another thing to love about running with a friend is the conversation. Like I stated above, it may take you awhile to get used to talking while running. It is hard to get used to breathing and talking at the same time but once you figure it out, it's not a big deal. Sometimes we talk about things we don't tell anyone else in our life. Things like our fears, our current worries or other things that are in the back corner of our minds that we didn't know were there until we had a few miles on our legs. Most of the time we make small talk and laugh about random things. We point out our scenery and comment on the terrain and the aches or pains we may currently feel. Sometimes we don't talk and only listen to the pitter patter of our feet hitting the pavement and symphony of our breathing. Having company makes the time and miles fly by. It's a social event that you look forward to each week, or a couple of times a week, depending on your situation.

Not only can running with a friend push you when you feel like you can't possibly move another step, but running with friends can push your speed, push your tolerance for hills and allow you to do things you wouldn't normally do on your own. Like run 14 miles in snow with rubbery things around our feet that hold spikes to keep you from falling straight on your tail feather. Or wake up at

5 am

to get ready for a run in the freezing cold. There are many factors that caused me to back out of a run in the past, mainly weather related, but now I love running with my friends so much, that I go for it and learn to deal with whatever Mother Nature has in store for us! As for pushing your pace you might be worried about running with someone who is the same speed as you. I recommend finding someone who might be a tad faster than you. Why? Because you'll become faster too over time, without even realizing it. It will be hard to not worry about being "too slow" for another runner or running group but don't let that hold you back. I know many people who have and when they had their first group run they couldn't believe they waited so long! It's such a wonderful experience.

If you're not sure how to find a running buddy ask your friends on Facebook or another social media outlet. You might be surprised to find out who'd be interested in going with you. You could also check out a local running group or try and find a Moms Run This Town Chapter. Moms Run This Town is a free national group that gets moms to furry or human babies connected with running and fitness. It's amazing and how I've met some of the incredible buddies I run with weekly. So, take a deep breath and go for it!

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What reasons do you love to run with friends?

Nicolasa is a working mom to a 2 and a half year old boy. She is currently training for her second marathon and plans to run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota in June. Nicolasa writes about her running and fitness journey on her blog

Shoe Laces and Bibs

. You can also find her on

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