Running With The Pack
We are gearing up for a busy summer of racing! June and July definitely keep us busy! As Nebraskans, we know that one of our state’s primary features is its unpredictable and quickly changing weather! June and July give race directors more confidence in favorable race day weather which is a major reason why these months have the most races. June and July also do something else for us. These two wonders of summer provide us with a steady way to connect, and that ability to connect with others is as important to our health as the miles we run.
Humans are social creatures. We are biologically and psychologically designed to form groups. The same region of our brains are activated when we are lonely as the ones activated when we experience physical pain. For our ancestors, being part of a group was important to the survival of our species. Social creatures seek social connection, and social connection is important to our mental and physical health, as true today as it was in the past. Being connected to other people helps protect us against serious illness and disease. Like physical fitness, social fitness makes it more likely that we will live longer, healthier lives. Social connection can reduce the risk of serious diseases like heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression and anxiety. There are variations in how much social connection we each need, just like there is variation in the way we train, but connection and belonging are essential ingredients to human flourishing.
Humans are definitely not unique in their reliance on a group. The natural world is filled with group-forming species, each with its own identifier. There are herds of horses, gaggles of geese, schools of fish, an army of ants, a cyclone of scorpions and even a convocation of eagles. There are packs of wolves, packs of dogs and even packs of orca whales. A group of runners gathered at the starting line is also called a pack. The species who move together in packs have some important things in common. They are highly social, living in organized groups of interdependent members, often close-knit and family oriented. They are cooperative, each member working together for the betterment of the whole group. In a pack of runners, everyone’s best effort at a race makes everyone else a better athlete. The pre-race and post-race connection and the mutual challenge make runners a family.
A pack of runners makes room for all ages and abilities. The only way to get excluded from the pack is by never show up on race day. There are the “front of the pack” speedsters, the aspirational mid-packers and the perseverant and determined “back of the packers.” There is the “lead pack” in an event, and on a really great day, an athlete might “emerge from the pack,” to win the race. A pack is a place of belonging. A race is a place for shared human experience. If it’s cold for one, it’s cold for all. If it rains, everyone gets wet. Too hot? Everyone is sweating at an amplified rate. Whatever the distance, every member of the pack has the same goal, to cover the distance to the best of their ability.
Being a member of a pack builds a sense of trust. Let’s be honest, on a new or complicated racecourse, most people follow the person in front of them, trusting that the leaders have taken the time to learn the way to go. Trust in others keeps us from getting lost, and if we are the leader of the pack, we are careful to take the correct turn because we know the pack is depending on us to show them the way. The success of the pack depends on the success of every member.
When the race begins, a pack of runners looks like the flow of a river, shape shifting as it moves along. The swell of athletes stretches and thins as runners find their own special channel to move through. As the stream of runners moves from start to finish, something incredible happens. Connecting with others who are engaged in the same challenge and experiencing the same positive feelings at the finish line makes us more resilient and it bonds us together. Most athletes are familiar with the endorphins released during a run or a brisk walk. When we move together, as we do during a challenging race, our brains also release oxytocin, sometimes known as the “love hormone.” Oxytocin is the social bonding hormone that supports the building of trust between people who are sharing an experience and that fosters the deep connection that makes a race such a satisfying experience.
June and July will bring six opportunities to build this kind of connection. I hope as you move through June and July, you remember that the exercise provided, the physical challenge, is only part of whole human health. Connection completes the story. If you are a seasoned PRFS athlete, consider introducing yourself to someone you haven’t seen before. Remember the awkward feeling of going to your first race and help others know they belong. If you are still not sure about showing up, know that filling out that entry form is the doorway to a positive, supportive, and connected community that will help you reach and maintain your goals toward a healthy, flourishing life!