Calling all runners! National Running Day is June 6th, and we're getting ready for it by discounting all Motivate Wraps and Foot Notes that feature running related messages. That sale starts today, and so does a series of blog posts related to running. Up first, Kathryn Metz from Mommy Goes & Goes with an argument for running with friends:

When I laced up my first pair of running sneakers nearly three years ago and ran my first consecutive 1.92 miles (yes, I still remember how long the run was; I think I always will)...I was alone. Just me and the streets and some birds chirping. When I finished, I was hot and sweaty and so very proud of myself, but there was no one there to share the excitement with. No one to high five, no one to hug and no one to fist-bump. It was me, the birds and my sneakers. 

Fast forward a few months, excluding many double-jogger stroller miles), it was  May 2016. I was signed up for a local Mother’s Day 5k race; my husband and sons accompanied me. I was super excited to see what I had in me. It was my day after all, right? What #motherrunner wouldn’t want a PR on Mother’s Day? Run, done.  25:55 PR achieved, but what happened after the race that was even better—I met a friend, and not just any friend. I met a friend who runs! “Let’s run one day soon together," she said. 

This was a game changer. 

Vicki and I ran together very soon after that day. When we finished, we hugged goodbye and walked away with perma-smiles plastered on our faces. Soon after that run, my eyes were wide open (and perhaps hunting) for other running friends—and what do you know, they started to pop up everywhere I looked. My friend Mariana and I ran my first 10k in Central Park the following month. She introduced me to several of her running friends, and I began to see that in addition to running itself being one of the best gifts—the community that came with it was even better.

How is running with friends different than running solo? 

Running solo has many benefits and there are times when running alone with your thoughts is truly the best thing in the world. When you’re a runner, it becomes your go to for life. You’re in the best mood, this day is perfection, the sun is shining so bright—the runner inside you beings to crave a good run. Conversely, it’s been the longest week, you are super frustrated at work, your kids have been off the wall, and you just need a break—solo running becomes therapeutic, and when you’re done, you feel so much better.

But again, running with friends can change everything and I encourage you to find your tribe. Here are ten reasons why:

1. It provides you with company on those longer than long training runs.
2. It gives you a partner on hills from hell; it’s always better to have someone next to you shouting words of encouragement.
3. You are guaranteed a hug and/or a high five at the end of every run.
4. It makes dragging yourself out of bed at 3:30am to go run just a little bit easier when someone is waiting for you.
5. The smiles during your run get bigger, and science has recently proven that smiling while running actually makes you run faster! 
6. You don't have to pay a therapist because running with a friend is therapy.
7. The miles go by faster, even if you’re actually running slower.
8. You'll be safer out there in the unknown world of new trails or dark roads.
9. Every finish is much more monumental...there is something innately wonderful about seeing a close friend achieve a goal right alongside you. 
10. Sometimes you start as strangers, and in the end you become friends.

Be sure to follow Kathryn on Instagram to see her hit the pavement with all of her best running friends. And you can follow Momentum Jewelry, too—tag us in your best Motivate Wrap and Foot Note photos so we can run with you from afar! Be sure to take advantage of discounted Motivate Wraps and Foot Notes with a running theme. Sale ends on National Running day (6/6/18).