There are times when I love to run by myself.

Just as there are times when I love to run with others.

Like most everything, both have their pros and cons.

One of the good things about running with others this past Saturday morning is that it helped to get me out the door when otherwise it would have been very easy to turn off the alarm and stay in bed.

That is because there were 2 or 3 inches of fresh snow on the ground.

No big deal during the winter, as here in Wisconsin we are more than used to running, walking, biking, and driving through the snow.

But this was April 1–April Fools Day– 11 days after the official start of spring. So the 2 or 3 inches of wet heavy snow did little to motivate me to lace up my running shoes and head out the door for my weekly Saturday morning long run.

If I hadn’t have known that my running friends would be waiting for me at our Saturday morning starting point, in fact, I most likely would have run later in the day.  By that time the warming temperatures would have melted off most of the snow.

As it turned out, I joined my friends Dave and Jerri in trudging through the fresh white stuff.

One of the many topics of conversation during our 12-mile jaunt—yes, we run and talk at the same time!—was running with others vs. running alone.

Our conclusion was that there are good things about both.

Sometimes running alone is the best way to clear your head and think things through. 

Other times running with friends is the best way to do this as it gives you a chance to talk things out.

With friends or alone, getting out for some fresh air and exercise is almost always a good idea. Even when it’s supposed to be spring and there are a couples inches of fresh snow on the ground.