do you #runchat?

Today, I had three conversations with three different people about running.

We talked about how training for and running halfs - or is it halves? - are fun. About how unleashed and undisciplined dogs are scary. But mostly we talked about how great it is to be a runner.

When you're a runner, you LOVE to talk about running and anything related to running. Training. Races. Foods to eat. Tricks and tips. You can never get enough and there's only so much people who love you can take.

Enter social media. Or more specifically, Twitter.

It took me awhile to get into Twitter. I already had a massive time-suck relationship with Facebook, and didn't really need something else to keep me glued to my phone. However, after hearing John McCain - a man old enough to be my Grandfather - was on Twitter, I thought perhaps it was time.

I started following a few people here and there and quickly noticed I was gravitating toward others runners. One day, while scrolling through my feed, I noticed this one particular hashtag kept popping up: I had discovered #RunChat.

A weekly, hour-long twitter chat ALL ABOUT RUNNING.

Its like the holy grail of the running community.

Hundreds and hundreds of runners answer questions given by a moderator using the #RunChat (@therunchat). At first, it can be overwhelming, There are so many people answering questions and responding to each other that it can be hard to stay on top of it all. Eventually you learn just to scroll to the top of the page and read and respond to what you can. In the  meantime you "meet" some wonderful people who care about and love running the way that you do. Some of us are post-run beer drinkers, some of us are vegans, a few are struggling with injuries, and even more are trying to reach a goal or a new PR.

Most chats are sponsored by a company or individual seeking to get their product out within the running community. However, the emphasis is clearly on offering advice and encouragement to our fellow pavement pounders.

Often, these sponsors will offer a giveaway to participants, which is certainly the way to win a runner over - we love free swag. Last week, Under Armour (@UARunning) joined the party and offered up 3 pairs of their new running shoes: SpeedForm Gemini. Guess which lucky girl won a pair? That's right! ME! All because I retweeted the original tweet and hung out with some wonderful people, talking about the thing I love most (next to my husband and children of course) for an hour.

So, next time you're hanging out on the couch at 10 p.m. ET on the 1st/3rd Sunday and 8 p.m. ET on the 2nd/4th Sunday, come and join us!

I suggest setting an alarm on your phone, because there is nothing worse then realizing you missed #RunChat. #truth.

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