One of the papers we read last year in my University of Pennsylvania program studied how being part of a strong friend group makes people happier. This psychological study, originally a cardiac health project, followed a social network of 12,067 individuals for over 30 years. Participants provided information about their relatives, close friends, home addresses, and workplaces. Researchers mapped 53,228 social ties between these people, averaging 10.4 ties per person. This complex network allowed the researchers to study how happiness spreads.
The study found that people’s happiness is influenced by those around them. Being surrounded by happy people or being central in a social network increases the likelihood of becoming happy in the future. Clusters of happiness result from happiness spreading, not just people associating with similar individuals. For example, a friend who becomes happy or has a happy event or some piece of news that increases their happiness, what happens to them tends to boost your happiness by as much as 25%. Even if this event happens to a friend of a friend, the happiness reverberates through your friend network, and this also makes you happier. So, if you have many happy, positive friends, their happiness will likely boost the whole group over time*. The people who are at the center of happy friend networks tend to be very happy!
The study, which initially focused on factors contributing to better cardiac health, concluded that happiness, much like health, is a collective phenomenon. This means that our happiness is not just an individual pursuit, but a shared experience that can be influenced by the people around us. Happiness is a group phenomenon**.
When I read this study, it reaffirmed my belief in the power of coaching cross-country. A cross-country team is more than just a group of athletes; it’s a friend network. If we can build a strong network of happy, successful, positive, healthy, and goal-oriented individuals, we can all experience greater happiness. The medals and championships we strive for are just a bonus. I want each of you to be at the heart of a fantastic friend group, and MVXC can be a part of that group!
Bottom line points:
- Imagine the joy of being at the center of a happy, strong social network. It’s not just about being happier and healthier, but also about the excitement and motivation that comes from being surrounded by positive, happy people. Seek out these individuals and gather them around you. Let’s create a network that radiates joy and positivity!
- Don’t take your best friends for granted! Your friend network offers many benefits. We all have tough times and disagreements in our relationships, but it’s important to work through those issues with the people who matter to us. A strong friend network has real value. By investing in building and maintaining it, you show your friends that they are appreciated and valued.
- MVXC is not just a team, it’s a community. It’s a place where you can build part of your social network. We are a group of gritty, positive, healthy people with shared interests and goals. I want you to be a supportive and positive team—not just successful, but happy. You can help by showing up every day and being positive and supportive of your teammates. Together, we can build a strong, supportive community.
We all benefit from being part of a strong network of friends! That’s not just your coach talking—it’s science!
So do something nice to build your friend network, and your team, today!
Week 6 Running Plan
Summer running will continue to meet at 7 a.m., Monday through Saturday, on the Monta Vista High School track.
Here is a list of suggested runs for the week. As always…
- Help out the new people, show them routes, and give them bailout options if they are just getting started. Be kind!
- Remind each other to get cracking on athletic clearance. Here is the status of those athletes who have started the process.
- Remember to start thinking about new shoes! Running Revolution in Campbell has well-trained people to fit you in shoes. They will give you a discount if you tell them you run for Monta Vista and will take returns, too. Ask about when the new racing flats will arrive! Maybe plan a trip to the Rev with friends, go for a run on the Los Gatos Creek Trail in your new kicks, and then grab a pizza at Blue Line. That sounds like heaven to me!
Keep building your friend network!
Eleven years ago, Sunny Shan sent me this photo after her trip to the Running Revolution. She was all-league, and her team went to the State Meet. It’s not a coincidence! There is a correlation!
MVXC24 Athlete-Lead Summer Running
Week Six Suggestions: July 15
| Approx Miles | |||||
| Day | New | 35 | 45 | Suggested Run (you can change!) | Other |
| Mon | 4 | 5 | 7 | Hill repeats! Same warm up to Linda Vista, run out Byrne to Stevens Creek Blvd, then turn left and left again to run the bike path through Blackberry Farm to Linda Vista (this longer warm up is more like Hop). Then let’s drill there and then 3 of the baby hill repeats to the stairs, and three full hill repeats to the top (picnic area). It was great to see all of you run this last week. Since I won’t be there this week, please help any new runners understand what we want to focus on while running hill reps. After that, new runners can head down Regnart to Bubb; varsity runners could run Rainbow to the RR tracks or Stelling. | Core, I’d love to see some extra lateral abs and shin splint prehab. Different people can suggest exercises! |
| Tues | 5
| 6 | 8 | Tempo Tuesday! Head out to Monta Vista Park and drill. Come back to school on the Palm Ave route through McClellan Ranch. New runners or runners getting back into shape can run this at conversational pace. Overachievers with big plans for the 2024 XC season can run the three miles at Steady State Pace* or even lactic threshold pace. Let’s get six strides on the track afterwards (you can run in-and-outs—that’s stride the straights, jog the curves—if you need an extra mile). | Finish with some strides, on the field and in your socks might feel good. Lateral abs are always good—coach loves side plank with an elbow to knee touch, and starfish |
| Weds | 5 | 6 | 8 | Run to the McClellan green space, drill, then run Homestead Loop at conversational pace. Have a nice relaxing run! | Core…with some extra shin splint pre-hab. |
| Thurs | 5 | 6 | 7 | OK it’s been now week six…let’s try taking the new runners up Fire Trail! Take them slowly up Fire Trail, regroup at the top, and run together to Mat’s Hill. Take the new runners on a jog around our hill repeat loop, and stop off at Hunters’ Point to enjoy the view. New runners can return directly to MV. | Lots of legs in your core today—runner’s touch, lunges, try other things! |
| Fri | 3 | 5 | 6 | Runner’s Choice! An idea could be to jog to Varian Park, drill, then move on to get whatever mileage you need. Finish with six good strides—focus on form!!! | Core after your strides! |
| Sat | 8 | 10 | 12 | Long run/endurance today! Head to Stevens Canyon for drills. Matadors Point plus golf course cut off/Linda Vista return for first year runners, Horse or Horse + something for more advanced runners (Horse + Garrods, or Horse and head out Prospect and back on RR tracks). Let’s finish fast, make the mile down Regnart to Bubb all the way to McClellan (purple dots) your fastest mile. | Core with your group when you get back to track. |
| Sun | Something active is great! See above. | ||||
| Total | 30 | 38 | 48 | ||
*There are more studies about how groups help you when something goes wrong, but let’s save that for another day.
**If you want to read the original paper, here you go… Fowler, J. H., & Christakis, N. A. (2008). Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: Longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study. BMJ, 337(dec04 2), a2338–a2338. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.a2338
***I also believe these are interrelated. Let’s say we start out with goals like “being reliable and hard-working,” “supporting our teammates,” “keeping showing up day after day and working hard together,” and “everyone trying to improve our performance every season.” Even if none of our goals say anything about medals or championships, I know we will have plenty of medals and championships–even if those are not our explicit goals.
Are you habit-stacking? I am still doing wall-sits while I brush my teeth–two minutes this morning! It gets easier!
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