My schedule is fairly hectic on any given week, but when I have my Wednesday nights to myself, I’m putting on my running shoes and heading to Brick and Mortar Brewing Company downtown.

I’m one of the runners in the BAM Run Club, a weekly meetup held Wednesday evenings at the brewery. It’s free to participate in for all ages and skill levels, and it’s an hour for jogging along downtown Suffolk’s various sidewalks and green passages.

I’ve never participated in an exercise group like this before, but I decided to give it a shot. Now I’m squeezing it in each week when I can, because running as part of a group really does make a difference.

It’s easier for me to keep a set pace during a run when I’m trying to keep pace with others. I can’t speak for other runners, but I’ve realized that about myself doing races over the past year or so.

I struggle sometimes on treadmills trying to stick to a certain speed. Maybe the other runners give me more accountability to keep up, or maybe it’s more my stubbornness.

It also helps that the people that I’ve run with in the BAM Run Club so far have been a very easy-going crowd. They also have had a far better grasp of downtown Suffolk’s geography. It’s one thing to drive around the city every day, and another to actually go through its streets on foot.

That exploration aspect is another reason why I’m liking the club, as I’ve been down roads I’ve only driven past before.

I’ve also learned about cool pathways, like the Seaboard Coastline Trail segment that runs behind Cedar Hill Cemetery and connects East Constance Road and Prentis Street. It’s quick and shady and makes for a breezier portion of an evening run.

I’m making time to come out to the BAM Run Club on Wednesday nights, and I encourage others to do the same. It also helps that you’ll often find dogs to pet back at the brewery when you take a breather after your run.

The BAM Run Club meets at 6 p.m. on Wednesday nights at Brick and Mortar Brewing Company, 212 E. Washington St. Visit facebook.com/BrickandMortarBrewingCompany for more information.