Partner Up

I played basketball and volleyball in high school, and very much enjoyed the camaraderie and competition of team sports. But when it came to aerobics and running, I have always preferred to go it alone. Until recently I always preferred to focus on my own training goal during an exercise session, rather than having a friendly conversation and shared struggle to complete a fitness goal. While I still would rather not attend a group exercise class, I have found great value and motivation in having a running partner.

A friend of mine recently moved here, and is a close neighbor. One day we were talking, and I told her about my goal of running the marathon. Even before I relayed to her just how unmotivated I was feeling, she offered to be my running partner. Although I had never considered having a running mate before, as soon as she said she would run with me, I thought, "Yes!"  This was the thing that I was missing: having someone to encourage me, run with me, motivate me, and keep me accountable. So we started on a schedule of running that would get us on track to completing our marathon goal. After a few weeks, and due to conflicting schedules, I went on a solo run, and boy what a difference it was to go it alone. Even after all the years of doing just that, I finally saw what those who advocate having a training partner were talking about.

Moments where I would have given up, had I been on my own, I was able to push a little farther. It felt great to have someone there sharing in little triumphs at each run.
Then life intruded. Kids were out of school for summer break. Husbands were deployed. Babysitters were unavailable. Rainy season came with a vengeance. It became near impossible to get outdoor runs in. So we were relegated to running on treadmills, indoors, at home with plenty of interruptions, once again running solo. Even still, we continue to try and motivate each other and keep track of runs that we complete.

Although these sort of road blocks would push anyone to just give up, instead we continue to encourage each other and commiserate over obstacles and trials. We know one day soon that school will start again, husbands will return, and the sun will come out! We will get back on track and back on the road, pounding the pavement...each step bringing us closer to that marathon goal!