I've never been one to have a workout buddy. I know that many of my readers have them, that special person they share their workouts with. I always worried that we would talk too much and wouldn't work hard enough. Or worse yet, I would not be a good match for the other person or I would be slowing her down. I didn't want to commit to anything with another person for fear I would need to back out at the last minute. Maybe I just never knew how to find the right person who has a similar style to me.
So how do you choose the right person to work out with? Should it be your best friend? For some of us, that just isn't practical. My best friend lives in Greenville and she could bust my butt in kickboxing. I live in Ripon and would prefer to run 5 or 6 miles. Working out together is not in the cards for us. What about your spouse or partner? For those of you who have been long time readers, you may be aware that I have tried working out with my husband. It's one thing to be competitive, but it's another thing to run to the point of vomiting just to be sure you beat your wife in a 5K. We don't run together anymore.
I had basically given up on working out with people. I have been a solitary woman on the treadmill, road, and in the pool. It was going ok for me. I was meeting milestones, pushing myself as hard as I thought I could go. It was this type of training that allowed me to complete my first half marathon.
And then my whole world got turned upside down. I met my match. Without even trying. It helps to have neighboring offices so that you have plenty of opportunities to check in with one another. (You know county workers, we really don't do anything anyway. But that's for a whole different type of blog.) Before you know it, a casual conversation becomes a friendly competition. One small comment becomes the motivation you have needed all week.
And suddenly I know what I've been missing by not having a workout partner. A really good workout partner wants to win but doesn't want you to lose. She wants her hard work to force you to work harder. She wants you to stay in the race with her. She knows that you are capable of way more than you give yourself credit for. And you both know that you would never accomplish what you have if it wasn't for the other.
Because of my new workout partner, I run 9 miles on Saturday afternoons. I have done 12 mph sprints on my treadmill (ok, so I peed my pants a little). I have put 40 miles on a spin bike in an hour and a half. I swam a mile in the pool! A mile! I'm not telling you about these accomplishments to brag about myself. I am bragging about her. Because without her motivation, I don't know when or if I would ever have pushed myself to accomplish these feats.
Beginners, if you ask me now about a workout partner, I will give you one answer. Yes, you should have one. But you can't have mine.
Thank you Courtney.
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