Since I moved out of the city and into the county this fall, it has become painfully obvious that my running days as I have known them are gone. No more running through the park or around the street-light lit neighborhood at anytime of the morning, day or night. Nope! Now, the shortest loop I can find around my house is 6 miles and if I want to run during the week, I'm strapping on a head lamp and running in the dark, in complete silence, praying the entire time that I don't run into a coyote or any other nocturnal animal that might scare me awake. (Don't worry Sharon, my sweet Mom-in-law, I kid. I'm sure it is perfectly safe...and if I ever do stumble upon a creature of any kind, I'm very confident that the body alarm you gave me for Christmas will wake up half the county, while simultaneously deafening both the animal and myself. And, if that didn't scare him away, I'd shoot him with my police strength pepper spray!).
Anyway, I have really been missing my running buddies, lately! You know, those people throughout your life who have seen you at your best and worst (and perhaps ugliest) and still do everything they can to encourage you. If only my limited running schedule was conducive for a sane person; I might be inclined to ask said sane person.
Alas, I have conceded that probably the best way for me to feel more connected and less crazy is to start a blog where I have virtual workout buddies to chat with. I'll be posting every Sunday evening about all sorts of various topics (not necessarily exercise related) that have come up during my past workouts (which might be a little scary, since on one run in Kansas, I spent 5 miles talking with my friend Suzie about corn...I do have to say, in our defense, corn fields are all we had to look at!)
Is there anything better than a great conversation to make a workout fly by? Does anyone else out there love a good running/workout buddy as much as me? If you do, leave me a comment and help me to define "running/workout buddy" because my current ideas for a definition (to the left) are pretty lame.
Signed,
Your new running buddy
P.S. You do not have to be a runner or fitness fanatic to be a virtual running buddy of mine. You just have to have access to a computer and oxygen.
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Oh Kristin, you are the cutest ever. I love your new little blog! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kristin! Thanks so much for sharing, I love the idea of this blog and look forward to seeing it develop! I've definitely gone through periods (mostly due to my work schedule) where I've been separated from my running buddies and needed a community like this! I am lucky to have a really awesome primary running buddy- he is someone who I can run with for hours and feel equally comfortable chatting away with about various life topics or just tuning out and enjoying the surroundings with. I feel as though we are good at challenging each other while being supportive as well, which is something I know I need in order to stay motivated. Both of us have relied on the other in order to train for races in the past, so we've definitely been through many good and bad days together. :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, those are my thoughts on running buddies. So, any upcoming race plans?
Hey Kristen
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you are doing this. I just started running a couple months ago (better late than never) and have thought of you many times, wishing that I had taken advantage of your running expertise when I had the chance. So I am ready for any advise or encouragement that you may have.
Dusty
YAY! LOVE the new blog. What a great idea. :) I'm in desperate need for some motivation lately and I think you're blog will help. I would love to follow along with some kind of virtual training or challenge of some sort, not sure if that is easy to do or something you want to do on the blog?
ReplyDeleteTo get to my definition of a running buddy, let me first discribe my run. When I run alone (that is, when I have finally talked myself into going for a run!), my legs feel heavy, my mind is constantly checking the time/miles - counting down until I am finished, and every little ache is more noticable. However, with a running buddy, magically all of this disapears! My running buddies help make time/miles fly by, helps my body reach goals beyond what my mind 'thinks' it can do, and though the aches may still be there I'm too lost in converstation to notice!
I would say my running buddy is someone who can make six miles feel like one!
Oh, how fun! Here's my latest workout story (which is riding in spin class with mostly guys). The guy next to me was telling me about his terrible saddle sores (like I was extremely interested in the pains of his bum, instead of thinking about the fact that he was a pain in mine and hoping my face didn't show it). Everyone else was saying, "Ewww, gross!" etc., and I was sort of like, "OK. What do you want me to do about it? Suggest a cream or something?" He says, "Is there anything that grosses you out?" Ummm . . . .
ReplyDelete