The newfound running partner- some prefer to go that route. Trickier when it’s someone you have no history with.

Gotta do your homework… there’s just no way around it. I’m talking about ALL your homework (no half a## job), but we’ll save that for later.

Anyhow, let’s jump ahead to the first meeting…

You meet at the local park trail, followed by an agreement to start out light, something like a 10k. Sort of a ‘feeler’ distance. Both of you have similar running paces (it’s been previously discussed), so it’s all good.

But once you start, it didn’t take long to see one of you is a bit more advanced.

That new partner of yours has a habit of running about 4-5 feet ahead of you. But you’re ok with it because it forces you to push yourself and keep up.

But here’s where it gets weird…

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All of a sudden, your newfound partner wants to apologize. Reason being, the faster pace compensates for the persistent knee pain. But it didn’t stop there. The conversation quickly turned into an all out confessional.

How slow paces are actually mentally deflating & demeaning, which can morph into feelings of deep personal inadequacy, and so on. A bit much for that first run, don’t you think?

Oh, but I’m not done yet. Bear with me because this is a true story…

Once the run was done, newfound partner was comfortable enough to share some details about their last race.

How agitated they were due to the fact they showed up 20 min before it began. Begging & pleading with two teenage girls at the closed registration table to accept their late entry.

Explaining that having such a discussion with two teenagers made them somehow feel ‘inferior’ (I’m not making this up).

Having to dash to the porta john line at the last minute, actually feeling something running down their leg…no time to stretch and feeling like some unprepared dope, questioning if they would ever run in another event again.

This was a story I actually heard from a runner who wanted to explore something different – a running partner.

At the very least, you would probably agree this was TMI. Certainly for a recent acquaintance turned running partner.

The irony of it all was the fact the run itself went pretty well, so I was told. The newfound running partner was actually pretty talented. Things just got a bit melodramatic for one party’s taste, which personally, turned them off.

Too weird for a first time run.

:::: Although this particular scenario may not be common, it’s not necessarily an uncommon theme :::: This first time running partner experience didn’t go quite as planned. Let’s revisit a few things…

The search went out for a running partner. There were a couple of conversations to determine proper fit (pace compatibility, talk or silence preference, distances, type of terrain, workout regiment, race experience, etc.). Then, the decision to give it a go.

The connection was there, or so it seems.

What’s missing? The rest of your homework. So much focus can be placed on the RUN itself, at the expense of the ‘runner.’

Why do they run? What drives them? Are they more of a self-motivated runner or do they tend to rely more on a support group?

Then ‘ease’ into a more subtle assessment. Be careful not to make it so obvious. You can’t neglect evaluating all the parts, which includes the elements not so easily identifiable.

Half done homework isn’t acceptable, is it? ‘RUN time is invaluable.’ You’ve sacrificed for this. Shifting priorities at a cost. So, why waste one second of your run experience on someone or something that isn’t as close a ‘fit’ with you as possible?

Can you afford it?

Questions? Comments? Let me hear from you below 🙂

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