Last week was great for my training thanks to a visit from an old workout buddy. Well, she's only 26. I guess I mean a long-lost workout buddy. She left me in Cali and moved to the hinterlands of Minnesota. I shiver just thinking of it.
Anyway, I had absolutely no difficulty working out almost everyday that she was in town. We'd pick a time, I'd pick her up, and we'd be working out in no time. Of course, it helped that she didn't have a car with her so I knew if I didn't pick her up, she'd be deprived.
It works the same way with my running. My partner, CC, asked if he could run with my women's running group and my coach said sure. CC loves it! Whenever there is a scheduled run, no matter how much I try and talk him out of going, he finds a way to get me there. Amazing.
Given their tremendous power, I've decided I need more workout buddies! Does anyone else find that having people to workout with is a major motivator? How did you find your workout buddies? Can you share them? Any suggestions for ways to replicate that motivation even when a buddy isn't around or training that particular sport/discipline?
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Now that my partner has a bike I have been cycling so much more often. I don't really ride for the workout, more for the transportation, but I think I need to find more fellow commuters near my for when he goes out of town!
I try to find a 1st time marathoner every spring. Between my experiance and their enthusasm, we are sure to get great work outs.
theresa - ah, bike commuting. I'm starting to really love it. Of course, my bike to work is only 10 minutes so it's not quite a work out ;)
charlie - that is a fantastic idea! I love it. Meet someone new to the sport (what ever it is). They can pump you up and you can also help them. Great idea.
I tend to workout with people on my cycling team. That's always helpful, plus they give great tips on ways to improve.
I've become a big fan of workout buddies. My marathon training long runs over the past few months have all been done with a running group that runs at my goal pace. That has helped me be more consistent in my running pace, which is a weak spot for me, as I tend to start fast and lose gas halfway through.
I'm generally a fan, but a good workout buddy is hard to find... it's gotta be someone who lives nearby, is about the same pace, has a tolerable personality... I've had some great ones, and I miss them dearly (they or I have moved). I've also had some not so good partners - one was a paranoid & competitive beeotch, who was really not fun to train with. If you find a good one, hold on to him/her dearly :-)
I have also found lately that workout buddies are so awesome. My co-worker and I decided to train for a half marathon before (her first long-distance run and my first running-only race). While she is a slower pace than I am, we have great workout together. We do some laps on the track at her pace and some at my pace (I would run outside, but it's just too darn cold here!). On certain days we do our long, steady runs together and it is great to encourage each other on and we're just competitive enough to push each other a little beyond our limits. I might try to find a swimming buddy too! For cycling in the summer, I usually try to find a couple of people to bike with for motivation. Usually this is through the tri clubs. This year I'm helping with a women's introduction to triathlon group, which will be lots of fun and will guarantee me to put some time on my bike once a week!
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