Time with a good friend can be just as beneficial as a good therapy session, especially when you cover serious kilometres during that time. So lace up those shoes and get a different kind of therapy on!
Any long-time runner can tell you that all running partners are unique. Some are perfect; everyone wants to run with them because they entertain and make the kilos fly by. Others come from the bottom of the running buddy barrel; they may have never heard the word “deodorant”, wear alarmingly short running shorts, have really bad running-hygiene habits, ask too many questions during a speed session and so on.
Some running buddies are chatty-Cathy’s while others appear mute. Some never let you stop to use the facilities, while others always need you to stop so they can use the facilities. The list goes on and on.
I’ve had many different running buddies; some were remarkable, and I cherished every run with them. Others lasted fewer than 5km (and left me deserted on the pavement while they ran on ahead).
The first time Hani and I ran together, she wasn’t a seasoned runner. Neither of us was. We completed maybe 5km, and that was a stretch. But over the years, our kilometres increased, and we suffered through many long workouts together.
Hani didn’t say much; she just listened. She never complained of pain or pace and always kept a smile on her face. She was always ready to go for a run and never made me wait because she had just eaten or needed a snack or needed to hydrate or whatever. She never asked me to stop for water. She always forgave me when I yelled at her for dragging her feet, and she even ran through the near-death experience of the time we went running on a humid 40ºC day without water.
But all good things come to an end when Hani is injured due to over-training and is not able to run anymore.
So, since then, I’ve been doing a lot of solo running lately. I usually don’t mind. It’s quiet time. It is time to think and come up with brilliant ideas. But there was a time that it felt and looked like the middle of the night on my morning runs and I missed having a running buddy. Of course, the number one reason is safety. I just feel more confident and less jumpy when I’m running in the dark with someone else. The mind can play some really strange tricks on you! Having a running buddy to chat with makes the road less daunting.
Then I met Esna.
Esna and I have struggled up hills together; we have pushed each other through the tough parts, and we have cried together.
Esna is not only my super-fast buddy. She is a friend. A great friend. We share goals and bring different strengths to our runs.
It is so easy to get a setback in running. A cold, flu, twist an ankle, and this brutal sport make you feel like you need to start all over. It is so helpful to have a partner to support and help you build back up mentally and physically.
Runners crave the independence and freedom that running provides. We also benefit from running with a partner. Someone familiar with our strengths. There is no doubt that my running is stronger because we run together. She pushes me, and I push her. We offer words of encouragement and share experiences, and ultimately, we both grow as runners and people. We are both competitive individuals but completely supportive of each other!
At the end of the day, this individual sport continues to give back. Now, I have a new perspective. A new goal. Training for a 42.2km Marathon. This part of my running journey I am sharing with my running buddy, Esna.
THANK YOU for all of your support and friendship!
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