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Instead, I wanted to share one of the most exciting additions to my exercise routine in a long time. As I mentioned last week, I've been upping my miles and running more. I decided to not only add more miles, but to also add a running buddy. I reached out to a girlfriend (Hi, Holly - you may be the only friend of ours that actually reads the blog anyways...so how about a shout out? HA!) to see if she wanted to run yesterday morning with me.
Side note - For any runners out there, you know how this whole thing works. It's enjoyable running with a buddy, but it has to be the right running buddy. They can't be too fast, too slow, too talkative, too mute, too tired, too giddy, too competitive, too complacent, too...well, too "anything". There's always this sweet spot. They have to be similar in their pace, but if either of you are slightly faster it can push you both to be better. Running with a new running buddy for the first time can kind of feel daunting...like a first date in a way. You wonder if you're too "anything" for them. You inevitably think, "gosh, if they're in better shape, am I going to die trying to keep up?"..."Do I wear headphones?"..."Who will be in charge of the GPS and taking charge of the course?"....and the list goes on. Choosing a running buddy is kind of like choosing a roommate. You know what I'm talking about, you can be the best of friends, but terrible roommates.
Anyways, we met at 5:15am by a long canal that stretches through our town. This area is pretty cool in that we have a lot of canals running all over that you can run along...I just never have taken advantage of them in the past. We decided to do a slow 4 miles and see how it was. Well 4 miles and some great conversation later, we both felt great. We ran at a good pace and we both (I think) had fun. I adore Holly as a friend, and now I adore her as a running buddy too. She's not too "anything"...except maybe too awesome, and that I'm ok with!! We even had such a good time yesterday that we are running together again this morning...I guess that means it was a success and we are both fired up. The only hurdle now is trying to keep up with her...because she's a freakin' stud!
This may be one of the best things I've done for my exercise routine in a long time. I am really excited to have someone to run with some mornings. It's a nice change of pace (no pun intended) and it's a great way to spend time with a friend, while getting a work out. If you've never tried working out with a friend, I TOTALLY recommend it. It adds so much enjoyment into the mix. I am so excited for my next run thanks to adding a great running buddy to the equation.
