The Benefits of a Running Buddy

You will have heard the saying the loneliness of the long distance runner and that can be true, some people love the isolation of running alone but most people enjoy company. After a long day either at home or at work and if the weather isn’t very nice the last thing you feel like doing is putting on your trainers and heading out the door! But if you have arranged to meet someone you are more likely to lace up those trainers and go, as you don’t want to let running buddy down. There are loads of positives that coming from having a training partner, both physical and emotional.

The Physical Benefits

Studies show that people run 5-10% quicker when they are doing a workout with a partner than when they are doing it on their own! The same applies for the distance people can run. It increases if the person is doing a run with someone that is fitter than them. Training with a partner also helps you gauge how hard you are working, no one is able to go as hard as they can for as long as they can every day and not expect to plateau or get injured. Having a training partner helps with this and can be done by using the simple conversational test to gauge how hard you are working during a run. If you are able to have a conversation then that would indicate that you are working at an easy pace, if the conversation is reduced to a sentence then you are working a bit harder and finally if that is reduced further to a one word answer or a grunt then you are working very hard! You should have all three types of exercise in your training program.

The Emotional Benefits

Running is a great time for us to have family time together, when I had Sarah I wanted to be able to run with her so I bought a running pram. Sunday afternoons Ian and I can run together with Sarah in the pram. It can be a time when we catch up or simply just spend time together doing something we both love. This has a real positive influence on us as individuals and as a family. Equally I find it is good to train with a friend so I can have a chat or just let off some stream! Running together also gives you a sense of being part of a team, having support when things get tough and also someone to share the good times with. There is a sense of togetherness when you complete a common goal.