1. Prioritize pace: talk about this before hand and agree not to deviate from your pace. You want a buddy who is going to be able to meet their goals by running at your pace and vice versa.
2. Discuss long term goals: your buddy should be away of what race you are training for, whether you are looking to gain speed, endurance etc. Allowing them to have a better understanding of the way you need to train will help them to motivate you and understand the importance of staying on track.
3. Discuss short term goals: What is your goal for that particular run? Do you want to keep a certain pace, get in a certain amount of milage, focus on pick ups, hill train etc.
4. Run alone sometimes: Especially if this is how you race. You don't want to get so used to having a buddy, that when you get to race day, you're bored as heck or unmotivated to run solo.
5. Find schedules that sync: Obviously, if you are going to have a regular running buddy, the first thing you will have to discuss is whether you can match up schedules.
6. Have a back-up buddy: There are going to be times when you or your buddy are not available. This is why it's always good to have a few! It never hurts to mix things up.
7. Openly communicate: Talk ahead of time about where and when you are going to meet, how you're feeling during runs etc.
8. Don't compete: (see #1) Pace and clear, concise goals are your first priority. If you're like me, and very competitive, it's important to not get sucked in with another buddy who is also competitive. It is more likely the two of you will get off track and not listen to your bodies during your run.
Tell us!
Do you run with a buddy? What other suggestions do you have when choosing a running partner?
No comments:
Post a Comment