The Buddy System?

This past Sunday my younger brother (who is also my current roommate) ran his first ever running race. (Or, race of any kind, most likely.)  He ran a 5K with his girlfriend called "Love the Run You're With." (clever. and cute shirts too. I would run it for the shirt.)  He did it in under thirty minutes, which is impressive. Maybe slightly less so when you consider he's 6'3" and his gangly legs reach up to my elbows, but nonetheless, it's still a great time! And finishing your first race--any race--is a feat in itself.  It takes courage to even sign up for a race, let alone, train, get up early and then actually run one. 

I'm impressed and proud, especially considering that this is the same boy who, less than six months ago, told me famously that he "would only run if someone was chasing him."   He mocked me, and all the running world, who would be foolish enough to actually pay money to get up early and run, when I could much more easily sleep in, get up whenever I wanted and run for free.  He also remarked once, after I mentioned that I was at the gym with a couple who was working out together, and that I thought it was normal--fun even--to work out with your significant other, that, "If a girl ever wanted me to work out with her, I'd dump her."  Of course, that was before he'd met the young lady he's seeing now.  His mind has obviously been changed.  All of the sudden there was whole grain pasta and low-fat soups in our cupboards, Special K protein shakes in our refrigerator, none of which belonged to me.  My brother doesn't have any problem with weight gain, but he has had the typical mid-20's guy problem; when all of the sudden a case of Bud Light and 2 large extra cheese pizza does more damage than it used to.

He started "training" for this race about two months ago, about the time I  started training for the Full Marathon, before my foot laid me up for almost a month. (Almost healed, by the way!)  He would either run on the treadmill, or he and his girlfriend would go running....sort of.  Brian wasn't quite ready to display his running publicly.  So he and his gf would wake up, get dressed, then head outside and run in opposite directions--away from each other.  That way, he wouldn't feel self-conscious but they could still both train for the race. 

This got me thinking about how individualized training and working out actually is.  Almost every fitness guru gives the advice that you should find a workout-partner or a buddy to do stuff with.  I do agree with this, because I think when you hold yourself accountable to someone else, you're more likely to follow through. (For instance, no one is effected except myself if I skip the gym this evening in favor of an impromptu happy hour, except me and my liver, so I'll probably go to happy hour. It seems I've left my willpower at home this morning.)  But I also think everyone has their own path to optimal fitness and health, and sometimes it's a solitary one.  What works for one person will not work for everyone, and it may not work for your best friend.  When I first started running and working out regularly, I ran on the treadmill in my parents basement.  Idid not tell anyone, because I thought they'd make fun of me or discourage me. (I didn't have any friends at the time who were very physically active.)  It really didn't matter how sunny or nice it was outside, I was all-treadmill all the time.  I also worked out in my bedroom doing weights (actually doing the same workout DVD I still use now.)  I didn't go to a gym or run outside.  I was afraid of looking foolish or ridiculous, mainly.  But I also enjoyed the private-ness of my workouts.  My fitness regimen was very solitary and I liked it that way.  I could stop whenever I wanted to get water or to stretch, I could lip sync (or sing) along with my ipod, and I could complete a quick but solid 40 minute workout before dinner.  I liked it so much that when I moved out and could afford it, I eventually bought my own treadmill.

I only joined a gym finally many years later, solely in an effort to be more social.  A few of my colleagues encouraged me to join the gym by my office and I figured it was a healthier, better way to get to spend time with them besides sitting for hours and hours at Happy Hour, pouring wine down my throat and stuffing half-priced appetizers into my mouth.  It worked out fabulously for a while!  Though only one of my card-carrying-gym-member-colleagues actually went with any regularity, she was committed.  Every week, usually 2 or 3 times a week,  we would head to BodyPump and Zumba or Spinning.  We became very close friends because we talked so often outside of the office.  Without her encouragement and attendance, I probably never would have started going to spinning, let alone stay for two classes in a row!  Unfortunately, once she left her job, she also quit my gym, ending my brief stint as a co-worker-outer. Since then, I've tried to encourage other friends and/or co-workers to join (and attend) the gym with me, but it's surprisingly harder than you would think....maybe the majority of people are solitary with their fitness.

One of my very best friends recently joined her local running group in order to motivate herself.  While I like the idea of a group of people who share my interest, I really still often like to run alone.  I would be game for a once-a-month group run, or something similar, but on a frequent and regular basis, I like to sort out my thoughts while I listen to my favorite running songs.  I like to decompress from my day in the evening or get geared up for my day in the morning. Sometimes, especially on longer runs, I like to chat away as I go along, but most days, it's a mental break that the workout is providing.

Tonight, I wish I had a gym buddy waiting for me....because I am heading to Happy Hour at a bar with "delicious" $2.50 wine and half-priced shrimp macaroni and cheese......