Running Buddy

On the homeward leg of my run last night along East Coast, my mind starting wondering, my body started feeling heavy and this is when my breathing starts becoming increasing heavy; signs that tell me, from experience, that I will begin to lose mental focus and will give up on the run. About 2km before I arrive at the end point, I saw another runner about 100m away, and I decided to match strides. The runner did not know because he had earphones, I was some ways back, and it was dark - and hence I did not irritate him (I hope) by matching strides.

My strides must have been slightly longer because I caught and eventually passed the runner. The focus of doing so awoke from my slump; my strides were smooth, my form was good and more importantly I did not fade when seconds before I saw the runner, I was slumping.

I need a running buddy.

Almost all of my runs are done alone. I don't even have a watch to keep time and hence have not much idea about (my) pace, splits etc. This is probably a good thing because I seem to go at each run with somewhat maximum effort - this is the only thing that pushes me. It is when I am slumping that I need a running buddy, just so that the competitive side of me would not give in to the slump in the presence of the running buddy. For me at least, slumping has never been a physical thing and DK and CG (my running buddies some 20yrs back) would know my weakness is mental strength. It is not that I have no endurance, willpower and all that stuff - its just that I give up on the run because monotony sets in.

Nisa is my part-time running buddy and my full-time life buddy. We drive each other to get up early on the weekends to alternate between Kiara (on Saturdays) and Lake Gardens (on Sundays).

Jamie will be too, when he gets older. And this is why I run, so I can keep up with my boy as he grows up, and that he will be proud he has healthy parents.