Trail Running Partners

I love running with my wife.  I will say that a hundred times and will never get tired of saying that.  We run at each others pace, we know how to challenge one another while also understanding when to back off when one of us is struggling a bit more than usual.  We run all of our long distance races together.

Up to this point I rarely have run with anyone else.  In fact, with one exception, I really haven't run with anyone else but my wife until recently.

To get prepared for the 50K and to build up my base, I have been running trail runs with my wife on one day and a couple of my guy friends on the other.  I have had an invitation to run with them over the last couple of years but have declined because running is really a family affair for me. 

I will have to say, to some degree I enjoy running with them, that is after the first 2 mile warm up.  Their preferred trails are over in the Briones Regional Park.  This is part of the lush hills to the west of the Diablo Valley.  It is full of green rolling hills, oak forests, and some pretty awesome single track.  The hills are more of a steady climb with some short drops and turns.  I am always afraid of getting poison oak during the run (getting my first exposure to it hear a couple of years ago).

You'd be quicker if you'd stop taking pictures of cows!

What is good and bad is that they are running at a quicker pace than I am up to. Good in that I am changing things up. Bad because with a month off due to the calf and toothpick injuries, I am the one lagging behind.  In fact, one of the guys runs the hills with so much gusto that I rarely see him.  That said, I do see my speed picking up and the last run was pretty fun.


I have read that to improve in your running, it is good to change up your terrain, speed, and even who you run with once in awhile.  Trail Runner Nation did a podcast on picking running partners, you can find it here.  Also, Inside Trail blogged recently when run with people on your favorite trails and the results.
 I do have to say that while I enjoy running with the guys, I still prefer running with my wife.  We run Mt. Diablo and Pine Canyon (Castle Rock Regional Park) and enjoy the time we spend together.  In fact I have taken this coming Monday off so I can run with her. In fact, I feel a bit bad when I am not with her, I don't enjoy the run as much.

Hey Bud, want to run with me?

Running with the guys is great because it has an element of competition and comrade.  However, it is this type of competition that had me getting "C's" and "D's" in P.E.  So my ego does take a hit.  And lagging behind definitely erodes the confidence.  Running with my wife; however, is about partnership and accomplishment.  It is time we spend together.  It is more tied to my why for running.





So how do you chose your running partner?