6:10 at Johnson

As marathon training ramps up we find ourselves sending the weekly texts of...when are your running this week and what days are your workouts!? This blog post written by teammate and overall badass Andrea reminds us all that the work we put in together is special! The bonds we build throughout training cycles is unique and beautiful and one of a kind! You can't read this blog and not smile. So as you lace up tomorrow to meet your running buddy and greet the new day, remember to revel a little in the incredible friendship and bond you have with your beloved running buddy!

6:10 at Johnson

There is something unique about distance runners who train together. Maybe it’s the grit of the grind or the endless explorations, but in anyway, it is a special partnership. The monotonous miles of well-known routes allow for bonds to strengthen and friendships to form. Paths along the way open up, but not as wide as the heart does for the comradery that is built by the time spent training.

Often running is thought of as a individual’s endeavor, a solo treck into the wilderness. There is merit in the clarity that this solitude can bring, but the joy of running stride for stride is undeniable. Rolling through the twists and turns, chasing down the distance, adding on just to finish a story–all made more enjoyable and possible with company. Whether the miles are in silence or bursting with laughter, they are shared. Even the most daunting workouts become more achievable when the task isn’t tackled alone. “One more down. I’ll lead this one” says the partner that suffers less. The other feels no need to speak for their breath and rhythm have spoken enough. At the end they are thankful for one another as they pull each other through the peaks and valleys of the session.  

While training is spent together, sometimes the races are not, leaving strangers at your side and not those you know best. But you are not really alone. Weeks of solidarity are stored in the legs, ready to take flight at the sound of the gun. The mind bounces between sensations of calmness and panicking, returning back to memories of mornings spent on the track. As the race is broken down, these thoughts help to fuel the stamina needed to compete. The 300s were for the finish, the hill reps were for that climb at mile 9, and the endless tempos have helped to perfect the comfort in feeling uncomfortable. 

Daily training runs don’t guarantee the pair to the same state of fitness, or even the same wearing weight in their legs, but what they do lead to is a common ground of appreciation and care for one another. Through the heartaches, the breakdowns, the achievements, and the high, nobody quite understands the emotions one faces in a training cycle like a training partner can. They know the work that went into smashing that PR, or the tears that were shed after a workout when things weren’t going well. They are the one who is cheering for success, the one to pick up the pieces after a bad race, and the one that makes the early mornings brighter even if the sun hasn’t yet risen. 

“Running tomorrow?”

“Yep, let’s meet. 6:10 at Johnson?”

“See you there!”