Training: The Buddy System

May 2, 2016

Running Expert Nate Vandervest shares his thoughts on the power of training in tandem

One of the challenges of training can be that it’s tough to do on your own. Most of us can lace up our shoes when we please and head out the door for a run — but we are social people, and running alone all the time can be boring and demotivating.

Enter the training buddy.

Having a friend, neighbor, coworker, family member or even a pet along can make all the difference in your training. At Bellin Health, we offer free training runs/walks each Wednesday night from late March through mid-October. We’re not doing anything fancy, but upwards of 100 people (sometimes more) show up weekly to enjoy the company of others doing the same thing  they are.

One of the best parts of my job is watching these relationships among runners grow as the weeks go by. I see people who find out that they are coworkers and never knew it. Before long, they have started training runs from work and have added more people to their “running tree.” I have seen other others who show up feeling out of place — but they soon realize that they do belong. Often, they end up sharing their stories with other runners and walkers who feel the way they used to.

Having a training partner is a great way to stay motivated and accountable. It’s a lot harder to skip out on a workout if you know that you have to call that person to say “I’m not going to make it today.”  I used this strategy in college a lot. Neither I nor my teammate really liked getting up at 5 a.m. in the summer to work out, so we did it together. All summer long there were only three times we stood each other up for no good reason — and there were countless times we had a great workout and were glad to have gotten it in. Having a training partner you can rely on will help both of you reach your goals. There will be days you feel great and your training partner doesn’t. Those are the days you can “pull” him or her through the workout (and some day, he or she will do the same for you).

And your training buddy doesn’t have to be a person — man’s best friend will work just fine. I run our dog just about every day. His name is Ron and we affectionately call him Ron-stoppable because it takes a lot to tire him out. He routinely runs 30-40 miles per week, not to mention the additional time he puts in running around the yard. He relies on me to get him out and I, in turn, have started to rely on him to get me out. There are plenty of winter mornings when I would much rather stay in bed — but I know full well that our dog will go nuts if he doesn’t get a run in. 

So give a training partner a try. Ask other people you know who are training for the Bellin Run if you can join them, or vice versa. Post a notice at work to see if any of your co-workers are interested. Before you know it, your training partner may become partners or even a group. And you’re always welcome to join the Bellin Running Crew for our Wednesday runs/walks (6 p.m., Bellin Health Ashwaubenon). We welcome all abilities and pace levels — and the level of camaraderie is amazing.

I have the best of all worlds. I have my dog, my family, friends and my Wednesday Running Crew to count on. Who can you count on for your next run?

Always Running,
Nate Vandervest
Running Coach, CSCS, CES

Nate is a running coach and strength coach who specializes in running assessments, strength training and personalized running programs. For more information contact [email protected].