Going the distance

Stace over at  Musings of an (I)Tgirl wrote an interesting post about her experience of running with a colleague. I was going to comment but being a bit wordy at times, ok most of the time, I thought I'd do a post instead. :-)

I have a male colleague that's fairly new to running. Last year he decided that he wanted to get fitter and that running was going to be how he did it. He set himself a challenge of running a half marathon.

He put a notice on our internal company website to see if anyone would partner him while he was training. At the same time knowing that I run he came to have a chat with me. Eventually I agreed with him that from the start of this year I would join him on weekday lunchtimes to go for a run.

All started well with just the two of us running the first day. Then one of our female colleagues decided that she would join in. At the same time I got told about a local half marathon that is going to take place for the first time this March. Both of us signed up immediately.

We talked about it on our runs but our female colleague wasn't interested as there was another half marathon closer to where she lives that she wants to do.

Last week we decided to go for a run and suddenly we were joined by a chap who is just getting back into running and so wanted to come and join us. Another chap has since shown an interest in joining in. The numbers keep growing, as do the numbers that are now signed up to do the half marathon. We now have four of us that I know of for definite.

My male colleague that I'm helping to train for this race has been working hard. Last weekend he decided to go for a run, a couple of laps around the village where he lives, should have been about 6 miles. It ended up being 12 miles in total as he decided he felt ok and so carried on.

On Monday he decided that he was going to join me for a lunchtime run. I tried to pursuade him not too, honestly I did, but he wouldn't have it. He felt fine he told me.

A mile into the run and it started to hurt, he was struggling to run but kept going for another half mile or so. Eventually I took pity on him when he said that I should carry on while he stopped and walked. We both slowed to a fast walk and kept going. A bit more running and walking and we reached a point where we could head back. I told him to head back and that I'd see him back at work after I'd gotten another couple of miles under my belt. I'm taking part in a competition at the moment between a group of runners from the USA and Canada and another group of runners from Europe, Australia and various other countries this side of the Atlantic. My mileage this month might not be brilliant but it all helps.

Today my colleague went out for another run, after two days of rest, on his return we were chatting and I was saying that I might just stick with our female colleagues as I find the pace she runs at quite comfortable and she's trying to finish the race in under two hours. I fancy having aiming for that time so we can pace each other and egg each other on to the finish.

My colleage said he might stick with us, at least at the start. Now if I was mischievous I could have encouraged him to do that. Unfortuanately, although my halo has slipped and as a friend and I have agreed I sometimes, like her, wear it on my ankle, I decided that I should try and pursuade him of the folly of trying that on his first half. He seems to have taken the idea on board. At least I hope he has. If he hasn't, well I'm sure that I can spin my halo around my ankle while dragging him at a fast pace for a couple of miles around the course.

One of these days I might just get my halo back where its supposed to be!

:-)