Never break stride

I looked at him expectantly. In between spasms of trying to catch my breath and nurse the stitch in my side. I am sure my face was beet-red and I may or may not have had drool running down my chin. I had just finished my first week of the Couch to 5k and was waiting for Grant to shower me with praise. I mean I had worked out 3 days that week alternating 60 seconds jogs with 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes and I was still alive to tell the tale. Surely that warranted a small celebration in my honour. Cake. Soft drinks. A few streamers from the ceiling. Nothing too extravagant.

In case you weren’t aware, Grant is miles ahead of me in the fitness stakes. While he was training for triathlons, I was practicing with my camera. While he was getting in 10km runs, I was taking the dogs for a walk around the block. So when I told him I was going to begin the C25K in an effort to work on my fitness (in my best Fergie impersonation), he put his hand up to support me and come along. At first I was so proud and happy that he would support me knowing how boring it would be for him. So I downloaded the program for my iPhone, strategically selected some motivating music and began my first run.

Huffing and puffing and trying to find my stride while trying to remember simultaneously to breath and not fall on the pavement, I looked to my side and there he was. Grant prancing next to me like a gazelle. Graceful and bouncing like he had springs in his shoes and was as light as a feather, I can’t tell you how I felt struggling alongside him. Embarrassed, ashamed – more for him than me. It was, I am sure, hilarious for the few unfortunate people who happened to see us.

But even though each week I have increased my running times and my fitness has gotten better, he has never broken stride. He has never run ahead and left me behind. Patiently prancing beside me while I slog it out and then after I am finished, he will continue on for a lazy 10km training run to do what he needs to do. I am hoping it is a metaphor for our life together that no matter what we need individually we will never break stride and keep pace together while one of us needs the other.

Today I completed Week 4 and ran for 5 minutes with out a break. I felt that this was overshadowed by Grant who took the cake with his get up – wearing compression socks along with his skins, running shorts and new running shoes. I was compelled to share with the internet my running buddy in all his paraphernalia. Lets never break stride.