Married to your Running Mate

It's 5am and the birdies are calling me. The sun is showing first light of day. It's slightly chilly in the 60's as we snuggle in our camper. The alarm goes off... Time to run!!

Oh-wait, it's not my turn. Rats! I nudge my hubby and encourage him out the door. I'm way more excited for his run than he is. I wouldn't call myself a morning person, but I certainly LOVE the crack of dawn runs. My husband on the other hand, despises the early morning hours. He grumply rolls out and dresses for his long run... mostly because he knows I won't let him go back to sleep. Today he's shooting for 8 miles, his furthest distance yet in his training for the Air Force Half Marathon.

I try my best to pump him up for the run... "It's a perfect morning, nice and cool. I'm so jealous you get to run right now. I wanna..." In a brief moment, he looks at me, considering switching spots. I give him one last "You're gonna do great," and he's quietly out the door.

The past couple months have been an adjustment for me as my hubby becomes a regular runner. He's always enjoyed the race hooray, jumping in 5ks whenever he could, but that was really the extent of his running. Now with his first half-marathon on the horizon, he's been diligently following the training plan (that I made for him). I couldn't be more proud. There's nothing a runner (me!) loves more than inspiring another to take up the sport.

However... When you have two little kids and a busy schedule, two runners in the family can get crowded. Those fantasy dreams of being "running mates" don't happen. Someone needs to hang back with the kiddos, and we've already proven we don't exactly run well side by side (my last twisted ankle injury). So instead, we strategize and squabble over running time. Remind me again why I wanted a running mate...

So as I sit out by the campfire enjoying my morning coffee, I daydream about the run my hubby is surely enjoying by now (or not). I calm my thoughts of "it's not fair" as I recall our conversation on the 3 hour drive last night. Probably more accurate description would be "my 3 hour rambling" about where I should run my next full marathon. I drive the hubby crazy as I disect every event with the pluses, negatives and logistics. It will literally take me weeks to finally decide. And when I do, there's no one more relieved than he. But through it all, he's ever supportive, nodding his head with the continuous "yup, sounds good babe." Choosing the marathon is just step one, and no one knows that better than he.

Once training starts, our family schedule circles around "mom's marathon training." Even though I get out and run early, 16-20 mile runs can consume a weekend... from the rest before ("No, we can't go out tonight...") to the hours gone running, and then the lazy recovery day afterward. No doubt the marathon is work for more than just me. It's a family affair... which is why come raceday, there is no one more excited for me than my hubby (ok, my mom too!) He'll be flying around the race course, meeting me at checkpoints with my support bag, and waiting at the finish with a great big proud hug. No matter what my finish time, I'm a winner.

I guess I really do have the perfect running mate... even if we don't necessarily "run together." Sure hope he's enjoying that morning 8 miler. Run baby run!!

Does your partner run too? How do you balance two running schedules in one house?