Family or Marriage • Finances & Money

Is running really a bonding activity for couples?

So my wife and I decided to do something together that she has been wanting to do for quite some time….run a MARATHON! You’re probably saying “Oh Mike, that can’t be all that bad”, but think of it this way:

1. My wife likes to chat while running (she never seems to get out of breath!)
2. I seriously need to concentrate on not keeling over from lack of oxygen
3. My wife used to run many miles, numerous times a week
4. I wimped out of running in grade school (football), high school (gym class), and anything other than a “beer run”
5. My wife seems to have a body built like a Kenyan’s
6. I have a body built like a, well, American’s

So you can immediately see the challenges we both face. “Wait, Mike, did you say both?” Well yes I did!
Here’s the bonding part of the activity. When running with your partner, you have to be in unison. If you tend to lean forward, which causes you to run faster, your partner needs to tell you that so you don’t wear yourself out. If you are able to mentally push yourself more easily than your partner, avoid yelling at her (I mean, your partner) to keep her going.

Of course, if you don’t have a marathon that you can sign up for in the near future, it may be hard to stay motivated without a goal. You need to think up your own goal, both you and your partner agree to it, and both be accountable for each other’s attendance. Luckily we were able to sign up for a free training program at Active.com through the Marine Corp Marathon site. I do recommend if you’re a beginner to either do the Beginner program or “To Finish” program (we’re doing that one). It still assumes you can do a 3 mile run, but you don’t need to run the entire 3 miles. You build up your endurance for long runs. Give it a try!