Training Partners are Important
But should you be training partners with your significant other? My wife does triathlons, 5k races and bike rides. Her goals are to do a century ride. Mine are to squat 500, bench 350 and deadlift 600. Doesn’t seem like something that would allow us to train together. But we make it work.
To explain how, I have to tell a story.
On my first date with my wife
Something happened that I think was foreshadowing how our marriage would be. We got lost in Cloudland Canyon State Park and went to the top of a small mountain to see if we could find the trail. There weren’t any other hikers around. We saw the way and started back down but the soil was loose and unstable and both of us fell. We slid for a few feet until I saw a root and grabbed with one hand and Naomi’s hand with the other.
I yelled out, “I’ve got you!”She responded with “No, I’ve got you!”
We always debate who saved who that day (I saved her)
Simple, early in our relationship:
- we created a habit of making fitness something we did together (the hike)
- we also set a precedent that when everything’s not going well (we got lost) we didn’t take it out on each other but instead we were supportive of each other.
- She motivates me to do cardio and I motivate her to strength train.
But regardless, we find ways to weave our separate goals into a harmonious fitness relationship.
In fact, she wants to do the century ride by having me drive to The Grit House gym in Cleveland, TN to lift which is about 100 miles away from our house up I-75. She’ll ride her bike up there to meet me and we’ll go have lunch then drive back down together. See what I mean? If it’s important to you; you make it work.