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Training partners: do you or don't you?
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After a long time off from having a training partner, I'm getting back into it with a few different people. Already I'm concerned. One has shown up 1 out of 4 times. The other is recovering from a serious and prolonged illness and I'm worried about going too hard. This is making me want to go back into training seclusion. Is it really hard to find the right training partner or am I too difficult? Don't answer that. What are your training partner experiences?

BTW, I quit with training partners before because one insisted that she always be ahead of me and the other would never ride hard, just tool along like we're headed out for Sunday brunch.
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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The only time I train with others is when we have a Ladies of ST training weekend at Xantusia. Otherwise, I'm all alone. That's partly because I enjoy training by myself, but also because I train in the mid-morning when most folks are working. For the reasons you mentioned, I would think it would be hard to find someone to train with. I think a bigger group would be better than one or two people unless you're ideally suited to each other.
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I will hook up with a regular running group on Saturday mornings. We do an out and back with a set amount of time. Everyone goes out at the same time, at their own pace, then we all meet back at the cars at the same time. Some cover a lot of miles, others not so many. We will go out to breakfast afterwards. It is perfect for me because I get the social aspects but don't go at someone else's pace.

I've had some people I run with but in general, I'm on my own. Swimming I do at a group workout and cycling I was almost always on my own. I always made plans then if someone wanted to tag along that was great.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I used to have 2-3 people that I rode with all the time and we were all training for CDA, but then I moved. We were equally paced and took turns leading and it was a pretty good gig. Our deal was that if we were riding at 8:00, that meant on the bike pedaling away at 8:00. My pet peeve is people who are late. I used to lift weights with a friend who ws always 10-15 minutes late. I could have had half the workout done by then, so I just stopped meeting her.

For the most part I like having people to train with, it gets me out the door when I'm not motivated, but it can be a pain if they flake, are late, etc...
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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It's really hard to find the right training partner. Kind of like the Holy Grail. :-) I've found that maximizing the "strengths" of different people has worked best for me. For example, my husband tends to push the pace so he's my tempo run partner. Another friend is an awesome "easy run" partner and helps me get out for those after work/cold runs. That way, I get the benefits and motivations of training with others, but don't have to rely on them for everything.

M

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The beatings will continue until morale improves
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I have some great training partners, I've been really lucky in that respect.

My one friend and I are really well matched. At Clearwater our swims were 1 minute apart, our bikes were 2.5 minutes apart, and our runs were 1.5 minutes apart. The two times we've raced each other our overall times were 2-3 minutes different. She's great.

My buddy that I trained for IMC with is also really great. We swim almost the exact same pace (we came out about 40 seconds apart) and even though he's a stronger cyclist than me, I can usually hang with him and he pushes me really hard. As for running, I'm better over the longer distance than he is but he can throw down a faster pace over short distance so we can push each other in different ways with our running.

My final main training partner is my buddy who I just cycle with. I actually met him because he was dating one of my best friends and she suggested that we ride together. Again, I'm a little better in the endurance department than him but he's really strong and will ride in any weather.

I have also though trained with people who were not good matches for me. Either I didn't feel safe with them on the bike, or we just weren't at the same level.

I rode with one girl once who said she was going to be the "pace nazi" for the ride and any time she anyone went too fast for her snail's pace rather than politely asking people to slow down she would get really passive-aggressive and be like "oh no big deal, I guess I'm just going to have to ride alone even though I thought this was supposed to be a group ride." I never rode with her again since she was pretty much an adult baby.

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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I like solo. Or rides with one, maybe two others. There's a guy here who's a roadie and I did lots and lots of long rides with him as he didn't mind riding at my pace. Big groups, I don't like. Except the track, but there you are all there together doing your own thing.

Running: Solo. Always. Stresses me out to run with people because I'm slow.

Swim: Team swim since I wouldn't do it solo.

Weights: Solo, or with the trainer.

clm

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I love to have people around whenever possible. I'm lucky that I have a group of girls that are good friends and we're fairly well matched on the bikes and on our own feet. Of course, if we're going for speed we each excel differently, but we're close enough that most rides and runs are entertaining and challenging enough for us still to get enough out of it.

One of us runs like a gazelle and left to her own devices turns every run into a tempo death run from hell. I've taught her to run slow and steady (because I'm slow....but apparently can keep going for a long time). She's also picked my pace up overall without killing me.

Two of them, on their own, will ride every ride until their legs give out - hard efforts, not really sprinting or intervals, just constant fast, elevated pace and working hard. I tend to remind them that WE ARE SPINNING or that we're in between efforts. I tend to excel in the stamina and climbing departments. Same as the run, though, we all hit the high points at different times, thereby elevating the rest of us when need be.

They both swim sorta like rocks float, but we're working on that together as well. If we swim together we spend some extra time before, during and/or after working on form and tips. I do my sets in between. I'm going to a local masters group tonight for the first time to try out if my "playing well with others" still works in the pool. I haven't swam consistently with a group in 10 years.

I'm lucky, but we also don't set our training schedules by each other. If we happen to be doing the same thing on the same day or headed in the same direction, we'll try to plan. The exception is our long runs, I try to keep the gazelle with me on those so she doesn't kill herself and I actually do the damn run. I think it takes flexibility on both parts. I usually work harder and enjoy it more (read: suffer less) when I'm with other people though...

Good luck....

AW
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I trained for a long time by myself and it sucked. Now I have a lot of training partners, though it seems NOBODY goes the same pace as me in any of the 3. They are either really really really speedy and I can just barely hang on to their wheel or their feet, and I never try to run with them, or a lot of slower than me.

Is there a club nearby you can hook up with to find new partners.
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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When I'm "serious" about my training (as serious as I'm apt to get, anyway) I train mostly alone because I need control over the workout. I'm not about to ask anyone to ride my ride when I have a very specific set that I need to do, or even run a specific session. That would just be an asshole thing to do, and probably really boring for my training partners - not to mention completely selfish and ignorant. Training alone also makes the most of my time - I can train when and where I want, and have a flexible schedule that allows me to squeeze in workouts when the opportunity arises. If I can wrap up work early and head out for a run at 16:30, I have the flexibility to do so.

I'll ride and run with friends on days where I don't have a specific workout to do, and I really enjoy those times. But for the most part I train solo.

Swimming is a bit of a mix - I really like swimming with the Masters group so I swim with them once or twice a week and then swim on my own for key sessions.


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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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For the most of my biking and running, I train alone. I am usually alone as I have a hard time finding someone my pace and distance. It seems that I am just to slow for most of the folks training for long course racing. Plus group rides and runs tend to stress me out. I get so mentally consumed in how slow I am going compared to everyone else that I feel like I am working 10 times harder than I am. I can do the same route at the same pace alone and with a group and after the group ride, I always feel much more worn out. I know I just need to stop caring what others think and do my own thing. This is something I am working on in 2009. I have found a couple of people who I do enjoy riding and running with (Gazelle is one of them). We make plans to meet at a location, determine a route and then go ride/run. We have locations set where we wait for each to make sure all is well but for the most part we do our own thing. It is group ride without the group ride pressure.

I do train with a team for swimming. Mainly cause if I didn't I would swim at "deanna pace" for the entire workout and never actually differ in pace. Plus I am a decent swimmer and an comfortable with the group I swim with. I know I am not holding anyone back. Group swim workouts are improving my swimming so I am venturing into some group indoor cycling classes this winter. So far they are still causing me so stress but I am working on reminding myself "this is my workout, so don't worry what anyone else is doing". I have issues....
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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It sounds like most of us here tend to mix it up.

I had one training partner for my first IM, and we'd do our weekday workouts together most of the time. It really helped it be fun and stay on track. We still run or ride together occasionally.

I have a couple casual training partners: occasionally we run or ride together, and it is fun but I definitely approach most of those days differently than a very structured workout day.

For the swim I love working out with Mike. It makes me get in the pool and stay there the prescribed amount of time. Although he usually does about a third more yards than I do, it's nice having someone there also focused on laps and doing a similar workout.

For the bike I have a great group I cycle "with" each Saturday - I get dropped off the back each time during the crazy part of the loop, but know how to shortcut back on for the ride home. And each time I will make it farther! Someday I might last the whole first straightaway of crazy loop.

For the run and bike I often start with Mike - to the end of the block, this first couple miles, whatever we set ahead of time. And then much like that swim we are both out there, doing similar things, but not right with each other. We know each other's paces pretty well and time finishing the last bit together.

My best running buddy is Gracie (aka donutdogg). She is always eager to go for a run and happy to go whatever pace I want and smiles at me at the end no matter how slow or fast I was that day. Run with Marshall more :)

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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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I swim alone - it doesn' really matter, you can't talk much during a swim anyways, and most people can't/won't do the workouts I do. Running is half and half, if I can find someone to do my run with me, on my scheduled day, then I'll run with them, otherwise its on my own (with my ipod) and my dog (if I'm on the trails). I hate riding outside by myself. I find it way too boring, and I go way too slow, and end up cutting my rides short way too soon. I have a great group of girls who race bikes who I train with, only on occasion am I on my own on the bike.
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Re: Training partners: do you or don't you? [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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Swim with others on occasion but mostly alone.

Bike almost always alone. I've ridden with a group 9 time and 8 of them were at training camp last week.

Run almost always alone. There are a couple people I'll run with from my local running club but it's a pretty short list...

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