Everyone has one – a friend who seems to have an allergy to exercise of any kind, who we wouldn’t recogise if they turned up at our door in a tracksuit and who would no more think of going for a run than they would think of cleaning the kitchen floor with their tongue. Well, recently my most fit phobic friend shocked everyone by signing up for a half marathon, proving people are full of surprises.
I’m ashamed to say my first response was hysterical laughter, but after recovering my composure and realising he was serious I agreed to offer my assistance and have now discovered that helping him has been the spark needed to re-ignite my own running.
Thinking back to what got me into running in the first place and reliving through him the stepping stones of buying your first running shoes, completing your first jog and entering your first race has reminded me how satisfying even small running goals can be and what an achievement it is to turn yourself into a runner. I don’t think there’s any other sport that offers such simple rewards from the first time you unlace your running shoes and sink into an armchair.
OK the first stepping stone is easy, anyone can buy a pair of running shoes, but persevering and building up your running ability over months or years is something to be really proud of; sometimes it takes watching someone else go through the motions to make us aware of how far we have come. That encourages me to continue building on the base I have already established and raise my aims to improve further, and also makes me want to keep trying to recruit other friends to running.
So if you want a new way to revamp your running, try looking for a bit of mutual inspiration from unexpected sources. Perhaps a friend or relative who is trying to lose some weight woud benefit from joining a running club with you, or someone who avoids exercise at all costs could be coaxed into entering a fun run. Who knows, they might enjoy it and both of you might find it a refreshing experience. Not only does spreading the running bug mean you have more potential running partners, but helping a friend makes you re-evaluate your own goals and use some of your own advice so that your own fitness improves too.
The less likely your fit phobic friend was to become a runner in the first place the more you might find you can inspire each other. After all, if the most committed couch-potato you know can work towards a new running goal, so can you, and newly-discovered enthusiasm can be twice as infectious.
Other Recommended Reading
- Some friends wanted please…..
- Running Sleepy – Run yourself to sleep!
- Sportsshoes 15% extra discount!
- My New Friends – New Balance 768 running shoes
- Keep Running – Motivational Tip 3
About the author
I am a trained medical doctor and a writer specialising in health and medicine, fitness and outdoor sports and dreaming about becoming a novelist. I have been a runner for many years and have run-explored in places around the world including Paris, Barcelona, Lausanne, Porto, California, New York and North Carolina, to name a few. I also enjoy swimming, cycling, badly attempting sailing and other watersports, and thinking about doing a triathlon (whilst sitting comfortably at home drinking copius amounts of tea).
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This made me laugh. I have used to have a friend exactly like that. Now he runs quicker than me.