I discovered something really crazy this weekend...

I'm so used to running on my own, that I have to adapt to running with a partner! To say I am happy to have my sister at home is the biggest understatement of the century! We have so much fun hanging out and being in each other's company, that it's so hard to leave her in the morning to go to work. She's my best friend and I love her with all of my heart :). So, naturally, one would think that sisters who love to spend every waking minute together would be the best running partners. Well, it's a little bit of a sensitive subject...

Rewind to August of 2010. My sister and I had talked a lot about running and wanting to start a regimen. I was visiting her in the Emerald City and we headed out to our favorite 3.2 mile loop, Green Lake.  I love this loop SO much and Marisa and I have had the most wonderfully thought-provoking, life-altering conversations while covering this loop. We parked in the neighborhood, and headed over to the path. Once our feet hit the gravel, Marisa asked me "Should we try to run it?" Instead of thinking that it was a crazy idea, I eagerly responded "YES!" I was SO surprised that I was not more sheepish and scared. So, there we were, in our raincoats, running the 3.2 mile loop around Green Lake, with the rain misting our faces as we pounded the pavement. We weren't fast, but we weren't slow. We were temperate and steady the entire way. We never once talked about stopping; we simply talked about how happy we were to be "doing it!" We rounded the final curve and slowed to a walk. We had run the loop. And we were alive. Our cheeks were rosy, but our lungs and heart and legs and minds were thankful. Oh so thankful. And we smiled and took pictures and made a pact to keep running. And we did. The following March (2011), less than seven months after our first run together, we crossed the finish line of our first 5K. Again, we were in our raincoats and instead of misting rain, it was a full-fledged downpour on our run. Despite the weather, we felt strong and happy to be running.

Crossing the finish line of our first 5K!

October of 2012, we ran again, in the rain, and crossed the finish line happy and excited, alongside running chickens, bananas, hot dogs, and waldos (it was a Halloween race after all!). We had shaved more than two and a half minutes off of our 5K time!

a poor quality proof...lo siento! check out the rain!

We're still running, and we're hoping for a sub-30 5K time. It's going to take a lot of work, but it's "totally doable," to quote my smarter and wiser older sister, Marisa. I'm so excited to tackle this challenge and I'm even more excited to embark upon this journey with my sister and best friend.

But, back to the running partner ordeal. I have this weird thing that happens when I race. I become a bear! Marisa is the most loving and nonjudgmental person you will ever meet, but I become a bear once the starting gun goes off. I don't like to talk, I don't want anyone telling me "to push it harder" or "to pick it up," or to "breathe." On our last 5K, we encountered what felt like the world's tallest hill and my legs were killing me! There was Marisa, cheering me on, and coaching me through it, but I was having none of it. I was mad. For no reason! After the race, I felt fine, but during the race, I was so angry. It's bizarre and I hope I grow out of it very soon.

This past Saturday, Marisa and I went out on our first run together since Christmas. We headed to our neighborhood track and we decided to run the 12 laps around the track to hit our 3 mile target. It was 1pm on a hot and humid summer day, and it was my idea to run at this time because I wanted to have the rest of our afternoon free. We walked two times around the track and then started running. My stomach was acting up, so I needed to stop for water and a bathroom break after 1.5 miles (6 laps). After 9 laps, I was feeling the heat and I started to have the chills. I let Marisa go ahead of me and I did the walk half a lap, run half a lap method for two laps, and then ran the final lap at a faster speed than my other laps. It was a challenging run and I was really upset with myself. Some days are better than others, but I couldn't help feeling like I had let my sister down by slowing down.

We all have good (running) days and bad (running) days, but the most important part is that we have running days. I love the sport of running and I'm so eager to get better and faster and stronger. Sometimes, running with a partner shows you that you need to listen to your body and back off when necessary. Sometimes, running with a partner encourages you to push harder and run faster and farther than you would on your own. I'm still figuring out how to stay nice and avoid anger on my partner runs. I'm so blessed to have the world's best running buddy and I want her to feel the same way. I need to clean up my attitude if I want to keep my partner!

I've been voraciously reading articles aimed at running partners and personalities and preferences, but I can only find the most wonderful stories of partner running bliss. Perhaps, I'll have to submit a piece to Runner's World magazine detailing my ordeal. Perhaps, they'd have some positive feedback.

Today, during my lunch break, I went on a 3.2 mile run. It was incredible and I felt super strong. I had my music on and I was happy to be in my own head for 38 minutes. I only had one regret after my run; that my sister wasn't running right beside me...