Love, Family, and Running

Mondays are my family days.  I meet my sister at my parent’s house where we change, lace up, and head out on our run of the town in which we were raised.  When we get back, it’s time to help with the family dinner and to amuse the nieces.  I look forward to my Mondays.  It’s the one day I get to run with someone.  It’s our one day together, but all week long, between our phones and social media, we are continually pushing each other.  We both have the passion and the love of running to keep going, to better ourselves, and help each other.  These are just a few reasons why having someone to venture along with you on your goal of staying fit makes staying fit that much easier.

Accountability is so important!  When we get in from our run, we know we’ve pushed each other and kept each other going.  It’s important to have someone to keep you in check and for you to keep them in line and on the right path, too.  I know I am always hounding my sister about getting in her runs when I’m not with her.  That’s what we do to strengthen the accountability and motivation.

Motivation is an important part of the adventure of getting fit.  Having someone to push you just makes it that much easier.  Having someone, like my sister, to let me know how she is doing with her Insanity workouts, what pace she is running and mileage, as well as her asking me how I am doing with my running and workouts, makes me want to keep moving toward reaching my goals – and encourages me to set new ones.

Competition, though I always say and believe that you should just be you and try not to be someone else, can’t hurt in little doses, right?  You will challenge yourself in ways that you cannot do alone.  The many months I spent being 500 yards or more behind my sister just made me want to keep getting stronger and faster!  I know now that she spends just as much energy trying to catch me as I did trying to catch her for so long!  We both know our limits and while it’s never a race, we have our fun.  Not to mention a little boasting here and there keeps us both motivated!

Running with my sister is fantastic!  It makes everything that much better.  The fact that I can talk to her about anything makes it that much easier to be helped and to help her out as well.  Whether your workout buddy is a good friend, a family member, a pet, or just someone at the gym who shares your interest in healthy living, they help make staying fit easier.  Helping others can put a smile on your face and vice versa.  And while I do enjoy my along running, the first thing I do after a good run is to jump on the phone or share it on Facebook with you know who?  You guessed it, my sister!

Do you have a workout buddy?

Matt Sciabarrasi is a full-time chef with a passion for food. He found his niche as an outdoor runner and all round fitness and outdoor enthusiast. Matt is an independent Beachbody Coach and an advocate for Shakeology.