How to Break Up with Your Running Partner

There's nothing better than finding a running friend who will meet you at the crack of dawn for before-work jogs, hang with you for 20-milers and celebrate your important race victories.But what if your running relationship sours?
Whether it's due to life circumstances, changing fitness levels or personality quirks, sometimes an exercise buddy is no longer a good fit. When it's time to move on, here's the escape plan.

Evaluate the relationship.

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Before you do anything drastic, take some time to think about how you want to move forward. Is your running buddy someone you want to keep hanging out with in real life.IRL (in real life)? If so, you'll need to take special care not to burn bridges.

If you want to continue the friendship off the roads, make an effort to invite your pal to non-running activities. Instead of a weekly long run, suggest meeting up for happy hour or a yoga class.

FIND:

Your Next Race

Be honest.

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If you need to get something off your chest (and you think your running buddy can handle it), tell them what's bugging you. Is their tendency to run one step ahead of you grating getting on your nerves? Are they consistently late for runs? Have your fitness levels diverged drastically? If the problem can be identified, it might be fixable.

For example, if your pal has gotten a lot faster, they could pace you during your harder runs. Alternatively, you You could also try meeting at the track to keep each other company during speed workouts. Run your warm-up and cool-down miles together, but do your own thing when it comes to the actual workout.

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Your Next Race

Tell a white lie.

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Is a personality quirk driving you mad? If you really can't stand their company during a run, fib a bit and tell them you are craving some solo running time. But Just be careful with this one; if you tell a friend you're going to hit the road unaccompanied, don't post on social media about your new long- run BFF.

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Your Next Race

Dilute with group runs.

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If you don't want to completely cut ties with your running partner, but one-on-one time is proving to be too tough, suggest meeting up for runs with a larger group. Having more people to interact with will (hopefully) dilute your friend's bothersome tendencies--or at least give you a break! If there's someone in the group that your pal might get along with particularly well, whether it's because of pace or personality, you could try playing training partner matchmaker. If he or she has a new buddy to run with, you might be off the hook altogether.

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Your Next Race

The slow fade.

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If it's clear that you and your running pal are simply growing apart, try to say no to more and more run invites over time. Whether you blame it on work deadlines, family demands or the need for more sleep, they should get the picture after a few weeks.

And if none of these tactics work, just take up a new sport. Badminton anyone? (We're kidding, of course).

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Your Next Race

 

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Back to Beginning

 

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