“The Most Important Thing for Me Is a Good Running Partner”

Run means lace up your running shoes and run away for many.

It came naturally to me because I grew up in a very active family where my father and brother were avid football players and my mother swam and triathlon. I went to a great school and had a contact educator who ran a lot, and we ran together once a week. Then I joined a running club, and it took off from there.

To start a run, I meet my running partner near my home and we do warm-up exercises. I have an elastic cord with loops on both ends that my running partner and I hold onto. I usually wrap it around my wrist because I find it too tiring to hold in my hand. Then we run away, with my running partner usually on my left. Depending on the space, we can run with short or long strings between us. Our companion tells me if there is a step or if we will turn. Companions control me differently. Some push me, others say it, and I just turn with them.

I don’t care how my gear looks as long as it’s durable and comfortable to wear. Then there’s my leash and vest, so my companion can guide me when we leave.

Why does it matter what brand you buy when buying equipment? So that your body and feet can breathe and you are comfortable in it.

The most important thing for me when I run is a good running partner. A good running partner considers my needs, such as speed. “Okay, now we run a fast five kilometers and I dare well take any risks with you,” he said. You have to act instinctively and just pull at me if I am heading out in front of someone or something. It may sound like a good companion isn’t safe – it’s not meant to be, you just need to be able to weigh it up. I’m never scared or worried. You always run the risk of getting hurt or being injured.

It’s nice to move around instead of sitting all day, and it helps with running. I enjoy being able to move and sense my body. That’s good for me, and having lots of ideas can be profitable. Running helps me relax.

The forest is a nice place to run because there are few cars and no noise. For me, it’s about accessibility. Curbs, steps, and turns make running in nature more fun.

I had my contact educator with me, and he has been one of the best companions I’ve had. He took me to a five-kilometer club test. We ran fast and won, but that trip meant a lot to me because I could see how much he sacrificed to meet my needs. We ran 4”39 per kilometer and he was out of breath, but he still gave it his all. It meant a lot to me that he wanted to be my running partner.

There are a lot of people and I need to be aware of distance. I’ll need to know when to stay close to my friend and when to get some leash. When there are so many people, I don’t have to run into my own companion because it stops us. Aside from that, it’s cool to see a lot of people on a race route because it adds to the atmosphere. The day’s atmosphere was fantastic, and it was great to see so many cheering. People sometimes yelled my name without identifying themselves, leaving me unsure if they were friends or strangers cheering me on. Amazing.