Competition. Motivation. Fun. There are a lot of good things about doing sports with others. Having a running-buddy might make you get up and get going instead of taking the easy way out, which is leaving the running-clothes in the closet and dating the couch instead. It can make you go that bit further, because you’re pushed by your running-buddy – no one wants to be the first to stop. It might also push you to take less breaks. It’s fun to have someone by your side. You might even get to catch up on the weekend’s escapades.
But it’s also kind of a boundary to cross to start running with someone. Cause you don’t wanna do worse than the other. Run slower, demand more pauses, not be able to go that far – that’s kind of a taboo. How well you do in sports, how fit you really are. It’s sometimes nicer to run alone and then be able to just enclose yourself in your own world. Put music in the ears, feel the beat and run in your own tempo. That’s why, to me, it’s a big step to take to go run with someone for the first time.
One of my friends have been “off” the sports wagon since almost forever and finally bought all the right outfit-parts – running pants, running top, shoes, everything. And she used it once. I’ve offered many times that she could go run with me, but the first time she was going to use those brand new sports clothes had to be alone, so she could figure out her limits on her own, without pressure from a running-buddy and without having to feel like a failure because she couldn’t keep up with the running-buddy. But ever since she’s had a hard time getting back into those running shoes… So maybe a running-buddy is exactly what she needs.
It is a sensitive subject to run together. At least for how you feel about it yourself. Same goes for other types of physical exercise, say like spinning, you have to have the same amount of pressure on as your neighbor, and you definitely can’t get caught taking some off or not putting on extra when the instructor says it. It’s as soon as someone else’s eyes are on you that you become consciously aware of how you’re doing compared to others. I imagine this keeps someone away from fitness centers too. But it’s probably more important to just be true to yourself and not care about doing worse or better than running-buddies, spinning-companions or the like. Run over these types of taboos. Work-out buddies are there to make it fun.
tabooyah 
