Finding the perfect running partner

Once upon a time i had the perfect running partner.

He was 60, classic type A personality, throw in a touch of aspergers and a dose of OCD and there you had it. He would show up to runs, gamin beeping, heart rate monitor carefully attached and checking all vitals, head lamp, extra watch, gadgets, gear, and home made GU. An engineer, a fellow running nerd like me. We were a match made in heaven.

We ran the same pace, often times alone, leaving the rest of our group in the dust (well only about a 10 minute mile but who's counting). He did not mind when i started to babble on and on. Usually he would comment with a grunt or a "a ha.. ya" and that was about it. I was positive that, he never really heard anything i had to say. He was merely a sounding board for my rambling diatribes or incessant whining. The whining that would almost always begin at about mile 16 or so "My ass hurts" or "My jog bra is not working for me" "Are we there yet?" "Slow down!" I could pretty much say whatever i wanted and he would just nod and say "a ha.. ya"

It lasted for about a year and then the worst thing that could have happened did... something unnameable and horrible. No, he did not move to Botswana.

He got way faster then me.

As a matter of fact he got so fast that he has now officially become a Boston qualifier. While a part of me is happy for his accomplishment. I mean, let's face it, getting a BQ is a pretty impressive accomplishment for any runner. A BQ is pretty much the creme de la creme. The ultimate goal to strive for. To Boston qualify is like reaching the top of Mt Everest.

It takes a lot of training and dedication, more for the type A personalities with the beeping Garmin and the precise training schedules to BQ. You really have to want to have it, you have to taste it and dream it.

That was not for me.

As a matter of fact, I will probably never BQ. I am not that obsessed or dedicated. Don't get me wrong, i enjoy running and i want to get better but it is not my ultimate goal. To me, running is about fun and i want to keep it that way. But now, I had nobody to run with. While i was happy for him, i was sad, oh so sad for myself.

Who would hear me whine? Who would let me ramble on about my wardrobe malfunctions or my painful body parts at mile 16? Who would take out his ipod, attach it to a speaker system to the top of his hat and play it for me so i could make it to the last few miles of a torturous run? Who would track the Garmin and let me know the pace every 17 seconds like clockwork?

If i wanted to train for another marathon anytime soon, i needed to find another running partner or i was seriously screwed. No way i could do those long runs on my own. My discipline was non-existent. I needed someone to whine to! I needed someone to go "a ha... ya" Without the "a ha.. ya", i would be lucky to do 3 miles on my own without stopping for a vanilla shake at Sonic and then having my husband pick me up at Chipotle.

Now what?

The what is, I am back to square one and am now feeling a bit defeated. As a runner, It is very difficult to find someone that you can bond with. Most runners do not fit one size, they are either faster than you or slower than you, so hard to find a happy medium.

So i joined a different running group this year. More runners to choose from. I am hoping i will find "the one" but who knows. It feels a bit like an online dating site. I keep testing out other runners. Do they mind that i am talking about Mob Wives or the Real Housewives at mile 15? Do they care if i start to whine about my sore feet at mile 17? I keep trolling for all the perfect prerequisites, proper form, good stamina, perfect pace, tolerates rampant whining at mile 16, is able to filter out rambling diatribes and just nod when needed.

Homemade GU, need not apply.

So far, not so much luck, but i refuse to give up. I know he or she is out there. So i keep looking. Hopefully the perfect match will surface and it will be like Forest Gump, peas and carrots or oatmeal and blueberries... i donno, you get the idea right?