Those Who Sweat聽Together Stay Together
Joint workouts help 颅cement your growing bond. 鈥淚t gives you time to talk and connect in ways you wouldn鈥檛 if you were sitting around at home,鈥 says Becky Lavelle, a pro athlete and triathlon coach in Rio Del Mar, California. But you have to plan thoughtfully. If you have vastly different paces, then meet up for swims, recovery days, or track workouts where your differences won鈥檛 pull you apart. And while a little competitiveness is healthy, don鈥檛 be that training partner who always has to be just a little bit ahead.聽
How to find a partner who shares your passion for living bravely.Food Is for Sharing
Having dinner together every night may sound great鈥攗nless one of you is a paleo CrossFitter and the other a carb-needy ultrarunner. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unrealistic to think that we would all eat the same foods,鈥 says Carol Cottrill, a nutrition counselor and author of . Cottrill suggests focusing on one meal a day that finds a middle ground. Above all else, avoid lecturing your partner about his or her diet. 鈥淏eing told what you can eat is a real turnoff,鈥 says Cottrill.
Nobody Likes a Messy Gear Cave
When you first shack up, have a candid conversation about your living standards and agree on how often you鈥檒l clean. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e skiers and it鈥檚 dumping snow for four days, no one鈥檚 going to put their stuff back neatly every night,鈥 says Jill Oja-Johnson, a professional organizer in Jackson, Wyo颅ming. 鈥淒iscuss whether you鈥檒l get everything back in its place every week or every month.鈥 An organizational system is also crucial. Gather your gear in one place, separate it by sport, then designate the best places for everything.