From the article: 10 Rules for Walking Partners
Who was your worst walking partner? What did they do (or not do) that was so annoying? I've walked with a lot of different walking partners over the years, and there are a few I've had to part ways with. Share Your Story
Competitive and bossy
- Had double sPine fusion last year. Being very short, fat and in pain, I started to walk with a "friend" 50 lbs less than me and a pro athlete. I kept hearing "man do you walk slow" not giving a thought my condition. I now walk alone.
- —Guest Brooklyn female
My lovely sister
- I walk almost 2 hours 6 days/week and my best walking partner is my husband. We understand and adjust to each other. My sister is a bit slow on pace but I am willing to walk with her anyways even if her 3 years old comes with us too.... and then we are very very slow :))) So my 3 years old niece proved to be the worst but the loveliest.
- —tendla
worst partner
- Was my brother He walked way to fast and was at least a mile ahead of me. Finally I had to get his attention and have him go get my car. My feet hurt trying to keep up and my boots crushed my large toenails. I had to have surgery on them. Plan on hiking again but my brother is living in another state.
- —afmom828
Stand up for yourself
- I have no complaints because I do my own thing. If someone you like/love does something that bothers you, you should be able to talk about it and work it out. If someone you just know or are an aquaintance of does things that bother you simply cut them off, don't involve them in your life at all, and be real about it. Don't try to tell white lies to make everything nice. Be straight up, if someone talks too much tell them they talk too much, if they walk too slow tell them that. Just live YOUR life the way YOU want to live it and if someone is preventing that, well then in my books they no longer exist.
- —Guest fgh
Once was enough
- I had been walking 1 hour per day (with a second hour every other day) with my dog for several weeks when a woman whose house I walked by stopped me to ask if she could join me. I told her I had no problem, and gave her my schedule. She decided that every other day in the afternoon was what she wanted to do. The first time that we were to meet, she didn't show. The second time, she had been drinking, gave me a complete rundown on all her health problems, and insisted on walking between me and the dog; several times she got tangled in the leash. I couldn't get a word in. She walked about 1/3 of my total distance, and that was more than enough. Although I still walk by her house everyday, I haven't seen her again. My best walking partner is definetly my 3 year old Lab/Rotweiller mix, Brandy. She has been know to walk as much as ten miles in a day, and when she sees the leash, she's ready to go.
- —Guest Mia
No Partners Please
- I only tried one and she showed up in flip-flops...end of story. I walk 7 days a week 2 miles a day..most people can't or won't.
- —Harlensy
Best and Worst
- My best was also my worst. I loved walking my dog - a flat coated retriever - til the day she pulled me down and broke my wrist. I was in a cast for 8 weeks (up to my shoulder) and she went to sleep away obedience training (for the second time). So, now, she is walked by my husband (only occasionally) and I am forced to leave her at home while I walk my 2-3 miles every day. http://ewalkandtalk.blogspot.com/ jd in st louis
- —Guest jd in st louis
Can You Hear Me Now?
- A young lady I work with asked if she could walk with me during breaks and lunches, as everyone in the office knows that I walk every chance I get. I told her I would love to have her join me. However, the three times she walked with me, she was on that stupid cell phone of hers every minute. Very distracting. I know this is mean, but I didn't tell her about her "chicken wing" style of walking, and she soon complained about hip and back discomfort and stopped walking without me having to confront her.
- —Guest Andy Griffin
The Crazy Racist Woman
- When I first moved to a new town, I answered an ad for a walking partner. At first, the woman seemed fine. She was taller than me, so she kept our pace nice and quick. Well, after a few weeks of walking together, I noticed that she fairly regularly made racist remarks about people alongside the trail. Then she started commenting on the disgusting "fat" people and "ugly" people she saw. One day, within fifteen minutes of the start of our walk, she managed to make nasty comments about teachers, poor people, fat people, college educated people, and many more. I just looked at her and said, "Do you realize that not only am I a college instrutor, but I'm also one of the 'fat' people you're always talking about?" She looked at me, dumbfounded, and I said, "I just don't think this is going to work out. I've got to go." I was just furious, and I walked away as quickly as I could, but she wouldn't let me get away. We still had TWO MILES left! Needless to say, we never walked together again.
- —Guest Guest Walker T
just me and the dog
- I have walked with a lot of different people over the years. Most of them way too slow for me. I prefer to walk alone with my dog. The dog walks at the same pace as me, doesn't complain or whinge or gossip about anyone else. She is always ready to go, never late and always in a great mood. Her happy mood always makes me feel great.
- —Guest lone walker
People NOT to walk with
- Had a few people I won't walk with - one a woman who was obese, angry and wanting to talk about others, how smart she was and what I should eat. Only met her twice; another time she never showed up. Another person talked the whole time, telling of all her operations, travels, and other things I really was not interested in. She was quite selfish and self-seeking. Just walked with her twice. Another kept putting off dates and I stopped checking to see after twice. People like this have no sense of responsibility, are selfish and uncaring - I no longer expose myself to invite others along unless they are serious about walking for health. It is not necessarily a social event for me - nice to have company but I'm not a psychologist.
- —Guest Sarah
Oh No She Didn't !!
- A new friend ask me to walk with her one day, when I arrived at the track she was waiting for me a distance from my car in the parking lot, her car was parked closer to where she was standing. By the time I got to her I had already started to feel warmed up. I know the procedures on how to walk for fitness, but as we took our first couple of steps she threw her arm out across my stomach to tell me to slow my pace down, as if we had a pace yet! I didn't get upset and as we continued the walk she never wanted to speed it up, she wanted to walk, gossip and stop others who were walking their dogs on the track and talk about what breed of dog they had. I thought ok this is not working and canceled all future walks. We're still friends, but only because I save it from the walks. (lol)
- —Guest Guest walker
More dogs!
- My worst brought six dogs! Some had no leash. I'd have to take at least one (while my two were HOME). The final straw was when they got into a fight with two other dogs at the outdoor cafe where we'd go for coffee. This type of walk did nothing to help me de-stress!
- —Guest sumayo
Dogs!
- My worst walking partner is a friend of mine who insists on bringing her 2 dogs with us on our walks. They are both male, so they have to stop, sniff and piddle on everything along the way! I've asked her if we can do a fitness walk without the dogs, but she says they get upset if she goes for a walk without them.......
- —Guest Marie
Mr. Runner Roommate
- Mr. Roommate decided to start walking with me, but he continually tried to say we should be running and that walking was too easy. He would run ahead then come back saying how slow I was. I was so glad that he lost interest (and gained about 20 pounds..LOL) Me? I am still walking and will be meeting a few wonderful friends in Sarasota this weekend to walk their Half-Marathon! Here's to healthy and happy walking.
- —Guest Mickey
He Who Must Be Obeyed
- My husband started out being the best walking partner. But nowadays, I have to walk six feet behind him. He is very particular about his speed, which path he chooses across an intersection, etc. and he is not at all predictable. Sometimes he's walking fast, sometimes he's going very slow and is irritated if I am going faster. If I walk next to him and predict his movements incorrectly, he gets angry. Luckily, he now prefers bike riding and I can walk alone or with less irritating people.
- —Guest Anon
