Increasing performance is something that you work on over time. Changing a few methods here, fiddling with the diet there, a change of equipment, a whole host of changes contribute towards increased performance.
For myself it works slightly differently, as my performance is not dictated by my own actions, but by the joint performance of me and my guide runner.
If I feel particularly fresh I cant simply sprint ahead and put in a faster mile or even do a sprint finish. I move along at my guide runners pace. Which of course in turn means my guide runners pace is also dictated by my performance.
This makes for a very interesting and unique relationship, we can only perform better as a unit. This is proving especially difficult as I am currently injured. This was highlighted in our last run where our pace was the slowest to date.
With our performance being so dependant on the other, failure is not an option. Stopping mid run means letting the other person down, not to mention a long walk home. So regardless of pain, exhaustion and dehydration the runs are completed.
Our last run was especially painful as I am currently sporting an ankle injury. For the last 2 miles it was simply a case of pain management, I completed the run with the thought, “Must not stop, I cannot let the team down!”.
Your post really makes me stop and think and ask myself questions. Who do I depend on? Who depends on me? How do I function in relationship to these people? How do we work out the “dance” that is involved in a mutual relationship? Do I keep going so I don’t let the “team” down? Do I allow the people I depend on to slow down when they need to? Do I hold them back when they want to go faster?
Lots of things to think about. Thanks.