I’m a runner. In fact I love to run. Although I’m not a young runner. You could best describe me as a ” war horse”. So the other day while out running I began to think about all the miles I have put on, and the experiences I have had with training and running various races and events. What came to mind was; Wouldn’t it be great if there was a positive effect of prolonged training and the subsequent decrease in injuries? In other words, the longer you trained the less your chances of injuring yourself.

When I look at relationships, I think it would be great if the longer you were a couple the more impervious it would be to “injury”. Unfortunately, like training that is not the case. However, being in a relationship and running many many miles, do require you to train smart.

In a relationship that has come to span a fair amount of time, it is important to remember that you have to be conscious of it. We develop a flow with our partner. The being together has a movement and tapestry to it that has been created by each of you together over time. You move together with a synchronicity that seems almost effortless.

There is comfort in that, and reassurance. It is a mistake though to take that for granted.

Being complacent in the relationship can have disastrous consequences. You have to be aware of this living entity you have created with your partner: your relationship. It has a certain momentum that allows it to carry on, with what seems little thought to it. At the heart of it though, is a very delicate balance that needs to be nurtured and cared for. To forget it, to ignore it, to take it for granted will cause it to develop small fissures, that if ignored will grow and fragment what is there.

Be aware of what your relationship means to you. Keep it in front of you no matter how long it seems you have been in it. Oh, it does get stronger, more resilient over time, but it does not take well to being ignored or accept complacency. Like training for a marathon, you can’t believe that you can just ignore how your body feels and push it without regard to consequences. Eventually though, it will let you know, and in a not too subtle way, that such behavior does not go unpunished, and it will rebel. So too in your relationship, nurture it, take care of it, give it what it needs. Bodies like relationships need to know that their partners want only the best for them, and will do whatever they can to take care of them.