"All differences are resolved by putting on a pair of boxing gloves," Brian jokes. If we're running a tough race and having a hard time, we'll push each other along with our favorite battle cries, like 'Scooby and Shaggy forever!' and 'We're going to get through this no matter what.'" "We have an agreement that one of us must help the other when we need encouragement. How do they deal with competition? "It's a way to push each other," Patricia says. "When someone is holding you accountable, it's hard to walk away," Brian says. "Helping each other accomplish our goals is incredibly stimulating." To make themselves work that much harder, 6 years ago Patricia suggested they write down and exchange a list of goals that December. "It's amazing to have your partner, lover, and best friend right next to you when you train," Brian says. These two fitness freaks work out as much as 6 hours a day together. "I ran my fastest marathon that year," he says. "I offered to help Brian put in extra miles so he could run a personal best." It was a match made in heaven.
"Pushing others has always been rewarding for me," Patricia says. "The same place where I took boxing lessons." They struck up a conversation about the gym - and about the marathon Brian was training for. The day Patricia showed up, "she was wearing a Waterfront Boxing cap," Brian recalls. We pelted them with questions to find out what the rest of us could learn about staying hot and heavy in love and lust - under any circumstances.ģ0 and 32 Forest Hills, NY Married since 2003 Train for and compete in triathlons, marathons, and adventure races, and teach fitness classes togetherĮqually badass fitness buffs, Patricia, a personal trainer and events consultant (and former competitive boxer), and Brian, who works in home furnishing/textile design, met at an exercise boot camp he was teaching in Central Park in June 2001. Which is exactly why we think they're a prime source of advice. If their relationships weren't built on such solid foundations, they wouldn't have lasted a week without cracking under the intensity of so much together time. Whether it's building an eco-lodge, playing in a band, or running an exercise boot camp, they go for their goals side by side - day in and day out. But when these devoted duos signed up for a "partner," they didn't mean just for cuddling on lazy Sunday mornings. Not everyone can (or would want to) spend endless hours with their significant other working on a huge, challenging project - besides, you know, buying a house or having a kid.