Here’s how a training buddy could carry you to a faster swim, bike, and run

Triathlon is, at its core, a solitary endeavour. You’re alone at the start line, you’re alone in the middle of the race, and you’re alone at the finish. However, when training for a triathlon, you don’t have to be solo 100 per cent of the time. In fact, working out with a buddy is a great way to improve your training and, in effect, make you better on race day. Here are a few reasons finding a training buddy could be the key to your future success in the sport.

Keeping you accountable

You’re probably a pretty dedicated athlete already, but even the most committed of people struggle to complete all of their workouts all the time. Life gets busy, you get tired, and all of a sudden you find yourself hitting the snooze button on your alarm eight times and missing your morning swim. With a training buddy, you’ll be much less likely to miss workouts, because if you skip one, you won’t just be letting yourself down, you’ll be impacting your friend’s training. A training buddy will keep you accountable, even when all you want to do is sleep in.

Share your goals

You don’t have to do all of the same races, but having at least one in common with your training buddy will be great for your motivation. You’ll be able to follow the same workout plan and build toward that race together, ensuring that you’re both on the right path the entire way. Plus, it’ll be fun to race with (and against) each other.

Push each other in training

You shouldn’t turn training sessions into mini races, but if you can get motivation from one another in your workouts and find an extra gear in the pool, on the bike, or at the track, that’s a huge perk of having a training buddy. It’s very easy to slack when you’re on your own, but training with someone else will show you just how hard you can push, and it will lead you to get the most out of yourself in every session.

Distraction

Having someone to talk to during long workouts is a great relief. Training can get pretty boring, and even if you love podcasts or listening to music, these distractions can become stale after a while. Working out alongside a friend for your hours-long training sessions will keep things fresh and fun as you distract one another from the monotony of the open road.

Multiple buddies

Maybe you can’t find someone who will do all three sports with you, but that could work out for the best. You might be able to find a swimming buddy, a cycling buddy, and a running buddy, covering the entirety of your triathlon journey. If your partners are better than you at the individual sports, that’s another bonus, because then you will have someone to chase in every training session. We know you don’t love being slower than people, but this is going to help you get faster in the long run.