I was sitting in the hot tub after this morning's swim when another swimmer joined me. The first thing she did was thank me for keeping her going during her workout. She mentioned that she wasn't overly motivated when she started her swim, but kept going to keep pace with me. Oddly enough, I focused on keeping pace with her during the last few hundred of my workout. I was tiring out and she was keeping a good pace.
It's pretty amazing how participants in a specifically individual sport share such a strong sense of comaraderie. Whether in training or racing, we support each other, often just by being there. Even in the pool, where interaction is a bit challenging (and dangerous), other people can motivate us. Faster swimmers push us to improve. Swimmers "going long" often encourage us to go a few more yards when we are ready to call it quits.
The bike is similar. While I generally ride alone, the sight of other bikers can be just the boost needed to get through some difficult miles. I recall one Saturday prior to Louisville when I was out doing a particularly tough set of LT thresh hold intervals. After completing the final set, I was ready to lay down at the side of the road and die. Until I saw a group of riders from my triathlon club. They were a ways ahead of me, and the desire to catch up to them pushed me to maintain the pace called out in the training plan.
We all know about race day magic. It is amazing how well we perform when we have others around us. The excitement and adrenaline surrounding a race have that impact. With the proper frame of mind, we can get a bit of that magic during any workout just by interacting with others around us. Often, that will turn a "blah" day into a great training day.
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