Waynes Words
August 13, 2004
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Topic: Friendship

I remember my first triathlon. It was Lake St. Louis in 1986. I had just moved to St. Louis from Columbia after a divorce and was just starting a new teaching career. A fellow teacher talked me into training for and doing LSL. It was my first of many races and first of many long and lasting friendships.
I'm sure everyone had someone who talked them into a race, or talked them into training with them. Swimming, biking and running are always more fun and usually more challenging when you do them with friends.
But friends soon become more than just training partners and fellow competitors.
They become part of your life.
Friends were there hours after my heart surgery and the days following in the hospital.
Friends where there when my parents passed away within a year of each other.
Friends have been there for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and holidays.
Friends have dragged my lazy butt to races when I didn't feel like going.
Friends have been there for road trips, swimming trips, ski trips, mountain biking trips, breakfast, and late night dinners after working out, plus a few beers after races.
Friends were with me in the mountains, on the beaches, at the lakes, at the pools and in the country at all kinds of races and in all kinds of settings
Friends have sat and listen to me complain and whine about broken relationships and sad endings.
Friends have made me part of their families, sharing their marriages and the birth of their kids.
Friends have gotten me good deals on hot tubs, on cars and bikes, shoes and clothes and other training and racing stuff.
And when I forgot a helmet or a racing belt or was dying of thirst and needed some gatorade a friend was there to help me out.
Friends have told me when I did great and when I screwed up and was an asshole.
And a friend has let me use his website to write to you.
I can't think of any other sport or even situation in life where people come together and help each other out more or develop closer friendships then while training for and doing triathlons.
It might be your time to become a friend to a newbie triathlete. To introduce them to the sport, get them into the pain and suffering of training and the joys and satisfaction of competition.
And when you get a free moment sit down and make a list of friends and how they have been there for you in your training and your racing and in your life.

Train smart, live right.
Until next week.
Wayne

whuckshold@yahoo.com