If Want to go Fast...Go Together

For years, I’ve heard the African saying, "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." I felt inspired by the wisdom of the proverb.  Rudyard Kipling memorialized this saying in his own words, ““He travels fastest who travels alone.” 

The saying indicates that speed is achieved alone but distance is achieved in a group.

This may be true while starting on a simple journey, but the saying loses its efficacy when we transcend. As I was blazing along the Murdoch canal trail on my bike, this last Saturday, I realized that this quip applies when we have nothing more than our feet to propel us, but once we start gaining tools and looking to achieve grander goals, this proverb falls apart.

On this particular ride, I was maintaining a fair speed of around 17-18 mph. I was enjoying the ride and planned to hit about 25 miles for the day. I had biked from my home up the beautiful Provo Canyon, which was full of springtime blooms and blossoms. I felt strong and was excited about getting back in the saddle after a long winter. After turning around and flowing down the canyon, I started to look for other riders with whom I could create a peloton. As I stopped at one of the cross streets, waiting for the cars to clear, luck was with me, and another cyclist caught up and we started riding together. I noticed my speed naturally bumped up, without much effort, even though we weren’t drafting off each other. I went from 18 to 20-21mph just having someone to ride with. My natural tendency was to ride faster with another cyclist by my side. I received a little extra mental push by riding together.

Another cyclist hooked on behind me, and the speed increased even more. We rode for several miles together and maintained a new speed of 20-22mph. The crazy thing is that it was more enjoyable and required less mental effort than the slower pace.

This reminded me of when James Lawrence, The Iron Cowboy, achieved an unheard-of world record, 100 Ironman-length triathlons consecutively for 100 days. I had the chance to ride with him (and 60-70 other people) for 112 miles. On the ride with James and his wingmen, we averaged an incredible 26 mph…for 112 miles.

This is us. James is in the yellow jersey. I’m sure I’m one of the white helmets near the middle.

For the non-cyclists out there -- this is fast. Really fast! For a really long time. This is Tour De France fast. On the tour, they average 25-28mph.

There is no way I could maintain those speeds for that distance (or much shorter) alone without the amazing peloton (a large group of riders cycling together).  A peloton taps into the laws of aerodynamics, which say that the longer the body, the more aerodynamic it is. Even the person in front gets a boost. Bret Blocken, in a 2013 study, found that in a four-rider paceline, the lead rider’s drag is reduced by about 2 to 3% compared to riding solo. The second rider in line experiences a reduction of about 27% while the third and fourth riders see drag reductions of approximately 35%.

It’s impossible for a rider to ride faster alone than together with a group.
If you want to go fast, go together. If you want to go far, go together.

According to a 1979 study by Chester R. Kyle, you are able to reduce the drag you experience by up to a whopping 44% when riding together in a well-formed peloton, assuming you’ve positioned yourself correctly in the bunch.

So, how does this relate to life, business, recovery, achieving goals, and simply going the distance?

If you want to go fast, go together. If you want to go far, go together.

When we first set out on our journey, the saying that “alone = fast” may be true because when you run, you don’t have anyone who could slow you down. Once you start to transcend and gain tools and stretch yourself to new heights and new distances, it’s time to leave the idea of doing it alone behind and be part of a group. This applies to so many areas of life.

Manuel Corazzari said, “The lonely entrepreneur will struggle all his lifelong career to barely make it, but the one who belongs to a network of friends will uplift each other all the way to the top ladder of success.”

You can look at groups like the philosophers and Stoics who produced some of the greatest thinking ever, or the Inklings author group consisting of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, among others whose words still inspire us to this day. In cycling and even business, working together produces more speed, distance, and safety. And, in recovery, the best programs are cohorts of people supporting each other.

It’s time to transcend and ride this journey of life together.