IRONMAN Champion Laura Philipp explains the benefit of training solo at the start of the season

Ahead of an action packed season of racing, German triathlon star Laura Philipp kicked off 2024 in the Canary Islands, where the 36-year-old went on a training camp with a twist.

Instead of being accompanied by training partners, the PTO World #5 embarked on the trip to Fuerteventura alone.

Explaining why in her most recent YouTube video, Philipp gave a compelling case for more athletes to take the time to spend time by themselves and reap the potential rewards.

“It was my first real solo training camp”

Having announced her intentions to target the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice alongside her T100 contractual obligations, Philipp said she took the time to really focus on herself during her first stint away in 2024.

Laura Philipp wins IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship Tallinn in 2023 (Getty Images for IRONMAN).

“I went on the camp in Fuerteventura by myself. It was my first real solo training camp and whilst there are always other athletes around so you’re never alone, we decided to do this as an opportunity to really focus on myself.”

The German said that given the fact that she is still in the early stages of her season buildup, it just made sense to zero in on what she needs to be working on without having to worry about others.

“I am still in the early stages of my season buildup and for me during this time especially I find it very important to focus on my own numbers.”

“I’m really happy in my own head”

Given the amount of time an athlete spends with nothing but their thoughts in training and racing, Philipp reasoned that a camp alone would be good practice for her upcoming races.

“I’m really happy in my own head and that really helps when you’re out there training alone. It is also good practice for IRONMAN training as you need to be able to entertain yourself.”

Overall, she said that the balance she was able to strike between training alone and socialising with others outside of her sessions made the camp a success.

“I think I got the most out of the camp whilst getting some nice social interactions with other athletes so it was a nice balance.”

Whilst the company of others can make training fly by and is a great way to socialise, it seems like an occasional workout alone could prove beneficial for those tough moments in races for both amateur and professional athletes!

Written by

Tomos Land

Tomos Land is a triathlon & running journalist whose expertise lies in the professional world of short course & long distance triathlon, though he also boasts an extensive knowledge of ultra-running.

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