Tri, Swim, Bike, Run: The Difference Between the Sports

A runner, a swimmer, a cyclist, and a triathlete all show up at a coffee shop. The runner ran there, the swimmer drove a car (a cheap one), but the cyclist and triathlete both rode there. The cyclist arrived after "a lovely group ride up north for a couple hours," adding the terms 'col' and 'souplesse' unnecessarily within their description of the ride. The triathlete arrived after a 32.6138 mile solo ride averaging 163 Watts.

Approaching the counter, each decides to get a snack. The cyclist orders a croissant, the triathlete has an energy bar, and the swimmer orders the left half of the pastry display. The runner asks for a cup of water. "Wait," the runner elaborates, "I'm light enough- I'll splurge." She orders a cup of water with ice.

When it comes time to order their drinks, the cyclist elects to order, after careful consideration, an espresso with a ristretto pull. The swimmer orders a Venti frappuccino and is noticeably saddened when she sees that the caramel drizzle was forgotten on the whip cream. The triathlete orders a protein shake. After confirming that the barista will blend in a salt-electrolyte tablet, the triathlete produces one from seemingly nowhere. In the background, the runner mournfully crunches on a cube of ice.

Receiving their beverages, they each go to sit in some plush chairs. The cyclist joins another group of roadies sitting in chairs arranged in an inward facing circle. During their animated conversation, they will occasionally pause and glance at the triathlete, scorning. The word 'Fred' is often overheard after several of the glances.

The swimmer, after an intense period of anxiety, spots a group of swimmers and joins them. Swimmers only socialize with other swimmers (swimcest). The runner sits alone. Because runners are weird.

(Don't shoot the messenger, you all know it's true). 

Finally the triathlete surveys the seating arrangement. Having been divorced by his spouse, who took the children when the he took out a second mortage to finance his bike, he decides to sit near the runner and they strike up a conversation about pacing marathons. They set up a run workout together and agree to meet at the coffee shop the next day.

Cycling in Spokane: Images from Today's Ride

It's Spring in Spokane, and in celebration of my first ride where I didn't have to deliberate whether or not to wear a ski mask, I took off riding on country roads north of the city. 70 degrees with little wind marked perfect conditions for a ride. 

This sign, and it's challenge of 15mph, marks the beginning of a fairly long, gentle climb out of the pine trees up towards open country. Smooth chip-seal roads in excellent condition were washed clear of winter gravel by recent Spring rains and only a handful of cars went by during the ride. 

A pack of turkey's ran up the hill to the right as I took this (not shown). Hawks, vultures, and all other sorts of birds were also out enjoying the weather. 

Climbing up out of the heavily-forested areas, you get a glimpse of Mt. Spokane. An ex-Pro tour rider has said that the 15 mile climb up the 4,000 foot mountain is Grand Tour level in difficulty. It's a must-do if you're in town, just make sure that your brakes are adjusted for the descent. 

Open road. 

The scenery inspired me to take a shot of my new '10 Felt B12. I've become a big advocate of using a rear 'blinky,' small flashing lights affixed to the back of the bike (attached behind the saddle). Other than that, a flat-kit carried in my jersey kept the machine looking clean. 

After the long descent down from the more open country roads, I detoured on the return trip to head up this beautiful monster. It's fairly short at just a couple hundred yards but quite steep. I've recently taken to riding up it in the aerobars as a solid time trial interval. 

A picturesque promontory marks the end of the ride.

Tips from today: 

    -Before leaving, I noticed that two of the screws on one cleat were quite loose. If they hadn't rattled when I grabbed my shoes, my foot could have easily skated off the pedals on a hard out-of-the-saddle effort and I might have ended up like this (click orange text for link). Be very paranoid cautious about ensuring all components of your bike are in working order before each ride, even obscure ones like pedal-cleat screws. It could save you from a very bad day. 

     -Before leaving, I also went through my drive train with a fine-toothed comb (actually, a toothbrush) and thoroughly cleaned my drive train. I like to clean my drive train at least once a week when riding heavily.