There is No Basement in the Alamo

It is that time of year when the temperatures start to warm up a little bit, the first brave plants of the year start to peek out from the ground and the smell in the air lets you know that spring is near.  Although it is technically still winter – there is an end in sight to all of the desolate days when darkness follows you to work and greets you when you get home.  It is hard not to get a little bit of the winter blues during January and February.  All of the excitement of the Holiday season has come and gone and it is when Oklahoma truly gets to experience its most barren time of year.  But now there are hints that the grass will grow, the trees will bud once again and that we will no longer exist in a perennial state of night.  Most importantly, what it means to me, is that it is time to get into triathlon mode. 

I love running – it is a huge part of my life, but by this time of year, I am ready to mix it up a little bit.  I tend to focus on running much more during the winter months, because it is a lot more flexible than cycling or swimming.  Running is easy to do in the rain, sleet, snow, cold, dark, etc. etc.  You just have to throw on some clothes and go.  Swimming and cycling take a lot more planning and coordination.  On the heels of the marathon, I am really ready to mix it up this year because I put in so many running miles in November through February.  Adding more cycling into my routine is something that I am really looking forward to. 

I have tried to keep cycling a little bit over the winter so that I didn’t have to start from scratch this year.  I even tried to make amends with my arch nemesis, the bike trainer, and rode indoors a few times.  I have been better about it than in previous years, but the outings have still been few and far between.  Well it is all changing now -  the days are getting longer and I am pumped up about the upcoming triathlon season. 

This first and most important item of the season was to get my bike cleaned.  It was covered with so much road grime, dirt, and grease that I am surprised that it would even accept me as a rider.  I am ashamed to say that I have neglected the cleaning of my trusty steed and allowed the chain and gears to get nasty. 

My bike is quiet the specimen.  It is an 18lb bike with an all carbon frame, Shimano Ultegra components and Mavic Ksyrium Elite Wheels.    It is red, black, and silver.  I have tricked it out even more by adding aero bars, red handlebar tape, and tires with red stripes in them.  My wife’s bike is similar to mine except it is purple, black, and silver.  If you throw in the matching helmets, spandex tights, and other gear that goes along with a ride – we really look MUCH faster than we truly are. 

We bought our bikes about two years ago when the government was kind enough to let us have some of our own money back in the form of a tax return.  I remember the first ride on the bike – it was so smooth and pleasant.  My previous bike was an entry level model that was much heavier, but since we had really gotten into cycling and triathlon, we felt it was time to upgrade (ok, ok, it may have had a little bit to do our buddy Andrew’s awesome new bike). 

Although my bike had gotten dirty, I had no doubt that I could return it to its former glory with just a few hours of cleaning.  I scrubbed and I washed and the grease came off.  I took her out for a spin just yesterday and found, to my delight, that a clean bike is a faster bike.  Biking prowess apparently has absolutely nothing to do with leg strength, physical fitness, or cardio level – it is all about how you look! 

I think I have found my ace in the hole for this tri season.  Each night before a race, I am going to clean my bike (while at the same time put some mud on my wife’s – that may seem low, but it sucks when she beats me).  Much like my ninja running wear propelled my through the Austin Marathon – my sparkling stallion of a bike and my matching tri suit will give me an unmatched advantage among my fellow mediocre triathletes.  I can see it now – my bike and I will be the best team since Pee Wee and Big Red.