Fear of Those Who Don't Know What the Hell They'e Doing

   Because my wife has competed in a few triathlons this summer, I have had to explain several times why I don’t enter one myself. Well, despite having track and field on my athletic résumé, I was a sprinter and jumper and prefer not to run long distances. I do occasionally enjoy the varied terrain of trail running, which is not only less boring but also less punishing on my legs than running on long stretches of concrete and asphalt. Another important reason for my tri aversion is poor swimming technique – I sink like a brick and have a flailing style that looks more like a survival stroke. Yes, I could work on it and maybe take some lessons, but if I don’t have a strong wish to do it, there is really no point. In response to my mother’s question about improving my swimming, I asked, “Are you good at marathon running? Are you going to practice to get better at your marathon running?”
   After witnessing some of the entrants at these triathlon events, I believe I’ve found the most important reason for me to avoid entering - the fear of being wiped out by someone who simply doesn’t have bike handling skills. I have experienced this problem in some citizen bike races years ago, with nervous weavers causing panic in the bunch. The “fun” goes out of these events very quickly when picking cinders out of the large scrapes down your leg!

   I would never want to discourage anyone from exercising, but there needs to be a separation of entrants for the benefit of more experienced/competitive folks. Just watching an elite athlete from a different age group having to zigzag her $5000+ Cervelo time trial bicycle through a pack of chicks on mountain bikes trying to jam their running shoes into conventional pedals and old-school toe clips is ridiculous! There are many awkward overweight folks competing that cause problems, but I don’t mean to pick on them because there are plenty of “pretty folks” on beach cruisers with baskets on the bars that are just out there for the fun of it, and are also relatively clueless on a bike. Organizers should be aware of a need for a division for the non-competitive types, just for the safety of the more intense athletes.

   The SheROX event in Philadelphia on Sunday had a particularly dangerous pinch point where the transition from the swim to the run overlapped with the turnaround point of the cycling loop. The weary-legged women struggling to get into their pedals were creating a jam, and others were impatiently swerving around them into the passing lane (or even worse, the return lane) to get by. A frightening collision nearly occurred when several cones were knocked over and someone attempted to set them back up. Screened by some slower riders, this helpful person didn’t take a very long look before continuing across the street and walked into the path of a cyclist deep in her aerodynamic tuck, rocketing down West River Drive. The piercing screech the woman let out when she saw him standing there was the only thing that snapped the dude out of his deer-in-the-headlights stupor.
   I still enjoy playing many different sports, but admit that my competitive spirit has mellowed a bit. I find myself far less willing to take risks to be successful, particularly when it may involve personal injury. Cycling with others can be fun, but I’d rather have the comfort of pedaling among familiar people, with a skill level of which I am more confident. These days I am content going fast while out riding alone, instead of taking the chance of compromising my health because of some other cyclist’s mistake.