Triathlon training isn’t all that different from marathon training. Wake up early, blindly do some ridiculous
workout because an online training plan said so, repeat. The only difference lies in juggling three sports instead of one. The great thing about running is there are very few variables that can mess up your plans. With triathlon training you have to deal with things like pool hours, rainy weather on the bike, and generally finding time to work out twice a day several times per week.
Today I was ready to rock a 22 mile bike ride before work. Got up early (go to heck, 5:45am alarm), had a little snack, and went to prep my bike. I’m pretty neurotic about my bike’s tire pressure, so even if I just filled them for yesterday’s ride, I’m going to top them off again today. So this morning at 6:15am, in my garage, ::pump:: ::pump:: ::pump:: ::pump:: ::pump:: PSSSH. Tire 1 is good to go. Next up, back tire ::pump:: ::pump:: ssssss ::pump:: ::pump:: sssssssss ::pump:: sssssssssssss :: pssshhhhhhh. I tried the front tire again. sssssssssssssssssssssssss. And now it was flat too.
What!? I’ll spare you the profanity drama. My bike pump broke. It broke so much, in fact, that it did the opposite of
its normal job; it unpumped my tires. So, no air in my tires. 6:25am. Get back in bed? Never! Time to roll with the punches. With a quick change of clothes I was in my car and heading down to the pool. Rather than give up on the day I cranked out Friday’s swim workout this morning. Win!
During lunch I swung by Freewheeling Bicycles who told me it was the tube in my bike pump that was leaking. Ready to drop some money on a new pump, he slid a pen and paper across the counter and asked for my name and number. He then gave me a brand new bike pump and said he’d file the old one as a defective unit still under warranty. Score!
I got it home, pumped up those flat tires, and hopped on the bike after dinner for my ride. Not too bad after a shaky start.
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I learned to pump my tires the night before rides; it’s much easier to change a tube at 9pm than 6am.