Bicycle built for 2 or 3 or 6...

I am convinced those word verifications are actually swearing in a different language. Some programmer is laughing hysterically right now.

"Implatzz" that car cut me off!

We have the promise of 65 degrees for these last few days of October. It's a good Fall when we can still bike outside until November. Among my scheduled events for 2006 is a half iron in June. I want to get in one ride of the loop before winter so that I can carry it in my head through the hours of winter spinning. I saw an ad for a tri on Catalina island next weekend. How romantic. One item of note, if you don't have a bike there is a rental store on the island. They only rent mountain bikes (aarrgghh!! never again) but they also have tandems. How fun a race would that be, all tandems. You swim, bike and run together. A new twist on a relay. I wouldn't go so far as a "3 legged" 5K, so let's just say you have to tandem bike and you have to cross the line with your partner. Who would you partner with? Of course Kahuna would take Mad Mel (she could carry him-literally-if he slacked-not that he would ever slack) There are a few male tri hotties, but I'm a happily married woman. I would like to stay happily married so there is little to no chance I'd tandem with tridaddy in a race. That might be somewhat akin to pairing Robostu (the machine) with Iron Wil (the incredibly tenacious firecracker), no on second thought they'd smoke the field on heart alone.

I know, surprise to all, tridaddy and I are both bull headed (all endurance athletes are to some degree or another) Last summer we rented one of those bike buggy things that you can load six or so people into and peddle along a tourist area. With the tribe on board we set out to see Canal Park in Duluth. I'm convinced these buggies were designed by a marriage shrink because they installed two steering wheels but only one engages the steering mechanism. Your options as a passenger are to either sit passively and enjoy the scenery, hands off the faux wheel, or you can spend the entire ride like a moron trying to direct the buggy by spinning madly and impulsively at your wheel.
I chose the latter option, only in part because tridaddy inferred the term "buggy" implied off-road vehicle meant to slalom around pedestrians and jump curbs (all to the elated giggles and delight of the tribe) and in part because it is difficult for me even after 15 years of marriage to abdicate directional control. I have triathlon to thank for helping me in that regard, turns out Tridaddy is a pretty good coach. (He's a pretty decent couch too, -thanks spell check- but that's a whole other post :)

One final note-if you haven't already, take swim lessons and correct your form. I've been able to drop my 50 pr from 52 to 40 seconds (not that I could sustain that beyond a 50) but that has to extrapolate well over hundreds of yards all the same. I was plaining through the water quite flat, a few adjustments got me sideways like a fish and dang if that doesn't work better.