agility, so bicycling is definitely not my forte. That’s why, among the three parts of a triathlon—
swimming, bicycling, and running—I always put off practicing bicycling till last. It’s my weakest
link. Even if I excel in the running part of the triathlon, the 6.2 miles, that final segment is never long
enough to make up the time. This is exactly why I decided I had to take the plunge and put in some
quality time on the bike. Today is August 1 and the race is on October 1, so I have exactly two months.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to build up my biking muscles in time, but at least I’ll get used to the bike
again.
The one I’m using now is a light-as-a-feather Panasonic titanium sports bike, which I’ve been using
for the last seven years. Changing the gears is like one of my own bodily functions. It’s a wonderful
machine. At least the machine is superior to the person riding it. I’ve ridden it pretty hard in four
triathlons but never had any major problem. On the body of the bike is written “18 Til I Die,” the
name of a Bryan Adams hit. It’s a joke, of course. Being eighteen until you die means you die when
you’re eighteen.
The weather’s been strange in Japan this summer. The rainy season, which usually winds down in
the beginning of July, continued until the end of the month. It rained so much I got sick of it. There
were torrential rains in parts of the country, and a lot of people died. They say it’s all because of
global warming. Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. Some experts claim it is, some claim it isn’t. There’s
some proof that it is, some that it isn’t. But still people say that most of the problems the earth is
facing are, more or less, due to global warming. When sales of apparel go down, when tons of
driftwood wash up on the shore, when there are floods and droughts, when consumer prices go up,
most of the fault is ascribed to global warming. What the world needs is a set villain that people can
point at and say, “It’s all your fault!”
At any rate, due to this villain that can’t be dealt with, it went on raining, and I could hardly
practice biking at all during July. It’s not my fault—it’s that villain’s. Finally, though, these last few
days have been sunny and I’ve been able to take my bike outdoors. I strap on my streamlined helmet,
put on my sports sunglasses, fill my bottle with water, set my speedometer, and take off.
The first thing to remember when you ride a competitive bike is to lean forward as much as possible to
be more aerodynamic—especially to keep your face forward and up. No matter what, you have to learn
this pose. Until you’re used to it, holding in this position for over an hour—like a praying mantis with a
raised head—is next to impossible. Very quickly your back and neck start to scream. When you get
exhausted your head tends to drop and you look down, and once that happens all the dangers lurking
out there strike.
When I was training for my first triathlon and rode nearly sixty-two miles at a stretch, I ran right
into a metal post—one of those stakes set up to prevent cars and motorcycles from using the
recreational lane along a river. I was tired, my mind elsewhere, and I neglected to keep my face
forward. The front wheel of the bike got all bent out of shape, and I was flung head first to the ground.
I suddenly found myself literally flying through the air. Fortunately, my helmet protected my head;
otherwise I would have been badly injured. My arms were scraped pretty badly against the concrete,
but I was lucky to get away with just that. I know a few other cyclists who’ve suffered injuries much
worse.