I can't even spell the word... and you want me to enter one?

There was a time when a triathlon was foreign (this time was not so long ago)
how do they change outfits?
do you run in your bathing suit?
what the hell is a "DNF"?

there are special clothes to wear, special bikes to ride, certain drinks to drink, foods to eat and as it turns out they aren't so cheap either.   i thought i'd help out the lay men (and women) out there and dissect some vocabulary i've picked up so far. 

"a few things you never needed to know about triathlons but i'm going to tell you anyway"

• "curly handlebars" are also known as drop bars (not to be confused with aerobars)
• "trainer" (bike) its not the extra body at the gym counting your reps and making you stay the entire hour on the treadmill.  its a way to bring your bike inside and ride. or in my case a way to ride with clipless pedals without actually having to go outside.  work. in. progress. i'll get there, eventually.
• "clipless pedal"  making your feet stick to the pedals and at first attempt making you fall over (usually with an audience)  on the flip side its more efficient.  (or so they tell me)
• "T1" and "T2" tri code for where you "change your clothes" (i was relived to find out i didn't have to run in my bathing suit after all)
• "a tri, is a tri, is a tri"   not really the case in tri land.   it is true that all tri's are definitely noteworthy and take a great deal of self discipline and endurance to complete. Per the official officials (aka International Triathlon Union) there are four standard distances to choose from;

Sprint - 750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run,

Olympic -1.5 km swim, 40 km ride, 10 km run

Half Ironman - 1.9 km swim, 90 km ride, 21.1 km run

Ironman - 3.8 km swim, 180 km ride, and a marathon: 42.2 km run

most people have done all distances, several times at best.  i've done the first and am about to jump into the last.  why do i insist on always being different???? 

ah and DNF?  well that means - DID NOT FINISH.  let's lose that one from the "vocab" starting today, shall we?