The Lead Cyclist Playbook
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Terrance:Welcome to Spoke and Sole, home of the essential athlete. I'm Terrance here with Anthony. And today, I just wanna catch up and see where we are as we close out the month of May. We start to get into the cycle where we start seeing and participating in a lot of races, group runs, group rides. And so we've had the opportunity to at least be a part of two road races from the lead cyclist perspective, at least Anthony has.
Terrance:I was at one of them. So I wanna get some insight from Anthony on his experience, what the vibe was, and what the crowd felt like when you were part of these. So let's go back to what was the date? I don't even remember the date, but it was early May, the Providence half marathon, road races put it on. I went down there and, you know, every time I go to outside of the Newport, every time I go to a road race, I'm always looking for one person in particular and I and they never disappoint me.
Terrance:And I can't go without mentioning Mike Proto, who showed up as usual in Mike Proto fashion with his bikini like shorts, with his raccoon hat dancing. And I gotta I gotta I gotta make sure I cut this in because I got it all on camera. Dancing, doing his thing, but it was one of those things where I was I felt at home because it was a true Mike Proto moment, one of the original Hydration Boys and everything just felt right.
Anthony:You're right. You're right and and and that and you said that you say that too. Got a picture of I'm gonna have to send it to you so you can cut it in. It's me you Mike Proto Karen and and and Mary Ann at the finish line of where the old Providence half used to be. And I was thinking the same thing.
Anthony:I think he might have that raccoon hat too on
Terrance:actually I think that I might have that as part of that might actually be part of the actual intro. I think that picture's in there as part of the actual intro.
Anthony:Yeah, man.
Terrance:So Yeah, man. The that race, they had a couple things going on that race. And I know from a preview perspective, one of the previous episodes, we were talking about how they were gonna be doing a two fifty or five k to celebrate the the anniversary, not just of United States, but Rhode Island because Rhode Island actually signed before many other states. But it seemed as though they had I saw Jamie there, but it seemed as though they had some some new lead new lead cyclists. I don't recognize the guy who was riding with you.
Terrance:But talk to me about that experience for that particular race. You know, we talked a little bit about, you know, you interacting with with with a couple of the actual runners. But talk to me about riding with someone new that you guys do, because sometimes, you know, we'll we'll do the lead, then we'll we'll switch off and talk to me about that experience.
Anthony:Well, off, the vibe at road races is always
Terrance:There you go. Don't be don't be there
Anthony:you go. Thing. It's always everything The way that they put their total package together is unparalleled. It's just to me. It's unparalleled you know when I when we went there, you know from the setup to even when they had like I call the Patriots.
Anthony:You know the Patriots out there shooting. Think of the I talked to them. Yes. Yeah. That was amazing.
Anthony:I don't I'm mad that I didn't get a chance. I wanna go into a picture with them. I didn't get a chance to do that. I thought that was dope, especially since one of my besties is doing the Patriots fan so he could appreciate that you know I do the Patriots at the game when they shoot the the the cannons or whatever they they score. I'm a Dallas fan anyway by the way, but
Terrance:so and so everyone knows that see now they were they are a reenactment group, right?
Anthony:Yes. Reenactment group, which was
Terrance:And they're looking for members. Are they? So I went over, I had a conversation with her because, again, we talked about this a little bit and you'll get into it as you start talking about some of the experiences that you had interacting with some of the runners. Now is one of those things where it's really about trying to build a community. And so I made it a point on that day to interact with people who I hadn't interacted with before.
Terrance:And so I went over and I had a conversation with them. They were trying to recruit me. They said from now until September, they have an event like every weekend. Like,
Anthony:that, yo. We should Not every weekend. Yeah.
Terrance:It's every weekend. Listen.
Anthony:Would like to try that once, put the little white wig on or whatever it is. Oh, man. Listen. I'm for it. Listen, I'm for it.
Anthony:Hey, it's modern day cosplay. Yeah, yeah. That would be funny just to do it once, man.
Terrance:Yeah, they every week and I was like, I don't know.
Anthony:That's a lot.
Terrance:It is a lot.
Anthony:But you know, from the fashion side them uniforms is banging man. Yeah, yeah. They're banging. But yes, it was, I mean, again, the experience overall was amazing. You know, like you said, like I, you know, when I sit and I think about the community, it's about that.
Anthony:It's always about the runners. It's always about the athletes and about giving back. I mean, it was it was amazing, know, from a volunteer perspective, excuse me, from a volunteer perspective the new person we we stayed together originally and you know I don't wanna say I pulled rank on them because I had I had done it.
Terrance:But yeah,
Anthony:you know like we rode together for most of it and then with the with the the first place person and he's like, how do you wanna do it and you know? Listen, I got seniority so I don't know. I'm I'm never you know if I'm riding with a new runner like he gotta go back with you know you gotta go back with the first place woman like I like that's just how it is. So we ended up splitting off about probably mile eight.
Terrance:Oh that's right and so you did the marathon. Because I think Jamie did the half marathon.
Anthony:Yeah, I did the full. Yeah. So like at at about 11:12 we we split off because she she had asked me. Oh, you wanna do you know it doesn't matter.
Terrance:Yeah
Anthony:me and I get that full ride in. Yes and and and you know we talked about a little bit beforehand. The ride served two purposes for me anyway the way that we're doing them now is because it's a good season opener to to kinda transition from the trainer to on the road. Get a chance to kinda see. How's it really look?
Terrance:Yeah,
Anthony:you know from from Zwift shout out to Zwift. We're looking for sponsors too if you wanna sponsor us but how you you're transitioning from Zwift getting back into the road. How those things work? How you know how it transitions and what it really looks like from the digital road to the real road
Terrance:because it's different. Oh listen, it is different.
Anthony:I'll tell you something I don't care what anyone says and that's why I love road races too they have those little races. It's primarily this ain't nothing flat about Providence. Like when I went and I sat back and I and I looked at the the elevation, I'm like this is a sneaky almost a thousand elevation and there's one hill over near Blackstone Boulevard. We used to run it and oh my God, I saw that hill I had PTSD. I was like, my God, you know, but again you get a chance to kind of gauge that that indoor training that you did throughout, you know, bringing it into you know into the real world, but it was cool too.
Anthony:Know, think it's it's a very nice scenic route. You know and you know I don't really care for bike paths, but I love the way it goes through the city.
Terrance:Yeah
Anthony:hits the bike path you know you get a chance to see I think it's so excuse me over near Bristol get a chance to see a little bit of the water come back and I'll also say to what I've learned about the Providence full marathon is the residents don't get enough credit for their participation and I forget there's a guy in Bristol, you know where the gong. I think it's Washington Street and he's out there playing Rocky. Yeah. Ride I have seen him. I'm like, oh yeah, like in my mind, I'm like, I forgot about that.
Anthony:Yeah, yeah. They don't get enough credit. And there was another section where there were some young kids out there with their parents handing out waters and bananas and
Terrance:it was cool. That's you know what? I mean, again, so when when that's the type of stuff that makes you wanna say, okay, well, I wanna be a part of this community. Yes. And I think that I guess I'd have to say this, from an experience perspective, at some point, we have to see if we can get some of those experiences on the cycling side.
Terrance:And part of that is I have not been a part of any cycling events where I don't whether it be, racing or or or what have you, but it's an experience when you're part of those running events like that. And I remember the Rocky dude, and I actually remember him from when I ran the wrong course and was on the full course of the Providence years back.
Anthony:Though 5 Boroughs did have something similar to that though. Oh yeah. So Five Boroughs they did have, you know, but that was a big collective. So, you
Terrance:know Yeah. You know what? Yeah. So and I forgot about that. And I and and so Tim just Tim just did the five boroughs again.
Terrance:We gotta get up with Tim. I almost forgot about the five boroughs because that's between the expo, between Oh, the expo was Between the ride through the city before Oh, that was crazy. And then the actual five boroughs ride.
Anthony:Listen, that was an experience too. That's a great experience. Honestly, the best part of that was us dipping, trying to get back before the timeframe
Terrance:in the robe,
Anthony:in the robe. And I think it was, what else, there was a little, I think it was ponies, I gotta bet on the ponies. You know and and again you talk about community and even outside of that and you talk about a lot of times and I always tell people you know and I've been thinking about that you know trying to get back into solidly running it's about the journey and the experience you know even when you think about that five boroughs experience, the riding part of it was great, but to me was all the stuff in between you know we went and we stopped to eat they had the I think it was the pigeons or whatever it was was it the pigeons or seagulls.
Terrance:Yeah, seagulls.
Anthony:Seagulls are trying to attack people for food and stuff. That's what it is and those experiences in between.
Terrance:Because you remember that stuff.
Anthony:You remember that stuff. You know you remember when we were scoring around because the weather had shifted and we had to go to REI's for everyone to try to find like the covers and all that other stuff because we hadn't anticipated for that. Those are the experience. Matter of fact, I think he still got my damn gloves because I still ain't found my gloves. Everybody was losing stuff.
Terrance:Yeah.
Anthony:And I
Terrance:still ain't find my glasses.
Anthony:Yes. So it's those, you know, it's those things in. I think it's the relationship building that happens in between.
Terrance:Yeah. Tim, by the way, not to cut you off. I know you got my glasses, man, bring them back.
Anthony:Yeah. And it sometimes you, you know, you move away from that and it reminds you of how you, you know, it's almost like, like no addition, you got to come back home. You know what I'm
Terrance:saying? Yeah. So talk to me a little bit about going back to the Providence, you know, you pulling rank you pulling rank on on the new Cyclist. Talk to me about, you know, the experience interacting with the runners because sometimes it's one of those situations where, you're helping someone navigate this course. And it can get real quiet.
Terrance:And there's that moment when you wanna encourage them, but you don't wanna throw them off. You don't know it, you know whether or not their personality is gonna actually you know be open to that. So what was that like?
Anthony:I always my thing is I always you know I never as a runner. I never wanna give anyone an unfair advantage but so and I don't think that we do, but I think like for me, it's always and I shouldn't say it because I know that Terrence is gonna hold this against me forever. You know I'm a hold against you because because he likens this to me like when I cycle so to me I'm that I'm that fourth quarter person whether it's running, biking, swimming, whatever it is I'm I'm all fourth quarter So when it gets to a certain point, I'm a flip the switch. So to me on any of the races, I'm always, I always lay back in the cut until about the last the last five k or whatever the reason may be because that's and at least I'm consistent with what I do bro. You know what I'm saying?
Anthony:So the last you know I'll gauge out and make sure you know the the first three quarters or whatever percentage of the race that it is that I'm locked in so I get them on the turns and I'm locked in with that so you know they're where they are with that now by the time the fourth quarter comes with that third, you know that that the five K that's left at that point someone's already established like the one so far. It's never been because you know we're riding. We're looking back. We're riding. We're looking back so we have a gauge as far as who's where and for the most part at that point, someone has clearly established who they are.
Anthony:So at that point and as a runner, you know at that point that that person may be in there, you know they may be in their mind mentally about you know whether I can I hold on or that you know whatever that may be so at that point? I'll normally drop back and I'll I'll engage a little bit to see where they're at because you know you don't wanna mess up anyone's
Terrance:experience.
Anthony:Yeah. So I you know I normally drop back with like with the last guy when he was there, I could clearly see he had. He had like a half mile so you know I dropped back. I was like hey, you're looking you're looking good. You know just give him a card.
Anthony:Hey, you're looking good, you And then I'm like, you know me, because we're runners, I'm super and I'm like, listen, it's championship, Zagweil, listen, it's championship miles, what's up? Zagweil, what's up?
Terrance:And he was receptive.
Anthony:You know, he just looked at me, you know, he did that. I went back, you know, after it was at that, after that, we got to that, we'll get to mile two. Mile two, I shouted out, dropped back a little bit, mile two, last mile, mile one. I said, what's up man, you gotta bring this home. So like I'm cheerleading because I'm excited, I'm right there.
Anthony:It's like, it's like being at a championship game and being on the
Terrance:court. Yeah.
Anthony:That's what the that's the best experience with it. And through all of that mind you what's what's so exciting about it is the five ks is interacting with the half marathon for the last one that I did. So we're dipping and weaving, you know, you're trying to clear a course room. You know, you're riding up telling people on your left on your left on your left people won't move. So you gotta get up like yo get over get over.
Anthony:Know what I'm saying? He's bobbing and weaving.
Terrance:You know
Anthony:what I'm saying? So it's like that excitement and it's like that apex.
Terrance:I'm glad you mentioned that because if there's one gripe that I actually have, it is that. And I go back to last year's Providence. Yep. And you were with the front runner. Jamie was with the first female, or at least I thought Jamie was with the first female.
Terrance:And so I was staying with the second place guy because the first place had opened up such a large gap, and then second place had such a large gap. But when we get back to where the five ks and a halfs, the challenge that I saw, the challenge that I had in that situation was, as I was trying to navigate for this person to actually get through all those individuals, most of them had their headphones in. They weren't hearing get to the side. And what ended up happening was they were impeding me, and I started to impede him. And so at that point, I just said, the rest of it is bike path.
Terrance:Do you. Because it made he it was easier for him to weave in and out of those people as opposed to me being on the actual bike.
Anthony:You're right.
Terrance:So that was the only that's the only gripe that I have with when you do marathon, half marathon, and five k, and the finish is around that. Yeah. The the the the end of the route is at the same place because it it always ends up where you have those people who are on that cusp of being elite or great in in that marathon pace. They're going to run into those individuals. But other than that, I mean, know, it's always it's it's always a it's always a great experience.
Anthony:It's it's always listen, it's always a great experience, know, even, you know and for both of them too. It's good just to interact. Know I think sometimes you know and for me, especially because I haven't raised and I just signed up for a race.
Terrance:Yeah. We're gonna get to no. No. No. We're get to that.
Terrance:We're get to that
Anthony:but for me I think it's almost like. Like that, like it's like you like you've you've you're building off the vibe of other people. You know, think I told you like II went and I after the the second one I did for the Rhode Island Half marathon, I was souped in my mind. I'm like, that, like getting that young boy put it on him.
Terrance:Yeah. So I'm glad you mentioned that. Well, here's one point I will say too, it comes to interacting and being that lead cyclist, sometimes for me, man, I'm living vicariously through
Announcer:that
Terrance:person You're who's actually living my right. Yes.
Anthony:Yeah. Listen, was amazing because you and I think, you know not only the the living vicariously, but I also think it's the piece where you go back to connection. Yeah, you know like yeah, I finished that race, know my whole thing too, which we all do like I never try to get into the you know the vibe with them, you know right out there, but excuse me say, for example, like when we went through, I let him go through do his thing and after that I normally I just ride off. Don't try to interact with him. I want them to get in their glory, but it's beautiful.
Anthony:He came and followed me. He was like, yeah, had to come and find you. You know what I'm saying? He's zapping me up. Same thing happened at Providence.
Anthony:He comes up, he's zapping
Terrance:me up. So then we
Anthony:were talking and interacting. I'm like, he's like, Yeah, man. I appreciated that. And I'm like, I'm like that's what it's about. So, and I, one of the things I did which I didn't do and I'm gonna start doing is I ended up taking a selfie like come on let's get a selfie you know just cause it's that whole connection.
Anthony:Yeah. You know you're, you become a part of their journey in their story and I think that's beautiful because it's no different than the things that we talk about when we talk about people like Mary Ann, we think we talk about skip. We talk about those people who and and even down to Charlie, how they become part like, they've they're part of your story.
Terrance:You know what I just realized? We're part of the ecosystem. Yes. Yes. We're part
Anthony:of the ecosystem. So
Terrance:alright. So you you you kinda jumped into this, and this this surprised me. So I'm down at the Providence, and you know I hadn't ridden yet. And so and I'm a I haven't ridden outside yet.
Anthony:Yep.
Terrance:So I'm on my I'm I'm I'm on the road to to to getting back outside. And I think I should be able to ride outside next week. I think the first thing for me is gonna be the distance. So anyway, down at the Providence, I got the opportunity to see the half I mean, the marathon take off. I got the opportunity to see the half marathon take off.
Terrance:I got the opportunity to see the five k, and the best part about that was I got the opportunity to see the kids run. So then let's fast forward. Fast forward, I think it was maybe two weeks or the next week. It might have been it might only been might only been a week because it was the the the roadie half was May 17.
Anthony:Yeah. Something like that.
Terrance:It was May 17.
Anthony:It was only like a week apart. It was only like
Terrance:a week apart. So so we hadn't talked, and all of a sudden, I see this picture, and it's you at that half as a lead cyclist. So talk to me how that came about because in one of the previous episodes we talked about, I hadn't seen anyone else having lead cyclists be a part of the race. And the beauty part about seeing that is this. I think that now because, you know, when we start talking about whether it's different races, cycling groups, running groups, there's something for everyone.
Terrance:Right? It's all dependent on, you know, what the difference between the experiences are. But I'm glad to see that now there are at least some other races are providing that service to some runners. So how did that come about? What what was what was the experience like, and was it what you expected?
Terrance:And when I say was it what you expected, was it a situation where you got used to cause there's a certain vibe and there's a certain level of experience that you get when you are a lead cyclist for road races. Talk to me about the similarities, the difference, what brought that about? What was that experience like?
Anthony:Well, the experiences are always amazing, you know because to me like it's always about the vibe.
Terrance:Yeah.
Anthony:And I think you know you talked about the ecosystem you know being immersed in that in that ecosystem works for you as a participant and as someone who is receiving the the benefits of that ecosystem. Yeah. So for me and you know, I'll always say no matter who the organization is if I can be a part of that ecosystem and I can give back to the community. It's not about that organization. It's about the community of runners because that that's my collective.
Anthony:Yeah. That's originally that's where I started out at but Charlie Brieger and I we go way back you know as a matter of fact because initially he was one of the people who actually. I guess I don't wanna say influence, but he you know when we wanted to start a running club, he was very supportive of that. Know when like when we first started you know before road races and all that that's where we were like we were in tune. We run this time with.
Anthony:Know with run roadie like we were like we were in tune with them.
Terrance:Yeah
Anthony:if you go and if you go and you look back historically like that's where you know a lot of our our big our big photos were so he was instrumental with that and so he had reached out. Guess I'm assuming because he's a part of the we run this down group and he must have seen the photos from. Oh okay from road races and ask you know reached out. Hey, you know can you do and of course you know if I'm available. I'm always gonna do that because again to me, it's all about the collective.
Anthony:It's all about the vibe. It's all about the people. You know what I mean, like to me at the end of the day and I always tell people this no matter what relationships matter. It's always about the people because at the end of the day, you know my experience as a my journey and my experience as a hustler specifically, know whether that have being a runner, a cyclist, a triathlete. It's always been about the people.
Anthony:It's about those people you run into those people when you know you think you have nothing left and that person's like no come on. Got it. You got it. Yeah. I got it.
Anthony:Let's go
Terrance:You know, like tempo
Anthony:T one more motherfucking mile.
Terrance:You're like like that but that's the beauty
Anthony:of it. Know, so, know, he reaches out to me. He's like, oh, okay. Know, I'm like, alright, no problem. So we end up doing it.
Anthony:The crowd was amazing. I mean, it did like it it literally was. I would have to say probably at least 3,000 people so crowd wise, it was cool the vibe in the beginning. Nobody does it like Mary Anne does so I mean so I'm biased about that part but you know it was it was cool you know it was cool I ran into actually some people that I knew who were actually running I got a chance to meet some new excuse me running clubs that were out there too. So that was exciting.
Anthony:The start was I know again the way that they have a set up is a little different like they set up on the street, but then they end inside the Pierce Field.
Terrance:Yep. Yep. Okay.
Anthony:So and that causes some to me some logistical problems because that street that it starts out at it was delayed a little bit because there were some cars that they were still like going through or whatever so that's that traffic piece could have been a little better, but you know once you
Terrance:ain't getting your time man.
Anthony:What did you say
Terrance:you ain't getting your time now you are.
Anthony:Oh, ain't getting my time.
Terrance:No that whole time was all me.
Anthony:Okay. Speaking to the mic my bad so you know that the the initial part of it was good with that piece. You know you go up you take a left and then you know you go to a bullet point and all that piece excuse me, which is good and it was good like it was it was well man. I was also I was also happy to see like I saw some families out throughout that too cheering on so that was kinda cool and to me, especially it's always about the kids like not that the adult you know people cheering on us, but it's always cool to see the kids because in my mind, it's like their future hustlers so so in my mind, you know they're seeing it now and eventually they may wanna do it so that always that always excites
Terrance:me.
Anthony:Yeah. But overall, I mean the vibe was pretty good. I think the you know the course was as it was. I mean you spent a good amount of time on in the on the bike path. The ending was good where it goes into the field and they they make the whole announcement that you know this is how the Olympic runners did it blah blah blah.
Anthony:I think that the setup piece as far as the experience could be different from my perspective. Yeah, I think. And again, maybe it's the whole fashionista piece of me too, but the layout of it
Terrance:you were coming off fashion week.
Anthony:Yeah, I was coming. I was going fashion so the layout to me could have been a little more participant friendly, you know like at the the gold line they have. Excuse me at the goal line they have they have the band and they have like the water and they have some some of the vendors, but it all just seemed a little a little scattered but overall, though I would give it I'd give it a solid B. Good, good. I definitely give it a solid B.
Terrance:I do think that they, the fact that that ends at Piercefield and they have that stage and that they have an opportunity to really make that a great experience for individuals who are running that race to pull up in there, cross that finish line, and then to partake into whatever activity that they have going on afterwards. So you got so you have two races down on the bike right now as a lead cyclist. There's a there's there's one coming up. We're not gonna get into it too much, but you gotta figure out whether or not because you know the Bristles coming up next.
Anthony:Yeah. The bristles. I I gotta check and see if if I'm gonna be on a corporate plantation or not that we have some travel so I gotta I gotta see if how that works. So that's what I'm checking to see if I got travel like that, like it's like right there on the cusp. If not, I'm definitely gonna do it.
Anthony:Alright. I love Bristol. Bristol is my nemesis and you know, it's my nemesis. I mean, I love riding it. I probably never run it again.
Terrance:Well, mean, that remains to be seen because you signed up. So I wanna talk about the race, but I don't know if I should hold that until the next episode. Let me just ask you this. What type of race is it? Is it a tri or It's a k.
Terrance:It's five ks, alright alright,
Anthony:We're building base, you know, honestly, and then we'll go into it in the next chapter and that'll be a good like, is it the balancing act one, we're talking about that?
Terrance:No, we're gonna do, we're gonna do
Anthony:Essential athlete.
Terrance:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Anthony:Okay, we'll talk about that then. But basically what I'm trying to do is I'm trying to be like the $6,000,000 man. I'm trying to get back into being a triathlete, but I'm trying to build my beast where
Terrance:you know
Anthony:I have all all those things covered. Yeah solid basis, you know from a perspective of being a 55 year old man.
Terrance:Oh, I am so I think that's a good place to wrap this up, particularly since you mentioned being a $6,000,000 man.
Anthony:Wish I had $6,000,000. Sh**. Know? At least I got Cash App.
Terrance:That's a reference that I think some people might not get. But That's
Anthony:a heinous.
Terrance:But yeah, so we'll we'll we'll we'll get into some of that other stuff on the next episode. But, I guess the takeaway from this experience is, again, it's all about being a part of that community, working with the community, and actually providing that experience that brings everyone into all these different events. So that being said, be sure to subscribe to the channel, like this video so we can provide you with more like this if it appeals to you. And we'll see you next time.
Anthony:And share it with your friends too.
Terrance:What's good, everyone? This is Terrance from Spoke and Sole. We're just getting things moving. We got a lot of stuff in store for you guys. So if you wanna be part of the community, please be sure to subscribe, hit that notification bell so we can keep you up to date on everything we got going in the draft.
Terrance:Thanks, and we'll see you soon.
