The Official German Triathalon: Running, Biking, and Drinking (Team Bruch Edition)

Saturday was a big day, to include two different types of exercise, which is two more than I usually do on a Saturday. We made plans with two other couples to go for a bike ride along the Mosel River, which runs from Koblenz to Trier. There are a few dozen adorable river towns on the banks, and the surrounding hillsides are covered in vineyards. If you like Reisling or any other sweet, white wines, chances are they were produced nearby.

After we formulated our game plan (and it took awhile- N likes to do thorough research, whereas I would have just piled the bikes in a car and parked somewhere near the water...), the two of us went for a run in the forest. I'm supposedly still training for a 1/2 marathon in May, so I needed to get about 6 miles in. The trees are just beginning to bud and flower, which did a fairly decent job of taking my mind off the actual run.

We met our friends nearby, and the six of us hopped on our bikes (after some tire pumping, seat adjusting, and practice riding) and were off...sort of. It took us a few tries to figure out where the trail began and what direction to turn, but after that the only issue we ran into was the overpowering smell of newly tilled farm fields filled with manure. Spring is definitely in the air!

The ride to Schweich, which is on the Mosel River, was about 15 km (9 m), and we rewarded ourselves with an adult beverage at a bar on the water. There were tons of other bikers and runners along the path, and the weather was mostly beautiful. When we began to ride again, the sky threatened a huge thunderstorm, but we avoided it (thankfully). It would have been a miserable ride in the rain!

Unfortunately, the ride from Schweich to Trier (21 km) isn't as scenic as some other parts of the river road. It winds through several other small towns and the surrounding areas are pretty industrial. If we had gone upriver instead of to Trier we would have seen more vineyards and fewer recycling/garbage plants...oh, well.

We encountered only two small problems: a bike chain falling off and a pretty comical spill by yours truly. N and I rode a little too close together at one point and I wiped out spectacularly. Flat tire and all- luckily we were almost to our destination and we rode the train back to our cars. Leave it to me to pull something like that.

We ended up in Trier, the old Roman city with the Porta Negra. It was a beautiful Saturday night and many people were out buying flowers before Easter Sunday. You can see some other bikers in the background, too. I love the pedestrian zone on the weekend- so full of life!

We had one drink before taking the train back to our car and driving home. It took us 20 minutes to figure out how to buy tickets at the kiosk, but once we got the hang of that, we were on our way. You're allowed to bring bikes on certain cars of the train, so that wasn't a problem, either.

We had to hurry back to Bruch for a bonfire! Ingrid and Bernie have had a pile of sticks for months, but the wind hasn't been right for a burn- until Saturday! And Easter is traditionally celebrated with, among other activities, a fire to chase away the last of winter. Nice coincidence! Bonfires here are accompanied by plenty of drinks and music, and are always the highlight of the week. Some of the B&B guests came out, and Ingrid and Bernie's children were there, too. It was a clear night and we didn't end up going home until 2 am.

And for a 2 am snack, we devoured some tofu hotdogs. Nothing better than some fake meat at an ungodly hour!

Thus the end of the German triathalon: running, biking, and drinking. Das is gut!