Bento Box on the Bike: Not What You Think

Lynne Kiesling

Here's an amusing cultural amalgamation: I am getting ready for triathlon season, and so am thumbing through the Tri Zone catalog that just appeared in my mailbox. When you do tris that are Olympic or longer, you want energy and hydration close to hand while you're on the bike. Here's a solution: the Bento Box! Gu and energy bars instead of sushi.

I just had to laugh at the economic anthropology inherent in that marketing choice. Grant McCracken, call your office!

Given that I am doing two sprints this summer (Reebok Women's in Naperville, 25 June, and Accenture Chicago in Chicago, 27 August), I don't need a Bento Box to get me through the race. But I'll keep it in mind for maybe doing a full Olympic in Chicago in 2007 ...