When the handicaps become handy

I guess my naivete about bikes and my refusal to pay a lot of money have paid off.  It is really funny to think back, but I have realized now that I have made training for this triathlon harder just because I refused to buy a new swimsuit that was over $60 and didn't take my bike into the shop to be tuned up.  As a result, I swam in two suits that were about to fall apart and created drag and rode a bike that was pretty bad off.  Seriously...I went into the bike shop with a friend recently and when he looked at my bike, he began to find more and more things wrong with it.  Chain lube?  Apparently, I think that is optional.  He asked me if I had crashed.  I told him I didn't know (he was surprised, but really doesn't know how clumsy I really am).  Later I remembered that I had battled with the gravel and lost.  I guess this caused my gear shifter to be lopsided.  In addition, although I was proud of my handiwork in installing my aerobars (which help you to lie flatter on a bike for more aerodynamic speed), I guess that clamped down on my brakes and impeded my ability to turn left.  Seriously, I couldn't turn left.  But did I notice?  No, not really.  So...as I head into this weekend, I will remember all those weekends and nights this winter when I had nothing else to do but study for my license and ride my bike on my trainer.  This all seems to have worked out for the best without me really trying.