Hy-Vee was great.

Hy Vee Triathlon was a blast. The people were fantastic. The races were exciting. The expo was huge. The whole event was over the top. We got a tour of the transition area and grandstands the night before the race.

 Here I am checking out the swim start.

Here is the transition area.

I found a way to get into the photographers spot. Check out the giant TV that was set up so that people in the bleachers could watch the whole race. There were 3 giant TVs set up all around the expo area. The bleachers could hold 10,000 people.

This is the view from our booth. 

That is another big screen and a shaded area with chairs for people to watch the race. There were a bunch of luxury cars sporadically parked along the course as well. It was a great reason to go to Des Moines. Actually, I have no idea why anyone would go there if it weren't for this race. Oh yeah and we found the best grocery store, Hy-Vee!
Now we are back in Colorado. Another 10 hour day of driving through Nebraska. There was no reason to stop at any of the towns there either. I went for a slow 40 mile ride this morning and it was fantastic. The goal for the next two weeks is to stay busy. With so many fun outdoor things to do here, I really want to make the most of our time available. Farmers markets, swim, bike, run, coffee shops, hiking, climbing, you name it, I want to do it! Off to the pool now.

No more ferry.

I don't know if I would buy one, but any visibility for cyclists at night is good. I think that any car driver can be a threat.
I was not surprised to see that the Superferry has gone out of business. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Well maybe it is just because I never would have used it. Here is my last blog post from 2 years ago condemning the ferry. Here is the latest article about a bad idea that was poorly constructed. Although, I heard that the CEO of the parent company is a cyclist.

In Des Moines.

Leaving Kansas our spirits raised as we made it to Iowa. The temperatures also rose as we crossed Missouri border. It has been about 100 degrees and some ridiculously high humidity. These temperatures are great for thunderstorms and tornadoes. Probably where this TIV was heading.

Yesterday, we sat in our hotel room in front of the air conditioning. Today we thought that it would be fun to get out so we looked for something to do. However, I was told that there is nothing to do in the midwest, especially during the heat of summer, except to go to the mall. So we did just that. We found a mall and hung out for a few hours. We got to see the new movie Up. It was ok. I expected a little bit more. But we watched it in the normal version, not 3D.

When we walked out of the theater, the clouds had gathered and it was very windy. A thunderstorm rapidly developed and we hustled in Best Buy. It was a pretty good place to be stuck as the winds whipped up and the hail and rain poured down. We played video games and watched movies inside. When the storm subsided we braved the rain and went to have dinner at the Flying Mango. Most of the restaurants in the midwest have been large chains, so it was nice to find something local. IT was good BBQ food.

Dinner at the mango.

Now we need to figure out what to do for the next few days in the heat and humidity. I can't wait to get back to Colorado. The rest of the tour looks promising as far as locations and weather.

Like a tree. Leaving.

Pardon the pun. A sign of things to come in Kansas.

Mojdeh finished her 3rd triathlon of the season. I was busier than I thought I would be this weekend. The weather was ok (not thunderstorming) during the race. Our work week is done. We are leaving Kansas. I guess what I am saying is that I am happy.  I enjoyed Lawrence. Topeka is... ghetto. Not all of Kansas is bad.

Too much Topeka.

We are camping in Topeka, Kansas. The forecast is for damaging wind and hail. Severe afternoon thunderstorms. Oh well. I have heard that there are some things in life that I can’t control. There are fat white people wearing cowboy hats on my left and a black grandmother that is about 35 years old with her 5 grandkids on my right. I love camping. Both groups seemed wary of me when I went running in just my spandex tri shorts. Running last night made me realize how much I love competing in triathlons. I got to talk to a couple of guys that are trying to put together a club here in Topeka. It seems like an uphill battle. I have been here for two days and I don’t want to exercise. There are a lot of fattening places to eat and no bike paths.

 

Times are tough. Sometimes I gotta take ice when I see it.

Despite what seems like a lot of negativity, nah never mind, I can't wait to leave Kansas. Hopefully we are going to Iowa for the Hy-Vee Triathlon. Not that I know anything good about Iowa. I guess these places are popular if you are into college sports.

What do you do with a lot of flat land in Kansas?

Kansas...

I am sitting in our van. I am sweating. It is very humid. Kansas has been very interesting. It is 9 o’clock and according the ranger a “bad storm” is coming. My thoughts are that if someone that lives here tells you it will be bad, it will be bad. My first experience in Kansas was with a State Trooper that feels threatened by North Korea and China. We also had a flat tire. Other than that, things have been pretty good here. Of course being a straight white male, most of the residents of Kansas have no reason to want to beat me up, yell slurs, or kill me. I guess I am lucky.

It rains a lot at night here in Kansas.

I saw Luke Bell and Chrissie Wellington win the Kansas 70.3. Chrissie is a fantastic ambassador to the sport. She stayed and gave age grouper their finisher medals. Then she signed autographs. She was seen mingling in the crowd, taking pictures with anyone that asked and, talking to everyone. Her speech was short and sweet. I hope that she wins Kona this year. Luke hung out for a bit, but then left before the awards ceremony. I wanted to say hello to Tim DeBoom, but he didn’t race as well as he wanted. He walked across the finish line, and as I approached him I heard him mumble some expletives and leave. I decided not to say hello. James Cotter was someone that I wanted to introduce myself to for a while. I was finally able to shake his hand and meet both him and his wife. I will be following his blog more regularly. Chris Tremonte swung by our booth and it was great to catch up with him for a bit. All these people are fantastic athletes. I am now hoping to race the Vineman 70.3. They have all inspired me. Nothing but my laziness has prevented me from having the chance to race.

We have been very fortunate with the weather in Kansas. There is usually some bad weather in the evening and mornings, but the days are nice. Humid and the temps are rising, but it is nice. Living in a van can be a strange experience. Showers are one of those things that can be different every time. In Texas, the showers were clean, hot, and nicer than my bathroom normally is. Here at Clinton Lake, the showers are pretty gross.

My little bit of heaven.

At least someone left some 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner in the shower. I will use someone else’s shampoo, shaving cream, conditioner, in a bottle, but never a bar of soap. I wouldn’t take it for myself though. I think that is wrong. However, the guy shaving (imagine a guy in small jean shorts, boots, ponytail, and no shirt) chained his device to the bench by my shower stall. I was nervous when I heard the chains. I still have no idea what the device is...

What is this?

I woke up this morning ready to train. My knee has been bothering me from driving so much, but I might just need to run more and strengthen it. Then I strained my back moving boxes arond in the trailer. I think that I am covered in bug bites, but the red itchy dots appear randomly and more often as the days go on. Mojdeh thinks I have some disease. We got a hotel after 5 nights if sleeping in the van during thunderstorms. This is luxury. We just bought tickets to Kona to watch (and volunteer) the Ironman World Championships.

Last few days in CO

Still loving Colorado, I was able to hook up with my old indoor soccer team and friends. I got to play soccer last night after another day of rock climbing with our trad mentor. Now my whole body hurts and I can't wait to play again tonight. The triathlon training has been weak on all three aspects. I was hoping to be kicking my own butt every day in Boulder, but it looks like that will start next week in Kansas. NO MORE EXCUSES!

Our van is fixed nicely. Oil changed, tires rotated, and brakes checked out, so I feel much more confident on the road now. I look forward to Kansas. We are staying in a park where the 70.3 will occur.

Climbing... kinda.

I really like rock climbing in Colorado. We went up Boulder Canyon yesterday and just getting to the crag was an adventure. First there was the walk beside the river and the road, both dangerous.

Moj assessing the situation.

We decided that the river would be less dangerous to cross. But with all the recent rain, there would only be one way to do it. Tyrolean traverse.

This wasn't my first time.

The climbing was weak. A bit wet and I lead Maid Marian a 5.9. I psyched myself out a lot. I haven't lead in a while and the head games I was playing with myself made it worse. At least we saw baby ducks by the house.

A German in green.

Austin was a great place. The customer service at Jack and Adam's is the best in Texas. It is also the best triathlon shop in the area. We had to swing by Mellow Johhny's just to check it out. It took us three days to get to Boulder from Austin. We made it. We did another event in Longmont, but the fun part was the kids triathlon. We met some really cool people and the adult race and if the weather holds up, we hope to be outside all week.

Then we got to see the newest gear from Rudy Project. 2010 is going to be technically cool.

It was awesome to roll into Denver and have a signed Erik Zabel jersey waiting for me. 

Time to GO OUTSIDE.