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42 Mile Bike Along the Great River Road
Over Labor Day Weekend, Matt’s mom had the fantastic idea of spending the day biking along the beautiful and scenic Great River Road in Illinois. The weather couldn’t be better–amazingly cool temperatures (after going through a week-long heat wave of 90+ degree weather, this was a God-send), with little wind. We parked at the Piasa Bird exhibit in Alton and biked to Grafton, Illinois, stopping at a few places of interest along the way, such as the village of Elsa.
Getting Ready
The 16mile trek to Grafton was easy; we kept around a 9mph pace. The sky was cloudy, the air was cool. Once reaching Grafton we decided to have lunch at the Fin Inn (not the most notable food, however, the environment is nice, featuring an aquarium at your table) and then took the ferry across the Mississippi River to Brussels. Before boarding the ferry however, Matt and I had an unfortunate encounter with a wasp community and a renegade wasp stung Matt’s leg! OUCH!
The Ferry to Brussels
The ferry ride was great for multiple reasons. 1) I needed a break, 2) I love being on the water, 3) I really love being on the water. We didn’t bike the entire 8 miles to Brussels (I was tired and cranky and certain I wouldn’t be able to make it back to our cars) so we turned around about 3 miles in. The ride back to the ferry was much more difficult…on the way to Brussels we had a tail-wind, so on the way back, of course, we encountered a head-wind. After a brief respite at an ice cream shoppe in Grafton, we made the return trip back to Alton.
His & Her Trek Madones 
During the trip back down the River Road, I really started to feel the pain of not having been on my bike for a year or so. My quads were aching. My uncomfortable bike seat exacerbated the situation. By the last five miles of the trip, all of our butts were hurting! But we made it, all of us proud of the day’s accomplishments.
The Great Piasa (pie-a-saw) Bird
Nostalgia | The Philippines (Summer of 1998)
I came across a thread about the Philippines on my favorite photo-sharing website, Photography-On-The.net and it reminded me about some photos I scanned a while back.
These were taken with a disposable point and shoot…I hope to return one day and take better pictures.
Thanks for looking!
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Memphis in May | Learning from Mistakes & Race Day
Matt prepares for his Olympic-distance triathlon.
Never Sample the Local Cuisine...Even it if Looks Delicious
They don’t say “never sample the local cuisine before a race,” for nothing. Matt learned this the hard way, after giving into temptation to sample the Blue & White Restaurant’s Fried Green Tomatoes. Neither one of us had tried them before, and got caught up in the moment. While they were tasty, the intake of local fried delicacy upset his stomach and he felt nauseous for the rest of the day. Thankfully, he felt much better after sleeping off the mistake.
Race morning was much nicer than the previous day. The skies were overcast, the wind died down a bit, and the temperature was more comfortable. However, the at-times torrential rains pelleted the athletes (especially during the bike portion) and soaked the spectators. After the race, spectators (after paying a $20 fee) and athletes gathered under the enormous outdoor tent to enjoy post-race food and music while watching the pros finish up their race.
After watching the pros finish, we began the long trip home. Nothing feels better than sleeping in your own bed after a rough weekend!
Enjoying the traditional and much-deserved beer after the race.
Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon | 05.22.11
Memphis in May | Sprint & Olympic Triathlons
Last weekend, the Harrah’s Tunica Resort and Casino Veranda Hotel hosted the revamped 2011 Memphis in May Triathlon. Ironman recently acquired the race as part of their 5150 Triathlon Series, a new series hosting non-draft Olympic-distance events around the world. Memphis in May hosts two distances, the sprint triathlon held on May 21st and the Olympic triathlon on the 22nd.
Just outside the transition area, the ground quickly floods. Race volunteers do their best to control the water without avail.
Fears of event cancellation were high, as the area is currently heavily flooded. Luckily for the race, the venue is located far away enough that flooding only affected the run course, which was quickly re-routed. Sprint triathletes experienced intense sun, heat and humidity on their race day, while Olympic distance athletes raced in torrential rains and overcast skies occasionally illuminated by lightning and booming thunder.
In addition to the age groupers, physically-challenged athletes, and relay teams, several elite triathletes attended the historic race, including past event winners Dr. Amanda Stevens and Cameron Dye, along with ITU World Champion and New Zealand Olympian Kris Gemmell (who is competing the 2012 London Olmypics), Pip Taylor, Gavin Anderson, Jenny Fletcher, and a host of other elite pros. The pro start was slightly postponed due to lightning concerns. While we ate lunch in the gigantic tent just outside the resort, spectators watched as the elite athletes nearly bounced out of their seats as they eagerly awaited the race start. While the race was a ‘time-trial’ start as opposed to a wave start, there was no lack of excitement as the elite athletes entered the water and began the race for the $2,500 prize purse.
Pro Triathlete Gavin Anderson leads the pro field after the swim. Ultimately, it is Cameron Dye who wins the event.
From a spectator’s point of view, I personally thought that this race was very well organized and really catered to the participants. Pre-race events included an expo, Pro Q&A Panel, live music, pool parties, and outdoor dinners and luncheons. The race directors were humorous, and the large volunteer force performed very well. The transition area was neatly set up, featuring more efficient bike racks and plenty of space for the athletes. Our only complaint revolved around the hotel’s refusal of a later check-out time. We feel that it is an important courtesy as the event host hotel to allow a later check-out time for racers. For example, check out time was 11:00am, but the event didn’t even end until 2:00pm. I’m sure that many athletes were not able to actually take a shower after their race before heading home. My boyfriend had to race back up to our room so that he could take a shower before our 6 hour trip back home. The manager simply stated that it was the responsibility of Ironman to negotiate later check-out times in their host hotel contract. Despite the inconvenience, we thoroughly enjoyed the convenience of having the event on the resort. The transition area was a mere 3 minute stroll from our hotel room. This can be extremely important to the athletes…especially when it comes to, “Do I want to use the filthy port-a-john or just walk back to my room?”
A parapalegic triathlete inspires the crowd and fellow athletes as he embarks on the bike portion of the race.
