Canada August 2009 Day1+2

Another holiday. Another adventure. Another opportunity to write loads in my blog.
This time the destination is Penticton in British Columbia, Canada. Again the mission is an Ironman Triathlon. Whilst the mode of transportation changes I am again the advance party from team Tri-Anglia.
Yesterday morning involved the usual holiday routine, and I say usual because millions do the same. Get up, drive to Gatwick (or heathrow) leave car in long term car park, check in and board a plane. Don't see much point in talking about normal. The only exception was that the flight touched ground in Glasgow between Gatwick an Calgary. Just as well really as it would have only been 7% full, did mean that my bags being on first were last off.
Then for a long 680km drive from Calgary to Penticton that took from 8pm last night to 12 noon today. I'd not been organised enough to book accomodation so made use of rest areas to get a couple of hours in a few places.
It did mean that I had a few sureal hours driving through the Rockies in pitch dark through road works with confused conversations with a construction worker. It also meant that I was moving at dawn, well my body did think that 4am was noon. Seeing the day come up whilst driving through the mountains was special. You start by only being able to see what the headlights fall on. The rest is blackness. But that blackness starts to change and it changes in patches. Some of the black becomes slightly off black and you can now distinguish the outlines of the fir trees. Then you start being able to pick out the outlines of the mountains and some white peaks start to be clear. Then you realise you are seeing more and more detail though still in shades of gray. The sky then turns blue whilst everything else remains in greyscale. Then, almost as if the water that is washing in the colour at the top of the picture is running down the canvas the rest of the world transforms from limited hughes into full glorious technicolour.
The roads were remarkably clear.
Afraid I couldn't resist stopping in Armstrong for fuel and breakfast. Then as I arrived in Penticton too early to check in I recceed the bike course.
All pictures so far on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=135463&id=602602194&l=8a5121f756
Whilst listening to the radio in the car discovered that there is an ITU event this weekend in the area with supporting disabled, junior and age group events. They were promoting the event to spectators but also asking for volunteers. I figure an Apple Triathlon Marshalls t-shirt has some credibility in t-shirt poker. http://www.appletriathlon.com/
Oh, and it was hot here today. As hot as home in the UK I believe. 29-31C I was being told by the hire car. Nice on the bike which is mostly through vineyards (more than you can shake a stick at) hopefully it will cool a little before race day run.